If you have an asphalt roof that you don’t love the color of, you may have asked yourself, “Can you paint the shingles?” The answer to that question (which may surprise you) is YES!
Repainting shingles is a relatively easy process and can be a lot more budget-friendly than re-roofing. We just finished backyard makeover for our outdoor booth and I really hate the multicolored brown shingles on the roof.
The color style really adds to the feeling it’s a structure in a public park (rather than a more modern backyard oasis). When I discovered it was possible to paint shingles with asphalt, I jumped at the chance.
Just google ‘roof inspection near me‘ to find a professional inspection service.
SAFETY NOTES: Whenever a roof and ladder are involved, be sure to take adequate safety precautions and work with a partner or appropriate fall safety equipment if attempting this project.
If you don’t feel completely comfortable being able to do this safely yourself, hire a professional cleaner and painter to do the job for you!
Do you have to use a special paint to paint the roof?
Right! You will want to use acrylic rubber paint that is recommended for outdoor use on roof items such as shingles (Behr multi-surface roof paint or Paint Sherwin Williams Resilience are prime examples) to ensure the longevity of your paint job.
The water-based paint will help the moisture escape from the shingles so algae and mold aren’t encouraged to grow.
Do you need to treat the roofing sheets before painting them?
Primer of shingles before painting them will help your final coat adhere as well as possible for the best overall bond.
Use one for all materials and can be used externally (like this Multi-surface exterior primer) so that it adheres to the shingles properly.
Can you paint a roof that is in bad condition?
While you can technically paint a roof with shingles that aren’t in good shape (though any roof repair work should really be done before painting), painting Re-roofing may not be worth the money and effort (if what you really need is a new roof overall).
Painting the roof won’t fix any leaks or areas that could scab over, so overall it’s better to replace the roof and pick a new shingle color that doesn’t. you prefer in the replacement process instead of trying and painting it.
Are there any cons to painting a shingle roof?
You should check painted shingles once a year for any signs of peeling or chipping. Extreme weather climates will cause paint to wear out faster than in mild climates.
Step one: Clean the roof
Like most other paint projects, you want to clean the area you’re about to paint before you actually start painting. Roofs are no exception, and you’ll especially want to clean up areas where there’s little sunlight and moss or algae growth on them.
Using an electric washer is the most effective way to clean the roof which you can do yourself if it is a smaller lower structure like our booth and you have an electric washer and ladder, or you can Hire someone to wash it for you.
You can injure shingles by blowing water on them too hard (especially in an upward direction), so keep that in mind and have a professional do it if you don’t feel comfortable.
If the roof has a lot of algae, you can spray and apply a 50% water and 50% bleach solution to kill the algae so the algae won’t come back for longer. Thoroughly water any plants below the roof line (if they are already wet, it will keep the bleach from seeping into them).
Then, rinse the plant again when you’re done applying the mixture to the roof. Let the roof dry completely before painting so you don’t encourage mold growth or wood rot under the paint.
Step 2: Cover the roof
While some paints may have a primer available, it’s a good idea to use a bonding primer to give the paint the best grip on your shingles. Something like this Multi-surface exterior primer or this Extremely Bonding Primer will do the trick.
Place any sheets as needed to protect other areas or plants from excessive seepage. Apply inner primer uniform coat with spray gun (you can also paint gun rental as well) and let the primer dry completely.
Step 3: Paint the roof
After your primer has dried, paint your roof in thin even coats with the sprayer, allowing adequate drying time between coats until all coats are even.
This process will probably take at least 1-2 coats of paint, but more may be needed depending on how thin you’re spraying and the color you’re trying to achieve (primer is white so dark end colors may vary). may require more coats for complete coverage).
While painting a roof is only a temporary improvement (a few coats of paint can extend the life of a roof by protecting it from wear and UV damage, it is a plus), it might be worth the effort, especially in cases like mine with a smaller structure where the overall cost is pretty low.
I’m really glad we decided to paint our shingles. The paintwork helped modernize the look of the structure, protecting the shingles a bit more over the next few years, and we didn’t have to replace the entire roof to get the same look.
While paint might not be the best choice in every situation, I’m so glad we decided to use it in our booth makeover! so so. Laura
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