You could have it powedercoated. That would be the most durable.

You could spray paint it and if you use a good primer and paint it
should be OK. It would need to be cleaned well and maybe scuffed.

Ken Hall wrote:
I have an aluminum patio door. It's natural aluminum and looks
crappy. Can it be painted white? If so, is there some special paint
for aluminum? How about the tracks and sides where the door slips
into -- won't the paint wear off immediately?

If it can't be painted, is there another way to color it? Black would
be fine. Actually almost anything other than a yaha color like apple
read or vibrant green or yellow, etc. Let's say, restricted to
earthtones.

Ken

Ken Hall wrote:

I have an aluminum patio door. It's natural aluminum and looks
crappy. Can it be painted white? If so, is there some special paint
for aluminum? How about the tracks and sides where the door slips
into -- won't the paint wear off immediately?

If it can't be painted, is there another way to color it? Black would
be fine. Actually almost anything other than a yaha color like apple
read or vibrant green or yellow, etc. Let's say, restricted to
earthtones.


There are primers specifically for "raw" aluminum...

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Ken Hall wrote:

I have an aluminum patio door. It's natural aluminum and looks
crappy. Can it be painted white? If so, is there some special paint
for aluminum? How about the tracks and sides where the door slips
into -- won't the paint wear off immediately?

If it can't be painted, is there another way to color it? Black would
be fine. Actually almost anything other than a yaha color like apple
read or vibrant green or yellow, etc. Let's say, restricted to
earthtones.


There are primers specifically for "raw" aluminum...


I had this ugly dark brown sectional garage door(aluminum). Dunn Edwards has
a metal primer and I used a white finish coat with a sprayer. Looks awesome.
Everyone asked if I got a new door. Cleaned it well before hand and scuffed
it up with one of those dry wall sanding pads. I think the key was the
sprayer.

Go to the auto paint store and get some etching 2 ppart primer.
Wirebrush the door to get as much of the scale and oxide off as you
can. Shoot it with the primer, then shoot on some polyurethane
fortified enamel on it.
That's what I did with an aluminum boat and salt water won't hurt it.

That's a good idea. Just be sure to wear a cartridge mask when you
shoot the polyurethane!

"John H." wrote:

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Ken Hall wrote:

I have an aluminum patio door. It's natural aluminum and looks
crappy. Can it be painted white? If so, is there some special paint
for aluminum? How about the tracks and sides where the door slips
into -- won't the paint wear off immediately?

If it can't be painted, is there another way to color it? Black would
be fine. Actually almost anything other than a yaha color like apple
read or vibrant green or yellow, etc. Let's say, restricted to
earthtones.


There are primers specifically for "raw" aluminum...

I had this ugly dark brown sectional garage door(aluminum). Dunn Edwards has
a metal primer and I used a white finish coat with a sprayer. Looks awesome.
Everyone asked if I got a new door. Cleaned it well before hand and scuffed
it up with one of those dry wall sanding pads. I think the key was the
sprayer.

I was specifically thinking of the raw Al primers, not over a
pre-painted.

Did some old gutters on former house and they lasted several years--at
least 'til we moved.

"User Example" wrote in message
.. .

Go to the auto paint store and get some etching 2 ppart primer.
Wirebrush the door to get as much of the scale and oxide off as you
can. Shoot it with the primer, then shoot on some polyurethane
fortified enamel on it. That's what I did with an aluminum boat and salt
water won't hurt it.

That's a good idea. Just be sure to wear a cartridge mask when you shoot
the polyurethane!

and the primer. it does a pretty aggressive job on your lungs too.

wrote:

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:30:58 -0500, Duane Bozarth
wrote:

I was specifically thinking of the raw Al primers, not over a
pre-painted.

You need a pretty aggressive primer. The oxiide that protects aluminum
makes an effective barrier for paint too. If you don't etch into the
base metal the paint will flake off.

That's what they make specific-application primers for and why I
mentioned them specifically...