Don't Waste Time or Money Painting Faded Metal
- Mike Spence
- Aug 19, 2016
- 2 min read
If you manage a facility in North America, you probably have metal signage, handrails, roofs and various other structures with faded paint. You may even remember when they were installed and how great they looked. However, with most things in this world, they lose their luster over time and especially when exposed to the elements. Depending on where you live in this great country of ours, this can happen very quickly or take several years, but one thing is for certain, your metal will become dull and faded.
To combat this problem, many have turned to the internet for quick "how to videos" to learn how to properly sand and paint metal to return it to its former glory. Taking this approach is not only a time-consuming endeavor but also a temporary fix that will only cost you money in product and labor that you will never recoup.
To repaint metal correctly requires many steps including cleaning the surfaces with harsh and sometimes expensive chemicals. Once properly cleaned, surfaces may need to be sanded and repaired before the painting process begins. Too many times a "simple" paint job on an old sign can turn into weeks of labor and lackluster results. Even if the project is executing perfectly and the result is appealing to the eye, the elements will immediately begin the destructive work of breaking down the compounds and fading will be inevitable. You will be forced to repeat this exercise often if you hope to win against mother nature with the "paint your metal" method.
A better approach to rescuing your faded metal is to "recoat it", not repaint it. The advantages between recoating and repainting faded metal are numerous and will save you both money and time.
Here are a few:
It restores the original shine that the metal had when it was new.
Recoating can SAVE your metal signs and surfaces! By removing rust and sealing the metal, it can extend the life of the material.
Lower maintenance cost. No more repainting or repairing metal signs and surfaces.
When considering options for how to restore faded metal throughout your facilities, you should research and compare how coating rather than repainting can benefit your organization.
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