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Oxidized aluminium hurricane shutters

Our home is in the Florida Keys. We are going to have to sell it do to the present economic situation. It needs to be painted, it looks really bad. The shutters have been on the house since the house was built in 1980, they are chalked (oxidized) and need to be cleaned before we paint. I have tried all kinds of cleaners (only in a small area) I didn't want to ruin the finish, nothing seems to touch it, except to scrub with a scrubbing pad and I'm still afraid I'll make a bigger job than I have to. There are seven single windows, six tall extra large windows, and three 8' sliders.

Oh, by the way houses are on stilts, WOW I think I'm talking myself out of this job, just kidding! Of course we're doing it ourselves, $$$$$ -- it would cost too much to have it done. Well onward, the question is " what product can I use and how should I clean the shutters to keep this from becoming overwhelming"? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. By the way the shutters are "bronze", and they are the accordion type Many thanks for listening to me .

Kathy A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
homeowner - Summerland Key Florida
November 10, 2009

Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)

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Hi, Kathy. Sorry for the hard times. It can be impossible to get anodized aluminum clean. It has a honeycomb structure, and the honeycomb should remain sealed, but with time and tide, it probably isn't. With dirt inside the pores, you'll never get it out short of treacherously hazardous chemicals like hydrofluoric acid. Scrub it down with detergent and call it done, then prime it with a primer made specifically for aluminum before applying house paint.

If I have misunderstood, and you were talking about painting the rest of the house, but leaving the shutters with their original finish, wet the shutters down and see what they look like wet. You may be able to get the shutters to approach their wet look with Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser], a clear coat that levels the surface out, reducing the faded and chalky look.

I'll wave in your direction on my next trip to Key West, and hope that you'll be toasting to the good fortune that has returned to you.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 12, 2009

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November 14, 2009

Hi Kathy,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, don't feel like you are the lone ranger! We use a product called Salt-x to clean and maintain shutters, does a great job. Comes in a concentrate that you can spray on and wash off after about ten minutes. Salt bonds minerally with the metal or finish and detergent will not wash it away. This product breaks the bond and has a mild detergent as well.

It will never look like new no matter what product you use without tremendous elbow grease so don't kill yourself. Good luck.

Scott Case
All Florida Shutters & Screens - Marathon, Florida