painting a barn roof

Anonymous-0 · Mar 22, 2014

Anyone have any experiance painting a steel barn roof? I dont feel comfortable with the gypsies that float into our area each summer. Sometimes one good rain and all your paint runs off. Where would a guy buy forest green paint in bulk? Do you use rustolium? Anyone paint there own roof or am I just crazy?

El Toro · Mar 22, 2014

I would check with a paint store like Sherwin Williams and see what they recommend. They probably have it in 5 gallon cans. Their best Duration paint is on sale now and there's 30% coupons good until March 31st. I'm going to use it on my vinyl shutters. I've used their best paint when spraying them. They still look good for exposed to the weather since 1997. Cost is about $56.00 plus tax for a gallon. I would spray that roof. Hal

Bryce Frazier · Mar 22, 2014

Big R has "barn paint" in 5 gallon buckets. Red and White of course! Bryce

mab570diesel · Mar 22, 2014

(reply to post at 17:04:13 03/22/14)

would just check with Sherwin Williams or lowes and see what they recommend. I'm not sure if it would be regular paint or maybe something application specific.

dr sportster · Mar 22, 2014

Look for that sign painter from "MAIL POUCH CHEWING TABACCO" . Those barns were all done by one guy.

Jeremy in DE · Mar 22, 2014

(quoted from post at 16:08:24 03/22/14) Anyone have any experiance painting a steel barn roof? I dont feel comfortable with the gypsies that float into our area each summer. Sometimes one good rain and all your paint runs off. Where would a guy buy forest green paint in bulk? Do you use rustolium? Anyone paint there own roof or am I just crazy?

I painted mine with Sherwin Williams Sher-Cryl several years ago. It was quite rusty, so I wire brushed the metal clean (that was the slow part, and probably the important part) then sprayed the paint. Part of it I did two coats of Sher-Cryl. Part of it I primed with Pro-Cryl followed by one coat of Sher-Cryl. Can't tell a difference yet.

Not cheap. But it could be tinted to pretty much any color I wanted. Water clean-up. Five gallon buckets or single gallon cans.

Like anything, probably best to follow the instructions well and not try to cut corners.

So far I'm pleased. I won't know for (hopefully) many years yet just what the life is, but so far it still looks the same as when I finished.

Ron Anderson · Mar 22, 2014

What was the original finish? colored or galvanized aluminum? If it was a color like green or white I would go to Hardware Hank and have them color their best latex in the color you want then pressure wash the metal so you get the dirt and any loose paint off, wait three days and spray the new paint on. You can buy it in 5 gallon pails or gallon ones Make sure there is no dew before you start and quit early enough so it can dry before evening dew. I have painted buildings for 19 years and can go to the first ones which still look good. The latex will harden with the sun beating down on it so it is very long lasting. Certain colors will fade but I have seen new colored steel fade also.
If you are working with rusty metal you need to spray a rusty metal primer sold by Rustoleum then wait 5 days before the top coat.
If it rains before the paint dries it will wash off but normally a couple hours in the sun will dry it.

Michael Soldan · Mar 22, 2014

Most of the thread is suggesting enamel/rust type paints...barn painter I know uses latex only. Clean off loose rust.use rust primer on those areas only,then prime with a latex primer and then a top coat of latex enamel. Latex expands and contracts,allows the paint to breath,will outlast any paint producte. I painted three roofs with a non latex, enamel,rolled on two coats,it looked great and it was peeling in a few weeks as soon as the nights were cool and the days sunny..terrible mess. A storm took those roofs off about ten years ago.

Nebraska Cowman · Mar 22, 2014

Sherwin Williams has commercial grade paints. I'd ask at a good paint store and see what they recommend (not Wal-mart)
commercial paint

showcrop · Mar 22, 2014

If it is rusty you need to eliminate the rust first either mechanically or chemically or both, otherwise it will just rust faster under the paint. If the rust isn't bad,, and it shouldn't be on a roof, you could probably just get by with an acid wash.

showcrop · Mar 22, 2014

If it is rusty you need to eliminate the rust first either mechanically or chemically or both, otherwise it will just rust faster under the paint. If the rust isn't bad,, and it shouldn't be on a roof, you could probably just get by with an acid wash.

Formerly PaMike · Mar 22, 2014

Dad had his roof done a few years ago. They used an airless sprayer for some some of asphalt based primer, then a top coat. They parked a trailer with the 55 gallon drum on it right next to the barn. They had a sprayer that pumped right out of the drum. There was one worker that stood on the ridge with one foot on either side. The other worker took the airless line and tied it around his waist. He then decended down the roof spraying as he went. He wore sneakers for traction and the guy on the ridge fed him sprayline and kept it tight...His safety harness of sorts. This was on a big bank barn with about 30' to the peak. I watched for a few minutes then went to work...I didnt want to be at the scene of the crime/accident....
The system worked pretty darn well but was scary as all get out....

glennster · Mar 22, 2014

If it is a morton building, they have a deal with sherwin williams where you get a discount on the materials.

Kirk Affeldt · Mar 22, 2014

My dad has had a guy by the name of Jackie Robinson who has painted the barn, sheds, and roofs over the years. He has always done a very good job with the prep, painting, and clean up. I can't remember if he was from Kentucky or where for sure in that area. I couldn't tell you what kind of paint he used but it has lasted through the Minnesota weather.

Bonnan · Mar 22, 2014

That guy passed away a few years back. He lived in southeastern Ohio

Frank 41 · Mar 22, 2014

The best paint that I have had on my bins was Cenpeco fiber coating. K + K from Gibson City, IL (217-784-4889)painted for me. Used on shed roof and over rust. They power wash before painting.

dr sportster · Mar 22, 2014

I read an article about him. He got to know the lay-out so well that he didn't need to do any lay-out markings. He would just start painting off a ladder and knew exactly when to change colors. I think I'm going to google this and read up on the guy again.

painting a barn roof

Anonymous-0

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El Toro

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Bryce Frazier

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mab570diesel

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dr sportster

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Jeremy in DE

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Ron Anderson

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Michael Soldan

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Nebraska Cowman

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showcrop

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showcrop

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Formerly PaMike

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glennster

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Kirk Affeldt

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Bonnan

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Frank 41

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dr sportster

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