Often, potential customers come to us what we think about panting their metal roof. To be honest, I get it. Often, metal roofs can start to fade over time and when they do, it does not look good. Instead of responding to every single e-mail about this topic, I just wanted to centralize all the questions we receive about painting metal roofs.

Just so you have other opinions, we also included quoted from other roofers who have painted metal roofs or have had requests to do so.

Conversation with a metal roof expert. He says not to do it.

When Should I Paint My Metal Roof?

You can get away with it if the paint is peeling or is just looking dull overall. I just don’t see the cost savings after you factor in your time to prep the roof and then paint it. However, I could see the benefit if maybe you were just trying to make the place look good to sell or something.

How To Paint A Metal Roof

So you have decided to go against my advice and paint your metal roof. No problem. There is a way to set yourself up for success here. It won’t be easy and I think if you calculate the amount of hours needed, you will decide this is too much work and you should just replace the roof.

1. Remove all the old paint and rust spots on the roof. This will involve you getting a paint thinner and a wire brush and working your tail off. I know most of you won’t prep your roof like this and you will ultimately pay the price…LOL
2. Once the metal is stripped of all the old paint and rust, you have to scuff it up so it will take the paint. To do this, I suggest some sort of scuffing pad and work it into the metal, scuffing it as much as possible.
3. Prime the prepped metal. Now that the metal is clean and scuffed, you need to first put on a coat of primer and let it dry overnight. Make sure you do this when there is no rain in sight.
4. Apply the paint.
5. Depending on the color, you may need a 2nd coat.

Best Paint For A Metal Roof

The kind of paint does not matter if you did not prep your roof and follow the above steps perfectly. But if you did, congrats on the hard work. I know that was not easy!

When picking out paint for this project, you want to use a paint that is specifically for metal. If you don’t, it won’t bond correctly and. you did all the prep work for nothing.

From the people we have talked to that have had success, they almost all used Rust-Oleum 331052. This is a paint that was intended for metal furniture but people have had good results using it on their roof.

Closing Thoughts

It seems like the roofers who have had the best luck with painting a metal roof spent 90% of their time on the prep. I would suggest if you want to do this, I would talk to a painter and not a roofer. You need someone who knows how to properly prep the roof for paint vs someone who knows how to properly install the roof.

One over looked thought about all this is the safety of walking on a metal roof. How much is your life worth? I bet its worth hiring a roofing professional to replace the roof rather than you spending time at a height that puts your life in danger.