Painting Metal Buildings and Pole Barns the Right Way

Whether you’re painting an old metal pole barn or a brand new building, there are several things to consider. Paint fades and fails over time due to prolonged exposure to weather and sunlight, so it is important to protect metal buildings and pole barns to avoid rust and other damages. When painting metal buildings and pole barns, there is a right way to do it and there are many wrong ways to do it. Read on to find out the right way:

How to Paint Metal Buildings

Power Wash

Begin by lightly washing the metal building with a power washer. This is important because, many times, metal buildings and pole barns can do what is called “chalking.” This happens when the previous coating of paint begins to break down and turn into a powdery substance. You can see this if you walk up to the building and swipe your palm across it. If you look at your hand and see the paint color on your palm, the previous coat is chalking. While power washing can never completely remove all chalking, it is important to get off as much as possible. This creates a nice, clean surface for new paint to stick to.

Scrape and Prime

After power washing, it is important to scrape off any peeling or flagging paint from the metal. You should do this for all exterior painting, but especially for metal buildings and pole barns. Once all the failing paint is removed, be sure to prime all exposed metal and rust. If you do not prime metal properly, the paint you apply in the next step will not adhere. This will lessen the lifespan and quality of your painting project. It is important to use good, quality metal primers for these areas. If you are unsure what products to go with, give us a call at Elite Pro Painting and we can give you a hand.

Apply the Appropriate Paint for Your Metal Building

There are a couple of ways to go when painting metal buildings or pole barns. If the metal is well primed and “buttoned up” nicely, a good premium exterior paint will work. Although, there are some circumstances where it is preferred to use metal-specific paints as well. If you aren’t sure, let us come out and take a look. Either way, it is recommended to spray metal buildings and pole barns rather than brush and roll. This allows for better coverage.

Get a Professional Opinion

Painting metal buildings and pole barns can be tricky, but Elite Pro Painting has decades of combined experience under our belt. We always paint your metal buildings or your pole barns as if they were our own. When we painted the metal building in the picture at the top of the page, we followed the system that I outlined above. We can do the same for you! Give us a call today!