@E.rothwell, sad to say, it still hasn't been done, let's just say that life got in the way last year. The subject came up again towards the end of the year and as far as l know she still plans to do it as soon as the weather improves. Personally l can't wait to see how it turns out, l think it will be a big improvement. Edited to tag @nutcutlet
Any further updates? We are getting a second hand Alitex greenhouse - fabulous - but it's white, and looking to paint it to blend in. Given its pricey to start with, really don't want to spoil it, so any input appreciated!
According to the Alitex GH FAQs, they are powder-coated, so you need to research whether a baked polyester powder-coated surface can be over-painted:
"Polyester powder coated aluminium. Before being painted, the aluminium sections undergo three pre-treatment stages:
The cut aluminium sections get a hot soapy wash, then rinsed, and prepared with primer.
The paint is then applied in powder form with a spray-gun which
carries an electro-static charge so the paint adheres to the aluminium
in a smooth, even layer.
The painted sections are then passed through an oven, bonding the paint to the aluminium.
In order to control the quality, all our painting is done in house.
Our quality is also monitored by an independent company every 6 months."
I suspect the problem will be getting a paint to bond to the (intentionally) very smooth surface presented by the white powder-coated aluminium, so sanding the whole thing first may be necessary to prevent the green paint from rather easily peeling off. I'd research this well, or you could end-up with something, which would look awful after a short period of weathering or general day-to-day wear, and would then require twice as much work to correct.
Good luck though!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
@Fire it depends on what it's already painted or coated with more than the metal it's made of. If it's powder-coated (which is simply a thin layer of plastic baked-on to the surface) then you need a paint which will bond to plastic. If it's painted with normal paint then a light sanding and an external paint should do it. Bank on some of the original colour showing through after time in random areas, so a rust-coloured paint on top of a white original will likely look pretty naff after a few years so need regular touching-up.
If it's a steel one with thin black paint (like most of them are), you could just sand the paint down until the metal starts showing and leave it to go rusty by itself, which is just accelerating nature and will likely be the most pleasing to the eye over time.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Posts
The subject came up again towards the end of the year and as far as l know she still plans to do it as soon as the weather improves. Personally l can't wait to see how it turns out, l think it will be a big improvement.
Edited to tag @nutcutlet
"Polyester powder coated aluminium. Before being painted, the aluminium sections undergo three pre-treatment stages:
In order to control the quality, all our painting is done in house. Our quality is also monitored by an independent company every 6 months."