Hi!

Got aluminium shades (blinds) on the outside of the house, the type on a steel frame and made from aluminium strips - common enough things. They jut out over the windows to keep the sun and rain off. Great. One problem - the coating on the exposed areas (top) wore off, leaving the bare aluminium. Reckon the blinds were made before the popular plastic coated aluminium shades became available. Tried painting the tops with ordinary oil-based paint. Looked nice for a while, but the paint quickly curled up and fell off, maybe due to the constant metal expansion and contraction all the time. Tried using spray paint - better result, but the paint started wearing away after a few months and the tops of the shades are looking real ugly.

Went to a store that makes these things to ask their advice - the only answer I got was "buy new ones".

Would do, too, only there ain't nothing structurally wrong with the shades - the outsides just need shining up, that's all.

Question of the day - any good advice as to what I can use - and something that lasts awhile, preferably with a "glossy" finish? Appreciate your comments.

If the shades were improperly prepared before painting, you won't get good adhesion. Did you make sure to clean any of the white powdery oxidation off before painting?

You can paint aluminum siding with a good high gloss latex enamel, so it should work shades as well. In the end, short of sending them in for powder coating or baked enamel, you are going to have to do maintenance every few years.

It can be done. Boats, Airplanes, Houses , no problem.

http://www.google.co.th/search?q=how+to+pa...en&safe=off

This link http://www.askthebuilder.com/122_How_to_Pa...um_Siding.shtml (from The Skipper's Google search) seems sensible.

OR

Why not strip them back and leave as natural aluminium, zero maintenance?

The ideal finish would be to get them hard-anodised not something you can do at home

How to paint outside house shades.

Actually quite easy, start with a dark colored paint and for each shade mix in some white paint.

Shades should be painted horizontally for tall buildings and vertically for short buildings or for a more wild animalistic look, do them horizontally in a haphazzard pattern.