Prime bare aluminum with a primer whose maker names aluminum: a self-etching primer (Rust-Oleum, Krylon), an aluminum primer (Rust-Oleum Stops Rust), or a bonding or metal primer (Zinsser BONDZ, Sherwin-Williams All Surface or Extreme Bond, Benjamin Moore HP1100 or HP1750). One to skip: Benjamin Moore HP1320 says it is not for aluminum.
Primers and paints that name aluminum
| Product | Aluminum line | Type | Dry and topcoat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rust-Oleum Automotive Self Etching Primer | “bare metal, aluminum and fiberglass” | Etching primer (spray) | Touch in 10 minutes; topcoat after 30 minutes |
| Krylon Automotive Self Etching Primer | “bare metal, aluminum, hard plastics, fiberglass, and stainless steel” | Etching primer (spray) | Touch in 30 minutes |
| Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Aluminum Primer | “aluminum or galvanized metal” | Water-based acrylic primer | Recoat after 1 to 3 hours |
| Rust-Oleum Professional Aluminum Primer | Base coat for “aluminum or galvanized metal” | Water-based acrylic primer | Topcoat after 2 to 4 hours |
| Rust-Oleum Universal | “ideal for plastic, wood, metal, wicker, and aluminum” | Paint and primer in one | Recoat within 1 hour or after 48 hours |
| Krylon Rust Tough Primer and Enamel | “Metal, Steel, Aluminum” | Primer; paint | Primer: touch in 25 minutes |
| Zinsser BONDZ | “aluminum doors and window frames, aluminum flashing and trim” | Bonding primer | Topcoat in 3 hours (data sheet) |
| Sherwin-Williams All Surface Enamel Latex Primer | “Aluminum: 1 coat All Surface Enamel Latex Primer 2 coats All Surface Latex Enamel” | Acrylic primer | Recoat in 4 hours |
| Sherwin-Williams Extreme Bond | “Aluminum” | Bonding primer | Recoat as a primer in 1 hour |
| Benjamin Moore HP1100 Acrylic Metal Primer | “galvanized metal, aluminum, other non-ferrous metals” | Metal primer | Recoat in 2 hours |
| Benjamin Moore HP1750 Waterborne Bonding Primer | “chrome, brass, copper, aluminum” | Bonding primer | Recoat after 2 hours |
| KILZ Adhesion | Anodized aluminum, and “Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals” | Bonding primer | Touch in 30 minutes; recoat in 1 hour |
From each product’s data sheet or page. Not for aluminum: Benjamin Moore HP1320 Universal Metal Primer, whose data sheet says “Not recommended for non-ferrous metals such as galvanized, aluminum.”
Prep, in the makers’ words
- Rust-Oleum Self Etching Primer: clean with mineral spirits, lightly sand with #400 grit wet or dry sandpaper kept wet, then “apply 2 or 3 thin coats and allow each coat to dry for 2 minutes before applying the next coat.”
- Sherwin-Williams All Surface Enamel Latex Primer: wash with a water-based cleaner-degreaser, “Remove all corrosion with sandpaper, wire brush, other abrading method. Prime the area the same day as cleaned.”
- Benjamin Moore’s metal guide: clean metal with a detergent or a solvent like denatured alcohol before priming, and consider HP1100 for non-ferrous metal.
- Zinsser BONDZ: “Always test a small area for acceptable adhesion.”
Can you skip the primer?
Krylon’s metal how-to says non-ferrous metals, aluminum included, “don’t require priming if you sand away their shiny surfaces during prep.” Its FAQ says you can spray aluminum “even when the original paint and primer have chipped or oxidized,” and suggests Fusion All-In-One. Fusion’s own “FOR USE ON” list says “Metal” rather than aluminum. Rust-Oleum Universal is a paint and primer in one that names aluminum. On bare aluminum outdoors, we’d still use a primer, or a paint and primer in one, whose maker names aluminum, rather than sanding and skipping primer.
Rust-Oleum’s Self Etching Primer SDS lists “H222” (extremely flammable aerosol), “H351” (suspected of causing cancer) and “P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.” KILZ Adhesion’s data sheet says “WARNING IRRITANT HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED,” that it may cause eye, nose and throat irritation, and to use it only with adequate ventilation.