Roof Painting Tips

Whichever type of roof you have, how it looks matters a lot. Painting your roof goes a long way in not only enhancing its appearance, but it also adds to its longevity. In addition, a painted roof adds value to your home if you ever sell it. If you plan to do it yourself, the following tips are helpful.

Roof Paint

You have to get it right when it comes to choosing the paint for your roof. Different roofing materials require different types of paint. There are two broad categories of the paints — water based and oil based.

  • Water based paints are suitable for shingle roofs and cement tiled roofs.
  • Oil Based paints are suitable for iron roofs (or metal roofs)

If you use your roof to collect drinking water from rain, it is important to check whether the paint you use is safe for water collection. In addition, it is recommended that you buy paint that is resistant to UV light and other elements.

Preparation

Before you start the painting, make sure your roof is prepared for the process. You do the preparation by cleaning the roof to remove any dirt, dust or materials that may hinder the painting. In essence, you need to ensure the roof is smooth before the painting starts.

The roofing materials and designs will determine the cleaning required. For corrugated iron roofs, you should clean them with metal cleaning products. The roof can then be primed with a metal primer. If there are areas that need repairs, it is better that you do the repairs before painting the roof.

Check Weather

Not all days are good for paintwork. If you predict that it is going to be too hot later in the day, you should start painting early. Avoid painting on a rainy day.

Safety

If you are planning to take a DIY approach, then your safety is the primary concern. There are several measures you can take to ensure you minimise chances of accidents and injuries. These include ensuring that:

  • You are not working alone.
  • You put on the right gear — proper boots or shoes, hard hat and safety glasses.
  • You use a strong ladder and place it on a solid surface.
  • Wear a safety harness.

You can avoid going through all this trouble and ensure you get a great looking roof by hiring professionals to do the roof painting for you.


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