Painting metal surfaces is one of the most common types of work. This process helps protect the metal from corrosion and other environmental factors. The surface gets an excellent visual effect. A roller will help you quickly cope with this task. And to get the best result, you should listen to the advice of professionals.
Features of metal painting
Every owner of a private home is faced with the need to paint iron gates or other structures. To do this, you should know some features of the dyeing process. To properly paint metal, it is necessary to carry out some important preparatory measures. Which should be aimed at finding and preparing the necessary working materials, as well as tools.
The correct choice of paint in accordance with the type of metal will help you achieve a high-quality result. The best choice would be dyes that contain anti-corrosion additives and form a dense coating. Traditionally, oil paints are used; acrylic paints or those with epoxy or alkyd bases are also excellent.
Important! Water-dispersed compositions are not used for painting metal.
Before painting metal surfaces, you should prepare not only the paint composition, but also auxiliary tools. They will simplify the painting process:
- primer mixture - it is necessary to form an additional protective layer;
- a separate container for pouring paint - a container for a roller or brush;
- roller, brush or spray gun depending on the surface area and dyes used.
Paint brushes
I won’t talk about brushes—I’ll sing an ode to them in a separate article. Now I will give a simple example of the combined use of a brush and roller.
Task: paint the roof of the barn with red lead. Roof made of roofing iron. Minium is a red-brown mineral paint used to protect metal from corrosion. Can be used as a stand-alone coating. Caution, toxic!
Solution: use a brush and roller. With a brush we paint in two thin layers with interlayer exposure at the joints of iron sheets, the edges of the roof, and places inaccessible to the roller. Then, with all our hearts, we roll it in one layer with a sheepskin roller over the even sheets of the roof. Painted?.. Very good. We put the brush and roller in water for temporary storage. The next day we repeat the procedure.
Upon completion of work, we dispose of waste properly. As a matter of order, we invite everyone in the household to admire the work done... We listen to praise with pleasure.
Tags: paint, coloring, technology, tools, metal, repair
Preparing metal before painting
After all the necessary tools and materials have been collected, the preliminary preparation of the metal surface begins. Thanks to this, you can simplify and speed up the dyeing process.
High-quality preparation will help you avoid mistakes in your work, which are very difficult and sometimes impossible to correct.
Procedure:
- The base is cleaned of accumulated dirt, dust, as well as remnants of the previous decorative layer. To do this, use a metal brush or sandpaper. It is better to avoid applying a new layer to an old one, even if the color is identical.
- Degreasing of metal. The process begins by removing contaminants using a solvent or white spirit. It is necessary to treat the entire area to be painted, without skipping particularly difficult areas. After which the surface is washed with a soap solution, which is easily washed off with plain water. The result should be a clean and dry coating.
- If there are visible cracks and depressions, it is necessary to putty. Before this, all defects are covered with anti-corrosion compounds. The putty should not be applied everywhere, but directly to the desired areas. The mixture is applied as evenly as possible and requires sanding to achieve a perfectly smooth surface.
- The corrosive layer is removed using a converter, which forms a protective film and prevents damage.
- The remaining minor defects are removed by grinding and stripping.
The metal surface is considered prepared if all steps are performed consistently and the surface is thoroughly dried.
Types of rollers and fur coats
According to the domestic classification, paint rollers are divided into:
- VMP – fur nozzle for painting floors.
- VP is a foam nozzle designed for water-based adhesive compositions.
- VMU – natural fur. The product is intended for painting corners.
- VM – fur covering.
According to the classification of foreign manufacturers, rollers are:
- PE – polyester based
- N – based on natural material
- PC – from polyacrylic modifications
- PA – from varieties of polyamides
So, depending on the material of the working surface, the roller coat is:
- Polyamide - made of artificial fiber with increased wear resistance to abrasion and chemical attack.
The main purpose is the application of water-dispersion paints. The length of the pile is 8 - 20 mm, and the longer it is, the easier it is to apply the coating to a rough surface. - Polyacrylic (acrylic) – has a dense pile, which reduces paint splashing during operation. Made from polyacrylonitrile, which is a synthetic fiber reminiscent of wool, and in most respects it is the same as the previous version.
Attention!
It is not intended for working with materials with aggressive components, which means it is suitable for applying water-based paints.
- Polyester - polyester, reminiscent of padding polyester. Extremely cheap to produce, has excellent absorption and retention properties.
When working on the surface being treated, it does not leave lint. The advantages are compensated by low mechanical resistance and the same durability. - Fur is a generalized name for two types of fur coats. Thus, the option made from natural fur is made from sheep wool and is suitable for treating any surface with varnishes, enamels, water-dispersion, and oil paints.
NOTE:
Not recommended for use with lime-based compounds.
Options made of faux fur - vestan, are used for applying any type of paint, and therefore are universal.
- Velor - plush pile is supported by a fabric base.
Suitable for finishing work on smooth surfaces. Tolerates solvents well. - Foam rubber. It is used for applying water-based varnishes, as well as water-dispersion paints. Essentially, this is polyurethane, which, among its other technical characteristics, has a density, the indicator of which is directly dependent on its service life.
The fur coat does not cake and quickly restores its original shape. The fibers are arranged in such a way that during operation they leave small air bubbles, which means an uneven final surface. - Flock is a textile base with glued polyurethane fiber. Features include strength, environmental friendliness of the material, and water resistance.
- Nylon is a representative of polyamide, which means it has the same properties.
- Felt is an environmentally friendly soft fur coat, suitable for various types of surfaces.
Felt copes well with paints based on aggressive solvents. - Thread - a roller made of fluffed nylon or polyacrylic thread, another name for a thread coat. Designed to work with water-based and oil-based paints.
- Rubber - most often the pressure roller is designed to expel air and increase adhesion when gluing wallpaper.
- Made of microfiber - suitable for working with antiseptics, impregnations, primers, glazes, as well as water-based paints. Microfiber has good absorbency and impact; it is used when processing both completely smooth surfaces and those with slight roughness.
They also use silicone coats for applying decorative patterns and leather coats for working with Venetian plaster.
Latex paints require a synthetic coat.
As for the rollers, the most common materials used are plastic and aluminum, and less commonly, wooden ones.
Rollers with plastic rollers are generally the cheapest due to their ease of manufacture.
It should be noted that the roller may have a connecting seam or be seamless.
The latter option is preferable, since otherwise the movement of the roller along the surface to be treated is hampered at the seam site, which leads to disruption of the uniformity of the applied paint layer.
The presence of a seam is also eliminated by the so-called circular knitted base of the fur coat with a uniform layer of roller coating.
Fastening fur coats
Depending on the type of attachment of the fur coat to the roller, the tool can be:
- Glued – with a non-removable working surface. A narrow strip of fur coat is wrapped around the base with glue applied, forming a joint joint to joint. This type of fur coat fastening system is seamless, since the seam runs in a spiral, which means that the paint is applied evenly during operation.
- Thermo-glued - the fur coat is soldered into a cylindrical base. The design is more durable and reliable due to the absence of glue.
- Sewn - rectangular fabric sewn to fit the shape of a sleeve.
- With a replaceable coat.
In the latter case, a quick-release system of one of the options is used to attach the fur coat:
– Rod (clasp) – a monolithic handle with a rod onto which a roller with a rotation and fixation device mounted inside is placed. The simplest option.
– Frame – the fur coat is fixed on a roller made in the form of a hollow cylinder-frame. The clasp contains bearings on which the equipment is installed. That's why this tool is called a frame roller.
There is also a so-called special fastening system, implemented on long rollers.
The rectangular frame has an axis secured by means of a thread, onto which a roller with end bushings is mounted.
Choosing a roller for painting a metal surface
The roller allows you to speed up the painting process and at the same time distribute the paint evenly over the surface and make the coating smooth. For each situation, a certain type of tool is selected depending on the type of surface and its area. It is worth considering the type of design, size, and material of the roller coat. Which roller should I use to paint metal?
Since metal surfaces are usually large in size, universal rollers are more often used. Alkyd and oil-based paints and varnishes are used to paint metal; therefore, it is better to choose a tool coat from synthetic or natural raw materials. The length of the fur coat's pile depends on the roughness of the surface to be painted. Therefore, for metal, short or medium-length pile is used, the height of the pile is 5-11 mm. Such tools use paint more economically.
Types of corner rollers by size
Such tool options have a significant difference in size, which allows you to choose the most suitable structural element for subsequent work on applying paint and varnish coating in hard-to-reach areas. Let's look at the main types of components:
- First of all, the main difference is the thickness of the bracket used (6.8 and 12 millimeters, respectively).
- There is also a significant difference in the width of the nozzle used (usually, rollers from 100 to 250 millimeters are used here).
- Separately, you should pay attention to the difference in the length of the handle (this component varies in the range of 250-600 millimeters).
- Among other things, there is a difference in the angle of the bracket that is installed on the mechanism.
The presence of such variety allows you to choose the right tool for subsequent work on applying paint or other dye to a surface where there is a hard-to-reach corner joint that does not allow selection using other tool options.
Important! If you select the appropriate product, you should pay special attention to the radius of the bracket, which will significantly simplify the work ahead.
Metal painting technology
How to paint metal surfaces correctly? Painting methods depend on the tools used. In some cases, a combination is used.
To paint hard-to-reach, embossed products, brushes are used - this process is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming. The roller is used for processing large and flat surfaces. Particularly large objects are painted with a spray gun.
Let's take a closer look at the roller painting technology:
- For easier distribution, the coloring composition is diluted with a suitable solvent.
- The resulting mixture is poured into a suitable container. The container size must be larger than the width of the roller.
- To avoid visible transitions, you must move in one direction. This will help achieve even coloring.
- A dampened paint roller is applied to the surface, and then rolling begins. The first movements are in the vertical plane, the intensity of pressure gradually increases. An area several times larger than the size of the roller is immediately painted.
- Work continues until the surface is completely painted.
Important! When painting with a roller, more than one layer of paint should be applied to the metal, after each previous layer has completely dried.
Painting metal is a rather complex process that requires the necessary knowledge, skills and free time. You should take safety precautions very seriously to maintain your health. By listening to professional recommendations, you can get the desired result in the shortest possible time.
Options
The first thing you should decide on when buying a paint roller is its width and the diameter of the working surface. There are three main categories to choose from:
1. Universal roller with a width of 100-200 mm, a diameter of 20-90 mm.
This tool is perfect for painting, priming, and processing wallpaper. However, in hard-to-reach places it may not be very convenient, as is the case with large surfaces.
2. Miniature roller up to 100 mm wide, up to 15 mm in diameter.
Ideal for painting small and complex surfaces. Decorating curved areas, artistic finishing - this tool can handle everything. But it is not advisable to buy a small roller for processing walls and ceilings.
3. Large roller with a width of more than 200 mm, a diameter of more than 80 mm.
What you need for painting and processing large areas. Finishing walls or floors with this tool will be quick and easy. For facade work, it is also recommended to buy a wide roller.
The ideal choice here depends on the surface area being treated. The larger the scope of work, the larger the roller should be.
The ability to apply broad strokes allows you to create a more uniform layer with a minimum number of movements - this saves both the time and effort of the artist. At the same time, the dimensions of the tool directly affect its weight, which, for example, can be a significant criterion when painting a ceiling. In such cases, experts recommend buying a wide roller with a small diameter: this way you can at least compensate for the weight of the absorbed material.
The second important nuance is the length of the pile.
It is the pile that largely determines the scope of the painting tool and the features of working with it. So:
- rollers with short pile
(5-6 mm) are best suited for painting/varnishing wood and metal. They use paint and varnish composition sparingly and are very convenient to use; - medium pile
(6-20 mm) absorbs paint much better, so it can be used for processing plasterboard, plaster or concrete. This tool is also useful for painting wood or wallpaper with a weakly defined texture; - rollers with high pile
(more than 20 mm) are most effective for painting porous and uneven surfaces. They are able to cover any holes and irregularities from the first layer, showing excellent performance in the process of both interior and facade work.
What does the roller consist of?
The roller device is very simple and consists of the following elements:
- clasp - a holder with a curved shape on which a roller with a fur coat is fixed;
- handle – fixed to the holder for ease of use of the tool, made of plastic, wood or rubberized material;
- roller - a cylinder that rotates freely on a clasp;
- fur coat - put on a roller and with its help paint is applied to the surface; it can be made from foam rubber, artificial and natural fur, velor.
The advantage of using a roller is that it can significantly reduce painting time, reduce paint consumption, and eliminate splashes and smudges.
Which roller should you choose?
In most cases, a medium-sized roller is suitable for use at home, especially if the master does not have decent experience in performing painting work.
For cosmetic repairs, a tool with a foam working surface will do.
Due to its low cost, it is not a pity to throw it away, and in the process of coloring it has repeatedly proven its sufficient effectiveness.
Important!
The length of the pile, as well as the material of the fur coat itself, is selected based solely on the paint used.
High quality coating is provided by a roller with a velor coat.
For professional work, it is better to buy several rollers of different sizes with replaceable coats.
This will allow you to take from existing tools the optimal width to complete the task without unnecessary trips to the hardware store.
Sometimes a paint roller is used to paint a car.
This method of applying paint is advisable solely from the point of view of economy if it is necessary to restore the coating of a vehicle intended for some off-road walking.
Extremely low quality of work is guaranteed even if an experienced painter with the most sophisticated roller gets to work.
To apply paintwork to the car body, you should use a tool designed for this purpose - a spray gun.
