To clean a metal roof wait for a dry overcast day and make sure you have a partner to help you for safety reasons.
How do you clean a metal roof for painting.
Before you can clean your metal roof you ll need to do a thorough inspection of the roof itself.
Galvanized roofs require the use of a different paint than what is used on terne metal.
Unfortunately over time this coating can fail leading to minor rust outbreaks.
Therefore it s usually best to clean a metal roof from on top of the house itself.
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.
You can also use oil based alkyd paint but.
Galvanized metal roofs are coated with a layer of zinc that inhibits rust.
You can use a wire brush instead.
Over the course of time painted metal roofs will appear discolored in areas where dirt and grime accumulate.
Anyone that has pre painted metal roofing or siding will eventually need to clean it.
Keeping your bryan roof clean is a part of normal roofing maintenance.
Terne is best painted with an oil based paint.
It is recommended that cleaning either of these be accomplished with a mild solution of detergent.
Overuse or abuse such as over concentrating a cleaning solution mixing with other chemicals or using too much of a solution for too long could lead to damage of the metal or paint system which will also likely void one or more of your warranties and leave you with the cost of paying for a metal roof replacement.
You ll also need to purchase a primer designed for metal roofs.
Avoid scraping the paint unless you are sure that you won t damage the roof.
To paint a metal roof you ll need to use an oil based paint if you have a terne metal roof or an acrylic based paint if you have a galvanized metal roof.
If you re not sure what kind of roof you have ask a professional roofer to inspect it before you paint it.
Long term exposure to the sun also creates a chalking effect where the metal appears lightened in color when compared to other areas of the roof.
Keep in mind that metal roofs tend to be much more slippery than an asphalt roof and that many aluminum roofs will also dent easily if walked on.
This detergent solution should be made from a tri sodium phosphate for example the laundry detergent name brand spic n span.
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.
When you re ready to get started spray your roof using a garden hose with a spray nozzle attachment starting at the top of the roof and blasting downward so the dirty water runs off the sides.