Painting galvanized ductwork

A. Simply put, finishing of the ductwork in your basement is similar to that of an automobile. First, the metal needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Usually, hot water and soap for starters (I prefer Dawn because it breaks down grease well).

After this is done and all grease, dust, debris, rust and any foreign element is completely removed, wash the metal down again with paint thinner. This will remove any soap residues.

Next, prime the metal with a good primer [Galvanize Primer ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] [affil links]]. Almost any good paint store can recommend a good primer for metal. Be sure to tell them that the metal is galvanized sheet metal.

Be sure to cover all surrounding items with drop cloths to assure that no unwanted paint ends up where it doesn't belong.

Finally, paint with the color desired. Also, spray painting will provide the best results. Additionally, make sure NOT to touch the primer coat with your bare hands. The grease from your hands will cause bubbles to occur. I suggest wearing rubber gloves if any handling is required.

Good luck and I hope it all turns out well.

A. I am sorry; you do not make it clear what material you are working in.

I would guess iron. Welds often do not take coatings the way forged metal does. As for preconditioning prior to painting you might consider a phosphate wash primer or a phosphate coating. This gives the surface some "tooth" that helps it grab the paint.

For outdoor exposure I'd suggest that steel alloy called "Cor-Ten" It rusts up to a certain point leaving a decorative rust color.

If you are looking for a color other than rust red or black on iron there are other options besides painting. You can coat the whatever with copper, via brush plating or immersion copper plating, and use various solutions to apply green or blue patinas to get the effect you want. Paint is fake and it looks fake. It will not stand up to the years.

We can help you some more and I for one am glad to. Just give us a bit more info, OK?

A. Hi Fouad. Metal can certainly be painted, but some types of metal, like galvanized metal, are quite a bit more difficult to paint than others. If the metal is aluminum or galvanized steel, try a self-etching latex primer. Good luck.

Regards,