Best Paint for Corrugated Metal Roof Review 2024: Which One is the Best?
What’s the best paint for corrugated metal roof? With so many types of paints available, it isn’t easy to choose one. However, you can’t just select any paint, especially if the roof is made of galvanized steel. If you want a metal roof that lasts a long time, choosing the right paint is essential.
The reviews below include the top-rated paints you can use for a corrugated metal roof. Check them out and see which one is suitable for what you need.
Top-rated Paints for Corrugated Metal Roof
#1-Krylon K05647007 Brush On Paint – The Best Product
The best product on this list is Krylon K05647007, acrylic latex paint for metal, wood, and more. Acrylic latex paint is the best option for corrugated metal roofs, even galvanized steel, because it sticks well.
Moreover, it is much easier to find than the other types of paint that work on galvanized metal.
This paint is suitable for both indoors and outdoors, so it is undoubtedly ideal for painting metal roofs.
It is excellent that cleaning up this paint is easy with just soap and water, which I think is a good point to remember when picking paints. This Krylon acrylic paint is in gloss black color, featuring a smooth finish with easy application.
It dries quick enough in 60 minutes and can cover up to 100 square feet.
The gloss finish is great for reflective light, even if it is of dark color. Because of that, Krylon K05647007 is capable of giving better protection to the roof. This particular paint promises fade resistance, which I’m hoping is true.
Pros
- Indoor and outdoor use
- Easy application without paint strokes
- Low smell
- Nice gloss
Cons
- Applies thinly
#2-Rust-Oleum 7590838 Enamel Spray Paint – The Second Best Product
Although an enamel paint, Rust-Oleum 7590838 is excellent for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, concrete, masonry, wood, and other surfaces. It is good enough to use on corrugated metal roofs, providing it with rust protection.
Not only does it have an attractive finish, but it’s said to be tough enough to withstand weathering.
Rust-Oleum 7590838 features a durable oil-based formula, which boasts of consistent resistance to corrosion despite the elements.
It dries within 15 minutes and takes an hour before you can recoat it. As it can cover up to 14 square feet, using this paint means you can quickly finish painting your corrugated metal roof.
This particular paint is also ideal for commercial and industrial use. It’s a nice touch that it has a high output tip, meaning you can spray it at any angle.
This paint’s flat finish is an advantage as well. Thanks to it, using this paint helps you hide the roof’s imperfections while also capable of withstanding heavy use.
Pros
- Heavy-duty use
- Durable
- Quick-drying
- It can be sprayed at any angle
Cons
#3-Krylon K02732007 All-In-One Spray Paint – The Budget Pick
This budget-friendly paint from Rust-Oleum is especially nice for being an all-purpose paint.
You can use this all-in-one spray paint that works on various surfaces, even the difficult ones like metal and plastic. It is also said to work without priming or sanding, which works if you want to speed up your roof painting project.
Krylon K02732007 also promises to provide excellent adhesion, rust protection, and durability.
This all-in-one spray paint in matte black color works both for indoor and outdoor projects, so it definitely works for roofing. The black matter color looks cozy and modern but may not be suitable if your roof is in an area exposed to direct sunlight.
It is a quick-dry paint – drying in 20 minutes without runs or drips – which is excellent to finish your projects sooner.
Krylon K02732007 is nice spray paint with an easy-to-push spray tip with a big button. That way, it can spray primer and paint in any way, even upside down.
Pros
- Sleek results
- Excellent texture
- Do bubbling or runs
Cons
- Might need several coats
#4-Rust-Oleum 7215502 Hammered Metal Finish – The Upgrade Pick
This is an upgraded Rust-Oleum paint ideal or corrugated metal roof, providing further weather and corrosion resistance.
This paint promises to protect various interior and exterior surfaces such as metal, concrete, masonry, wood, and more. Since it is of oil-based formula, it is also said to coat your metal roof well, so it doesn’t easily rust.
It isn’t as quick drying as the others in this list – it takes 2 to 4 hours to dry. However, it can cover a lot – up to 100 square feet.
Besides providing excellent rust protection, it is resistant to fading, chipping, and abrasion. It’s capable of hiding flaws and imperfections, too, thanks to its hammered metal finish. While this paint doesn’t need priming, it might take two coats.
Pros
- Results to a nice coat
- Rich color
- No priming needed
Cons
- It needs two or more coatings
#5-POR-15 45818 Top Coat Spray Paint – The Best Top Coat Paint
If it’s a topcoat paint, POR-15 45818 is a great choice. It is direct to metal (DTM) paint, meaning you can directly apply it to your corrugated metal roof.
Using it will add a rust preventative coating to your metal roof, ensuring it lasts even longer. As it doesn’t need a primer or an undercoat, this is great to shorten your project’s timeline by omitting preparation.
You can probably use this paint on its own, but the advice is to use it over POR 15 Rust Preventive paint. It would double the rust prevention that your corrugated metal paint can have.
POR-15 45818 is also rust-resistant, making it a great choice if your home is somewhere under direct sunlight exposure even though it is a black color. Still, it is a glossy black that adds a modern sheen to your metal roof.
Pros
- It gives a nice glossy coat
- Easy to apply
- Durable enough
Cons
- Needs several coatings
Buyer’s Guide – How to Find the Best Paint for Corrugated Metal Roof
A corrugated metal roof is great because it can withstand severe weather conditions, such as heatwaves, snowstorms, hail storms, and hurricanes.
That’s not to mention that this roof is fire-resistant. It basically means that investing in it would be investing in a roof that lasts you a lifetime.
It’s great and all that it can weather storms well. Now, you can make that even better with the right paint.
Painting extends your metal roof’s life for a few more years, especially if you repaint it constantly. But what kind of paint should you use for your corrugated metal roof? Let’s see below.
Type of Paint
Using just any type of paint for a corrugated metal roof is a no-no. What you need is an acrylic-based paint, which also cannot be just any “acrylic-based paint.”
It must be for “exterior use.” Moreover, acrylic latex paint is excellent to use if you have a relatively new roof still free from significant damage.
Paint Composition
The kind of paint to use must be based on the position of the roof and weather conditions.
If your roof will be exposed more to direct sunlight, it goes to say a paint that can withstand heat is the best option. On the other hand, a paint with different composition is ideal for a roof in a shaded area.
It will also directly impact the roofing system’s energy efficiency, so you must know your options. On that note, the quality of a top coat’s finish is based on the resin’s type and pigment’s stability.
Below are the different finishes that can help you choose the best paint for corrugated metal roof.
- Silicone Polyester
Silicone-modified polyester or SMP coatings are those that use polyester resins mixed with silicone additives.
This boosts the paint’s performance since the higher the silicone content equals a more durable finish. They come in medium and high-gloss colors and resistance to fading and chalking.
- Polyester-Resin
This is the least expensive paint for metal roof paints that come in medium to high-gloss colors.
However, they quickly fade away within 5 to 7 years compared to silicone polyester ones, especially if exposed to direct sunlight. Choosing light colors is better because the fading is less noticeable with them.
- Fluoropolymer Resin
Roof paints made of fluoropolymer resin are a field-tested, high-performance exterior paints.
They also have higher color retention and chalking resistance. Fluoropolymer paints are also more resistant to signs of wear. It’s great for multiple applications capable of enhancing your corrugated metal roof years.
Roof Color
Reflective finishes or light-colored paints are great because they reflect sunlight. This means that a home with a corrugated metal roof painted in this color is more energy-efficient.
Therefore, lighter colored paints are best for homes that often get too hot during warmer months. Meanwhile, darker colored paints are best if your house gets uncomfortably cold during winter.
Read more: What is The Best Ladder For Painting?
FAQs
Here are some answers to your most frequently asked questions about the best paint for corrugated metal roof:
1. Can you paint corrugated galvanized steel?
You can’t really paint on galvanized steel, whether corrugated or not. The paint doesn’t adhere well to the metal surface because of the zinc layer after the galvanization process.
The zinc doesn’t only reduce corrosion but also rejects paint. However, using white vinegar to clean the roof and adding a primer coat may help with this.
2. Can I paint over a rusted metal roof?
You can paint over a rusted metal roof as long as you use high-quality primer or paint. It has to be a paint designed specifically to encapsulate rust.
First, remove any unsound paint and flaky rusts on the roof, and then water blast to clean the remaining contaminants and dust.
After that, apply primer to inhibit rust from spreading and create a bond between the paint and the metal when it’s time to paint your metal roof.
3. What type of paint will stick to galvanized metal?
It’s been mentioned that paints don’t adhere well to galvanized steel. However, some types of paint may work on it.
Preparation is usually needed for galvanized steel, but vinyl, bituminous and acrylic latex paints work even without prep.
Water-based acrylic-latex and epoxy paint may also work on galvanized steel but do ask the manufacturer or try it out first to be sure. Avoid using asphalt, alkyd, or silicone paints because they usually peel right away.
4. Do I need to prime galvanized metal before painting?
Yes, priming is generally needed before painting a galvanized steel. However, some paints do work even without priming the metal roof first.
It’s still best to prime it to ensure the paint will adhere to it, but this is your choice. Or, you can use a paint that already has a primer.
5. Will spray paint stick to galvanized metal?
Spray paint sticks to galvanized steel, but the problem is the layer of paint it can provide. Just like with other types of paints, priming is also essential.
Cleaning the metal roof is also necessary to ensure the paint sticks to the galvanized metal.
6. Can hot-dipped galvanized steel be painted?
You can paint a hot-dipped galvanized steel anytime, but there are surface preparations and some costs associated with it. Proper preparation of the metal roof’s surface is a must so that the paint sticks to it.
Notifying the galvanizer that you intend to paint over the galvanized metal roof also helps to forgo any post-treatments that make it hard for paints to adhere to it.
7. How long does metal roof paint last?
The lifespan of a metal roof paint depends on the quality of the paint. Some roof paints have a 5 to 30 years warranty, depending on how thick it was applied and what resins are used.
You can learn more about the warranties of metal roof paint by talking about it with the manufacturer.
In this list, the best paint for corrugated metal roof is, obviously, Krylon K05647007 Brush On Paint. This acrylic paint sticks well on a corrugated metal roof, dries quick enough, has a low-odor, and offers an excellent gloss.
Of course, all the other paints in this list are great. Now all you need to do is pick one that suits your needs and budget.