How to Prepare Aluminum Siding for Repainting

Aluminum is a great option for siding on a home. As with most exterior home siding, aluminum siding needs to be repainted occasionally. Years of weathering can cause the paint to wear away on aluminum siding. For the best paint job on your home, there are a few things you will need to do to prep your aluminum siding for repainting.

Things You'll Need

• Drop cloths
• Gloves
• Lead test kit
• Sponges or pressure washer
• 1 cup chlorine bleach
• 1 cup TSP (tri-sodium phosphate)
• 1 gallon water
• Bucket
• Hose

Instructions

1. Test for lead. Before working with older aluminum siding, it is a good idea to test for lead. Pick up a simple test kit from your local hardware store and follow the manufacturer instructions.

2. Wash the siding with a mixture of chlorine bleach, water, and TSP, a common household cleaner. Use sponges or a pressure washer to wash the siding with the mixture. Always use gloves when working with chemicals. Avoid getting the mixture on the underside of the aluminum siding.

3. Use clean water to rinse the siding of the mixture. Allow the siding to dry completely before painting.

4. Paint the siding with a primer and follow up with two coats of exterior paint.

References

• This Old House