Revamping Your Aluminum Patio Cover: A Step-by-Step Guide
An aluminum patio cover offers a practical and affordable way to get more enjoyment from your outdoor space, providing shade and shelter from sudden rain. Yet its industrial appearance may not blend well with your home's exterior. This guide outlines a straightforward process for cleaning, priming, painting, and decorating your aluminum patio cover so it complements your house.
By Alex Parker5 steps
This patio would get more use with an aluminum patio cover.
An aluminum patio cover is a smart investment. This uncomplicated, budget-friendly structure of roof and columns lets you make the most of your patio. It provides shade so you can dine and unwind outside without squinting or fretting about sunburn, and it lets you stay put when a summer rain suddenly arrives. That said, aluminum patio covers may come across as overly utilitarian, at odds with your home's exterior. Fortunately, you can refresh these covers so they blend with the rest of your house.
Step 1
In a bucket, combine 1/2 cup heavy-duty detergent with a gallon of water. Wearing rubber gloves, dunk a scrub brush into the solution and scrub the aluminum patio cover thoroughly. Use a garden hose to rinse it off, then let it dry.
Step 2
Transfer an oil-based exterior primer into a paint roller pan. Soak a paint roller in the primer and roll an even layer onto the patio cover. Let it dry for two hours. Wash the roller with soap and water.
Step 3
Select an oil-based paint in your preferred color—ideally one that coordinates with your house color or trim. Roll an even coat onto the aluminum patio cover. After 24 hours of drying, add a second coat and let it dry for the same period.
Step 4
Position stencils at suitable spots on the patio cover. For instance, winding ivy designs work nicely on the columns, while flower stencils can be placed along the roof or ceiling of the cover. Secure the stencils with painter's tape.
Step 5
Apply an oil-based spray paint made for metal and exterior surfaces over the stencils on the patio cover. Take off the painter's tape before letting the paint dry.
