Cast Aluminum furniture can last decades on your patio but you will need to give it a fresh coat of paint every now and then to give it a new look. So in this article, we’ll be taking a look at a few steps on how to do just that.
Cast aluminum furniture can be painted just like most steel furniture. You’ll need to strip most if not all of the old paint with a paint stripper. After that, make sure the furniture is dry before applying an etching primer. This will allow the paint to bond better with the aluminum.
Failing to use the primer will eventually lead to flaking and the whole process would have to be redone.
Exposure to Sunlight
When cast aluminum furniture is not properly prepared with the correct primers and paints, the paint will deteriorate and start flaking quickly, especially if the furniture is standing outside in a sunny area.
Adding the primer before the first coat of paint will help you prevent this problem for many years into the future as the primer helps the bonding process of the paint.
Correct Aluminum Furniture Primer
Do not use ordinary latex primer for this project. It will cause the paint to flake over time and you will need to redo the furniture often. To avoid this, all you need to do is follow a few steps to guide you through the process of refurbishing the furniture. But, first, here’s everything you’ll need for the job.
Things You Will Need For The Project
- Paint stripper
- Waterbased degreaser
- Sandpaper 120 grit & 220 grit
- Compressor & spraygun
- Garden hose (to rinse furniture after washing)
- 2 Clean drying cloths
- A piece of drop cloth
- Respirator
- Latex gloves
- Etch-primer
- Preferred paint color for the furniture
- Cast Aluminum restoring solution
Follow These Steps
These steps will not only ensure that your garden furniture lasts longer, but also makes it look like new furniture for a longer. It will lessen the time spent on maintaining in the long run.
- Rough up the surface of the furniture with 120 grit. Then smoothen it a little bit with 220 grit.
- Then wash the furniture with a water-based degreaser to completely remove any unwanted dust, dirt, or oiliness that may cause problems along the process.
- Rinse the cleaner off with fresh water.
- Wait for 1 to 2 hours for the water to dry completely.
- If there are any parts of the furniture you do not wish to paint, cover them with painter’s tape.
- Spray the furniture with galvanized metal self–etching spray primer. Safety is critical when doing this type of work, so wear a respirator while spraying.
- After applying the primer, spray the furniture with acrylic enamel at a distance of 7 to 8 inches. Wait about 4 to 5 hours for it to dry.
- Apply a second coat of paint if the primer is still showing through and wait a further 4 to 5 hours.
Sand Blasting
Sandblasting is a method where a compressor is used to blast small granules of sand onto the surface of the steel to remove any corrosion or any other debris. If you want to start the paint job on weathered or dirty cast aluminum furniture, I would suggest you take the furniture to a sandblasting company to save you time on sanding and cleaning the furniture.
This method will only take the company a few minutes to complete and you can be sure that it is completely stripped of the old unwanted paint or dirt on the furniture.
Using the Correct Primer
There is nothing worse than doing a job twice, so use Self-etch primer, this is the right primer to use for this job because it etches itself into bare metals.
This creates a solid base for the coat of paint to be applied to later, so it reduces the chance of the new coat of paint flaking.
Ideal Work Area
The area is very important for a job like this so you need a clean workspace with plenty of airflow because you will be working with harmful chemicals. The airflow will help extract the fumes when taking on a project like this. If you’re working indoors, use at least one fan to blow the fumes out.
So it will be better if you are doing it outside on your patio or inside a garage with windows and doors open to make sure you have the airflow that will keep you from breathing in any of the harmful chemicals.
It also helps to keep dust specs from landing on the wet painted furniture which leads to having ruff areas.
If you would like to avoid any overspray on the patio or on the garage floor I would suggest laying down a plastic sheet or drop cloth. This will help to avoid any overspray landing on unwanted places.
Cast Aluminum Furniture Maintenance
Maintaining your garden furniture is very important as this will save you the headache and the expenses that come with it. Once you see a slight white powder appearing on the surface of the furniture this is oxidation forming on the surface and it is the time you want to do the maintenance.
It is very easy to do, all you need is the aluminum maintenance solution and two clean clothes. One to apply the Aluminum maintenance and restoring solution and the other to wipe down any excess thereof.
Applying the solution will take you about 10 to 15min. You don’t need to buff the furniture, a simple wipedown will do.
Doing this on a regular basis will prevent oxidation from occurring on the surface and the paint of the Cast Aluminum furniture will last longer.
Conclusion
As we’ve learned in this article, cast aluminum furniture can be painted. The only main difference is that you need to use an etching primer for any aluminum paint project because it helps the paint bond better to the aluminum and helps it last longer.
Starting the project off with sanding the furniture to get most of the old unwanted paint or oxidation off. Washing off any of the fine sanded paint particles is an important step. Failure to do so will cause small air pockets that will, at the end of the day, have the furniture flaking and looking old.
The most important equipment you need is the respirator, especially if you are planning on spraying in a closed area such as a garage or shed with little airflow.
Tools for a job like this are very easy to come by the average household should have most of these in their garden shed or garage. If you’re missing any of the mentioned tools, you’ll find them at your local home depot or hardware store.
