Repainting pole barn metal siding

[Willman]

Planing to repaint 20 x 40 pole barn siding. It is chalking and weather worn.
I plan to wash it with a TSP cleaner first before painting.

So what is the best recommended paint to use for this project?
Has anyone repainted their barns siding?

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I painted an aluminum sided house 40 years ago. The most important step is getting ALL of the chalking off. I think I used steel wool on the whole house. I would use a metal primer and then a finish coat. Oil based. It’s possible that there are modern all-in-one water based enamels that will do a decent job but I wouldn’t risk having to remove peeling paint and starting over.

 

[ovrszd]

10 years ago I painted over galvanized tin. It has held up great. I was actually surprised how well it's stayed.

I'm in the process of sheeting over old lap siding with used steel panels from an old pole barn I tore down. The panels are probably 25 years old. I'll use the same paint I did on the galvanized tin.

All I did for prep was power wash the tin. That's all I'll do on the panels.

Here's the paint I used and will use again.

 

[ovrszd]

here's a pic of the barn tin I painted over. This pic was taken 7 or 8 years after I painted it.

 

[Willman]

10 years ago I painted over galvanized tin. It has held up great. I was actually surprised how well it's stayed.

I'm in the process of sheeting over old lap siding with used steel panels from an old pole barn I tore down. The panels are probably 25 years old. I'll use the same paint I did on the galvanized tin.

All I did for prep was power wash the tin. That's all I'll do on the panels.

Here's the paint I used and will use again.

Thanks, that’s the kind of info I’m looking for.
I’ll check to see if that paint is available near me.

 

[2manyrocks]

Whatever paint you choose, preparation is key. The new paint can only stick as well as the surface is it going on. Good pressure washing and TSP cleaning will get the dirt and a lot of the loose paint and chalk off. If there are still sections where the finish is glossy, you want to rough up the gloss on those areas so the new paint will stick. That could be steel wool, sanding, using paint deglosser, etc.

Also, it's important to follow the paint manufacturer's recommendations. If they say to prime first, then prime according to their directions.

Spraying is a lot faster than any other method, but wear the appropriate protective goggles and respirator.