Can You Paint A Galvanized Metal Roof

If you are preparing to paint a rusted galvanized metal roof pay special attention to surface preparation or you will have a recurrence of rust and or flaking.

Can you paint a galvanized metal roof.

Paint will not adhere to your metal roofing unless you apply an etching primer first. Painted metal roofs come with a baked on factory finish and you can re coat these as well as paint bare metal roofing with acrylic latex paint. Unfortunately over time this coating can fail leading to minor rust outbreaks. To ensure that you know what kind of metal your roof is made out of and what kind of paint you should use ask a professional roofer to inspect your home.

You can also use oil based alkyd paint but. Galvanized metal requires either a zinc dust type paint or a latex paint. My house was built circa 1880 and still has its original terne metal roof which consists of individual metal shingles with an embossed decorative pattern. The american iron and steel institute have run tests that show new unpainted galvanized steel can be field painted immediately upon construction.

Find either oil based or acrylic based paint at your local home improvement store. Galvanized metal roofs are usually painted with acrylic based paint. It is not necessary to wait for the material to weather and no special treating of the galvanized surface is necessary prior to painting. Painting a galvanized steel panel roof is not all that different from painting other metal objects but you must ensure that the surface is perfectly clean before beginning the application process.

However if you have to repair your galvanized metal roof anyway it might be a great visual decision to paint it afterwards.