Metal Siding

[Georgie]

My home needs some TLC on the outside. We redecorated the inside during the winter and now that spring's here it's time for the outside to get some attention. My siding has rust streaks running down it from where the roof was rusted. We resealed the roof although we are going to put a new roof on sometime this summer. I am not sure what to do with the outside. My hubby wants to put new vinyl siding on the outside, but we rent our lot and I am not comfortable spending the money to put new siding on and maybe having to move it. I found a product called TSP at Lowes and it said it would remove rust. So I guess my question is does the product work? I researched a little on here and found some that really liked the TSP cleaner. I thought about attempting to clean the siding down and going from there. If we have to just paint it for now. There are pictures in my profile of the front and back of my home right after we bought it ten months ago. Thanks so much!

[JD]

troyster just finished putting vinyl siding on his single wide and it looks great. You may want to check his album and posts. I do agree that if you were going to move the home, you may want to wait on the vinyl siding.

Your home looks like it has aluminum siding with rust stains on it. If this is the case, the stains can be sanded out. I would go over any rust stained areas with a rust inhibitor paint like Kelly Moore 1711 Kel-Guard Primer and then be sure to use a high quality latex paint for a finish coat. I would use Kelly Moore Acry-Shield in a low sheen. There are many paint brands that would work. I preffer Kelly Moore for all my paints. Similar in quality to Sherwin-Williams premium grade but cheaper.

Hope this helps.

JD

[Georgie]

Thanks so much! Yeah my home does have aluminium siding, I dunno why I said metal. So should I still wash it down first? I was hoping it would be easy and the TSP would take the stains off! lol What should I use to sand it?

[Maureen]

Hi Georgie!

Yes, wash with the TSP first. You'll still have to do some sanding on the rusted areas. Then prime well, then paint. I suggest a satin paint. Low enough sheen to hide the minor dents, but better looking than a flat paint.

Whenever you decide to paint, the prep work is the most important part!

Maureen

[Brenda (OH)]

I was surprised that I was able to get brown rust stains completely off of white painted aluminum siding today with a soft car brush, and a powder cleaner. I had got ithe cleaner at a $$ store, it was the powder cleaner for cook tops. It had "removes rust" on the label, and it did great, without lifting off paint. (I think the siding had been painted once before)

Basically, it was the gentle version of something like "comet". I did have to rinse alot to get the last of the powder off of the side, but since I am going to power wash later, that isn't a problem.

I was just going to spot clean the streaks prior to power washing, but I ended up washing most of the MH, since it was not too difficult.

I did have to use a stiffer brush in a few spots, and a spray cleaner that was a degreaser in a few spots.

Funny story, the neighbor's cat "ambushed" me today. It could tell I was concentrating on the work in front of me, and it sneaked up through the grass, then pounced on the grass behind me to make a loud noise. I jumped a mile! Then the darn cat looked over its shoulder as if to say "gotcha" and trotted away to hide under the porch of a MH.

Too bad I had not been holding the garden hose at the time, or the joke might have been on the cat!

Brenda