Commercial Building with Galvanized Steel Siding & Brick

One of the Lakeside Painting’s most recent projects was a commercial property in Sturtevant, Wisconsin that featured the painting of galvanized steel siding and brick, all the same color. The job had a few challenges, though nothing some smart and informed solutions couldn’t handle.

First of all, when our team was power-washing the building, we noticed that the galvanized metal was delaminating. Galvanized metal can become delaminated (peeled or blistered) if there are mechanical stresses acting upon the steel, or if the original protective zinc coating (the galvanization) didn’t properly adhere in the first place. However, we determined that the delamination, in this case, had to do with the lack of upkeep over the years by the building’s previous owners.

To solve this problem, we washed the metal surface with our 6,000-psi power washer, removing as much of the delamination as possible. Next, we gave the entire surface scuff sand to remove any burring (loose edges on the metal) that may have developed. We then applied a PPG quick-dry metal primer, and two coats of exterior grade dry fall paint.

Typically, when painting metal siding it’s most efficient and crucial to the overall appearance and paint performance to spray apply the coatings. On this project, the wind was strong and consistent, which presented another challenge. To counter one of nature’s elements, we had to plan our drywall spray work around the direction of the wind on any given day.

Overall, the results of the job were great, and it came in under budget. We received an email from our customer praising the work but also asking for some additional work for the commercial building in the near future.

If your commercial building features galvanized steel or brick, and you need power washing and a new coat of paint, call us at 262-642-9445 or email us at info@lakesidepainting.com.