A question that many homeowners have is whether their aluminum fencing can be painted.

Since this type of fencing may require occasional fence painting, this is a normal concern you may have.

The answer depends on what type of coating is already on your aluminum fence and why you want to paint it.

Whether you plan on doing it yourself or hiring fence painting services, you need to learn why not all aluminum should be painted.

Can You Paint Your Aluminum Fencing?

Of course you can- you may paint any fencing if you use the right process and apply the right paint.

Like many other materials used to construct fences, metal installations do require protection from moisture to prevent corrosion that could eventually cause it to corrode and decompose.

Fortunately, metal fences are especially durable against corrosion and decomposition; they require little in the way of fence painting.

Some fences like wrought iron should be painted every few years. Others like aluminum may not need the attention of fence painting services at all throughout its entire service life.

Should You Paint Your Aluminum Fencing?

Even though you can paint an aluminum fence, most are designed to go without painting since most aluminum components are powder coated.

Powder coating is a hard, baked-on ceramic layer that binds to the metal to keep it corrosion-free and good looking indefinitely.

It is applied before the metal components are assembled using a special process.

Although it can happen, it’s very unlikely that the powder coating on an aluminum fence could be cracked or damaged to the point that fence painting is necessary.

The preferred way to repair the powder coating on aluminum is to replace the damaged portion with new parts that have an intact coating.

If you’ve changed the exterior of your home or there is some other reason why you might want to change the color of your fencing, then yes painting over the powder coating is possible.

If your fence is not powder coated and has a standard sprayed type of coating, it can definitely be painted.

How to Paint Your Aluminum Fencing

If for any reason you decide to paint your aluminum fence, it’s essential that you follow the right process used by professional fence painting services:

  1. Clean - Clean the fence with soap and water or a cleaning preparation that will remove residue, oil, dirt, and more leaving a clean finish. Allow the aluminum to dry completely.
  2. Scuff or Smooth - Use sandpaper to prepare the surface. If the fence is already painted, use varying grades to sand off the old paint so you have a smooth, clean surface. If you are painting over powder coat, use a fine grade to scuff the coating so the new paint will adhere. Wipe everything to remove sanding dust.
  3. Prime - Apply a primer made for aluminum. The primer helps the actual paint properly adhere to the surface and help prevent corrosion.
  4. Paint - Once the primer has dried a few hours, apply the new paint. Make sure to use an exterior formula designed for coating metal so it adheres well and does not flake off prematurely.

Although you can paint aluminum fencing if it’s done the right way, it’s not recommended if your system is powder coated.

If you chose to paint anyway, you can still do fence painting by using the above process.

In either case, if you need help or want to avoid the mess, consider hiring local fence painting services to do it for you and get your aluminum fence looking its best again!

Need Fence Painting Services In College Station?

College Station Fencing Does All Types Of Fence Painting!

Call 979-553-6447!