Over the last 40 years cladding has become the material of choice for many commercial buildings. While the durability of the latest generation of cladding has improved, sooner or later you will face the choice to reclad your building, or whether to renovate your metal cladding. Renovations to cladding are generally cheaper and quicker to do, making them the prime choice.

Cladding is the term used for different materials that are layered together: thus forming a stronger material as a result. Metal cladding is commonly used on the exteriors of commercial and industrial to protect their structure. When painted properly cladding looks professional and does a good job, but you need to use the right products. Cladding can begin to look shoddy very quickly if it isn’t properly protected and painted. However if you get it right then you won’t need to come back to it for many many years, and you can extend the life of the cladding.

The video below shows the steps needed for renovating cladding properly and professionally:

 

Preparation

No matter how large or small the job is you should always ensure that the preparation is done properly. This means making sure that the area which is to be painted is sufficiently cleaned and free of debris. If this isn’t done then no matter how good the paint is, it won’t last. Paint needs to cling to the surface itself, or onto a sound coating. If the surface is contaminated, or if the paint on the surface is peeling or flaking, then it needs to be brought back to a smooth, sound surface.

As cladding jobs – particularly commercial ones – are carried out using sprayers, mask off the areas that you do not wish to paint. Protect the windows, and any edging that you do not want painting, to prevent any over-spray from hitting them.

Priming

Not all cladding systems require primers. But primers can protect the surface from degradation, and provide an easy base to apply a topcoat onto. Or if there are patches of rust then sometimes spot priming is needed to ensure that those smaller problem areas are taken care of. Ignoring these problems lead to bigger issues later. Problems on the surface will always seep through unless coated with the correct products.

For priming onto cladding that hasn’t been painted before we recommend using Rust-Oleum Metal Cladding Primer. It’s ideal for areas of bare metal, providing the protection that the surface needs, and preparing for the corresponding topcoat. It’s a high-tech primer, giving good protection on metal cladding. It can be applied directly onto new or weathered cladding, protecting the surface from further oxidisation.

If the surface needs spot priming, then you will need to use Noxyde or Peganox on the rusted areas . Once this has cured then you can overcoat with whichever system it is that you’ve chosen. But it is important to make sure that the rusted areas have been treated to ensure the longevity of the system.

Topcoat

Once the surface is amply primed then you can set to work on the topcoat. If you follow the system as we recommended for priming, then the ideal topcoat to use is the Metal Cladding Topcoat. It corresponds perfectly with the Metal Cladding Primer, and is available in our full colour range.

The beauty of the primer-topcoat system is that it gives you protection, as well as the flexibility to choose the specific colour that you want. Many other products have only a few set colours for you to choose from.

If the cladding has been previously painted, and the existing coat of paint is still in sound condition, there is no need to prime. Often commercial buildings are exposed to the elements. The most common issue that they have is that they get exposed to UV, which causes the paint to fade. If all you are looking to do is to change the colour of the topcoat, or just to freshen it up, then Metal Cladding Topcoat is ideal.

All in 1 Systems

If you’re looking to cut down on time, or labour, or if you just want to keep things simple then an all in 1 product may be the best choice. Noxyde is the best option if this is the case. It can be applied directly onto cladding, or onto previously painted surfaces. But you don’t skimp on quality by choosing an “easy” product; it provides the ultimate corrosion protection (C5-M), even in the severest of conditions.

Noxyde is more limited in terms of the colours that you can choose for it, but it can be overcoated. If you want the high level of protection that Noxyde provides, but the colour that you want isn’t available then overcoat it with Metal Cladding Topcoat.

 

 

How to know what to choose. . .

If you’re still unsure on what to choose then call one of our Technical Team on 01902 429190. They will be able to help you.