How to repaint alfresco pergola?

Michaelb147

we recently purchased a house and about 80% of the backyard is covered under a pergola

I really want to change the colour of it. It is flaking in certain areas. There is no obvious rust

I wanted to know can I just paint over it or do I need to undercoat it before I change the colour to white or domino. 

I am intending to change all the sheets to white and also change the fibreglass sheets to plastic as well as they’ve now turned yellow

I would also need to paint all the gutters, flushing, down pipes etc. does the same principle apply for prepping and painting

Thank you in advance and I  appreciate any advice

EricL

Hello @Michaelb147, 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about painting your alfresco.

I propose having a look at this guide in regards to painting steel - How To Paint Metal. This will give you a general idea of the steps you need to take in order to paint your steel frame. The general steps will be to sand down the frame to remove all the old loose and flaking paint. Once the frame has been sanded down, I propose washing the surface with detergent and water. this will remove all the sanding dust along with any oil or grease that may have settled on its surface. Allow the frame to fully dry off before you begin priming and painting the surface. In regards to the gutters and downpipes the same steps apply to its surface.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your project. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric