How to spray paint aluminium screen door?

Eva Sydney

Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Gloss Black Spray Paint 340g - Bunnings Australia

I arranged for a handyman to purchase a ProtectorAl Black Diamond Grille Imperial Hinged Aluminium Screen Door from Bunnings and install it, but the door has many scratches. I will add stainless steel screws as he didn’t put many screws. I want to protect it with a paint and protect the hinges and screws.

On Bunnings website I found a spray paint. I am not sure what option to choose; I am thinking gloss, not flat, satin or ultra matte. It obviously needs to be UV resistant, outdoor, no primer required and waterproof which Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Gloss Black Spray Paint 340g - Bunnings Australia is. Also not flammable when dry. Is this the right paint? Is gloss right? Will the colour black be the right black for the door? Because on Bunnings website flat, gloss, satin and ultra matte appear different shades of black?

Many thanks

Eva

JacobZ

Hi @Eva Sydney,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you join us.

Your ProtectorAl Black Diamond Grille Imperial Hinged Aluminium Screen Door has a factory powder coated aluminium finish. Powder coating is hard and smooth, so good surface preparation matters more than the paint brand itself. Spray paint will work well, but the surface must be clean and lightly scuffed so the new paint can bond properly.

The different blacks shown on the Bunnings website mainly look different because of sheen, not because the colour itself is different. Having a look at this door, I'd say the finish is closer to satin than gloss. Gloss would look noticeably shinier, and satin closely matches most powder coated aluminium doors and will hide minor imperfections better.

Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Canyon Satin Black Spray Paint is suitable for this job. It is designed for outdoor use, is UV and water resistant once cured, and is appropriate for metal. It is a combination paint and primer, but light sanding on the exposed areas is still required.

Clean the door thoroughly using sugar soap, let it dry, then lightly scuff sand only the scratched areas and slightly beyond using 240 Grit Sandpaper, then wipe down to remove any sanding dust. Apply two light coats of your paint rather than one heavy coat, allowing proper drying time between coats.

Do not paint the moving parts of the hinges, as paint can cause stiffness or squeaking. Mask the hinges and any areas you do not wish to paint with painter's tape.

Stainless steel screws already resist rust and do not need paint, but if you want them black, install them first and lightly touch up the heads after tightening. Again, you can either tape off the surrounding areas or spray some paint in the cap and use a craft brush to paint the screw heads.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob