How to paint the roof of the house: the choice of paint, stages of work

Most home owners have repeatedly thought about how to properly paint the roof to improve the operational and aesthetic qualities of the building, because high-quality painting will protect the roof from the harmful effects of atmospheric precipitation, the scorching sun, moisture and industrial pollution.

Most often, builders use slate and galvanized iron to create a strong and durable coating. The painted roof looks much more aesthetic and attractive.

Restoration and painting of the iron roof

Iron of even the highest quality is constantly exposed to all kinds of negative environmental influences:

• Ultraviolet;
• Precipitation;
• Mechanical impact;
• The pressure of large masses of snow in the winter.

Because of this, the roof begins to rot over time, lose color, and grow with moss. Then the old coating can also become leaky, which will lead to the destruction of the entire building.

The requirements for the coloring composition

It is better to abandon oil paint or water emulsion. Regardless of the high quality of the selected product, the coloring matter will need to be applied in two, and sometimes three layers.

Before starting work, you need to worry about safety measures. We are talking not only about protective cables, but also about individual means of protection against the paint itself (glasses, a respirator or a special mask).

Working process

Before painting the roof, it is necessary to collect all the necessary tools and plan the course of work. Conventionally, the whole process is divided into two key stages:

1. Training;
2. Painting.

Initially, the state of the coating is assessed. The roof is thoroughly cleaned of rust with the help of special brushes. It is important not to damage the integrity of the roof during the cleaning process. In places where there is a lot of rust, the roof is very vulnerable to any mechanical intervention.

In order to easily remove the rust, you can use store-bought products for such purposes or try the old "grandfather" method - kerosene.

After the metal is cleaned, it is coated with any anti-corrosion compound. In working with metal surfaces, it is strictly forbidden to use any water-based products, but the use of hot steam is even encouraged to process slate.

All open joints and cracks are primed. After complete drying, the areas where the primer was used are carefully sanded.

Painting

Preliminary preparation is necessary so that in the future the painted surface looks aesthetically pleasing, and the paint composition itself fully fulfills its role as a protective coating. When choosing paint, it is necessary to take into account which metal will lend itself to coloring (ferrous metal, galvanizing). Work with metal is permissible only in conditions of absolute dryness. For this, repairs are planned for the dry season.

The most convenient means to qualitatively paint the roof of the house:

• Brushes. The method is slow but accurate. With the help of brushes of different types, you can carefully paint over the metal, especially carefully painting hard-to-reach places and areas where a large amount of primer is concentrated;
• Roller. Allows you to perform work quickly and efficiently.You can purchase rollers of several sizes at once in order to work in different areas equally productively;
• Airbrush. A great tool for working on large areas. Allows to paint wide surfaces quickly and efficiently. However, it is not suitable for working with small parts. For such purposes, use brushes or rollers.

How to paint a roof of slate with high quality

Slate itself is quite attractive and fits into any architectural style. However, this does not prevent many homeowners from painting the slate roof in other colors. As in the case of a metal roof, the process of transforming a house consists of two stages: preparing the surface for work and painting itself.

Training

A particular advantage of slate is a high degree of adhesion with any type of coloring compound. All that is required at the initial stage of preparation is the cleaning of the working surface of contaminants: dust, dirt, leaves, fragments of moss and the rest. If necessary, the slate can even be washed.

What you should definitely get rid of is grease stains. It is best to use gasoline or special solvents. Otherwise, spots can seriously worsen the final result of even the highest quality work.

If the slate is attached to the roof with iron nails, you need to work on cleaning these complex locations. Rust and dirt are removed from the surface. Cracks are primed. It is desirable to cover the iron elements with an anti-corrosion compound.

Material selection

It is convenient to paint the roof from slate by spraying. In this case, the appropriate type of paint is also selected. For example, it is convenient to work with water dispersible compositions.

Slate will not only look aesthetically pleasing, but will also receive additional protection. Paints of this type have already appeared in specialized construction stores, which are designed specifically for working with such surfaces as slate, tile, asbestos-cement plates.

Another good option is to use high-quality enamels. They dry very quickly and are easy to use.

As a rule, due to impurities of special substances, the paint allows you to form a smooth, strong and relatively elastic film on the working surface. The roof acquires an attractive glossy shine that does not lose brightness for a long time. Such an integral film is able to provide reliable protection to slate structures.

Dyeing

As is the case with galvanized iron, it is convenient to paint large areas of slate coating with a roller. You can purchase several of these tools at once, different in size. This will save both time and effort.

However, the roller will be a good tool only when working with a flat surface. The wavy type of slate can be processed using a spray gun or a suitable brush. Several types of tools can also be useful here.

Experts recommend painting from top to bottom. Thus, it will be possible to avoid ugly smudges, and it will be more convenient to navigate in the space on the roof. Another important nuance is that it is better to color the slate vertically, row after row.

Some experts believe that the surface of the slate is better to be pre-primed. This helps to further strengthen the adhesion of the working surface with the coloring composition, however, this is not always the case.

Valuable Tips

Both global repair and minor restoration require a considerable investment of effort and resources. However, knowledge of some nuances and special construction tricks will save your resources.

Here are just a few valuable tips that can be useful to everyone who is going to update the roof of their home:

• For painting metal surfaces, it is advantageous to purchase paints with an improved composition.The main difference is the absence of water impurities and the presence of anti-corrosion elements for protection. Typically, such a paint better “seizes” the surface of the metal roof due to improved adhesive qualities. In addition, they form a rather elastic film, which is important, given the property of the metal to expand under prolonged exposure to high temperatures (for example, in the summer under the scorching sun);
• Choosing a paint for working with any type of surface, many forget about one very important quality - the fire safety of the paint composition. As a rule, the more modern the product, and the more famous the manufacturer, the stronger these important qualities are expressed. If there is no corresponding marking on the paint can, the information can be checked with the sales assistant;
• Zirk is a matte acrylic composition that has become incredibly popular lately. Experts advise to pay attention to the new product, focusing on its impeccable performance. It contains active anticorrosive additives, and is also absolutely fireproof.

If the owner of a private house is not confident in his abilities, it is better not to carry out such laborious work yourself. It is better to seek help from specialists.