If you have old aluminium windows, the question— can you repaint aluminium windows —has perhaps visited your mind more than once. Well, the happy fact is that you can. You can paint and repaint the aluminium windows, security screens, fly screens, sliding doors etc. You just need to prepare the material rightly for the repaint and follow the right procedures.
Aluminium frames generally come with a surface coating known as anodised finish. There are also other kinds of aluminium frames which are powder coated or painted. With the right surface preparation, you can repaint all of these surfaces. You should start with scouring the surface of the frames with fine wire wool. This will remove the loose oxidation from the surfaces. You must see that you do not scrub too hard. Once this is done, dust the frames carefully and if possible, twice over, to make sure that all the fine grains of dust created by scouring have been removed. Afterwards, wash the surfaces with warm water and give them time to dry.
The things you will need to perform the job include a chemical metal painter, some metal primer paint, some top coat paint and some good brushes. Once you have finished the scouring process, just head to the local paint store and talk to the man in the know there. Explain what exactly you are planning to do with your windows and ask for advice as to the right kind of paints to use. Make sure that you describe the state your window frames are in and repeat the question to him— can you repaint aluminium windows — and see what he has to say.
Unless your windows are in pretty bad shape, the answer will be in affirmative. Once you come back from the store, and the frames are dry, too, start with applying the metal cleaner all over the surface. Follow the instructions on the label carefully. The cleaner wipes out any kind of surface contamination that can possibly prevent the new paint from sticking to the aluminium. Once the cleaner is applied, make sure you do not touch the frames anymore. Next you will have to prime the surface using the metal primer. Once this is done, you need to apply double layer of thin coats of the finishing paint. Make sure you do not apply thick coats. The temptation is often there but contrary to common belief, the thick layers run the risk of peeling off very soon. Hope you have now got a satisfactory answer to your question— can you repaint aluminium windows.
One last thing to keep in mind is that if you are applying a finishing colour different from the existing one, you must choose the colour with care. For example, do not try to substitute a dark colour like brown with too light a colour like peach yellow or soft cream. This may backfire and hint of the earlier colour will make the new job unpleasing to the eye. In general, the answer to the question— can you repaint aluminium windows — is yes, you can. You just need to be in the know of the right procedures and it will be easier than you thought.