Need Aged Look on Galvanized Roof

Letter 7671

Need Aged Look on Galvanized Roof

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I have a covered bridge with a typical corrugated galvanized steel roof... I want to lose the shiny, new look of the steel to make it look old and rustic. How can I do this without contaminating the water under the bridge?

Thanks,

Jeff Urban
- North Royalton, OH, USA

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I have seen a slurry of Pumice [link is to product info at Amazon] used with tampico brushes, to mechanically polish down the shine of zinc and other hot dip coatings (during the sheeting manufacture, not after installation). Using a very fine - grade FFF pumice, should result in a pewter-like finish. It is not expected that the slurry will pick up any appreciable zinc off the sheet surface, but thinking environmentally, it might be best to arrange to rinse the slurry off the roof and collect it for proper disposal.

Your call, and this will take a lot of labor, I'm sure. Someone working with such roofing may give you an estimate of how long nature will take to give about the same finish. My estimate would be a year, or less.

Good Luck.

W. Carl Erickson
- Rome, New York

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I have done a few Mexican restaurants that have this look, the electrical conduit was washed with sulphuric acid/water solution and I think the tin roofing was washed with the same. I have heard that Hydrofluoric Acid may be used but be very careful with this extremely dangerous acid. It will eat glass.... I would suggest testing of several solutions before trying on your project.

Good luck.

Craig Calhoun
- Houston, Texas

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Have used vinegar, bleach, strong salt solution, the main thing is you need "acid". I have never used any acid that would be harmful should my grandkids be around while I have worked on tin in the past. Set the tin on your drive way, pour on a vinegar & salt & let it set.... no scrubbing. Just be careful where you wash the salt off to, it will kill your plants.

Kele Robers
- Ft. Worth, TX

++++--added to an existing thread by the editors

I want to do a project around home using galvanized steel. I've been trying to find some that's old and dull/slightly rusty, but no luck. So I thought I could distress it myself, a friend said to use swimming pool acid. any thoughts?

Pete Lexy
- Wrightwood, CA, USofA

+++++appended to existing thread by editor

I would like to find out if there is a way to treat corrugated galvanized roofing to reduce the glare or solar reflectance to a dull finish. I do not want the roofing to rust, I just want to reduce the glare.

David Shube
homeowner - Minturn, Colorado, USA

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Just had galvanized awnings added to my homes exterior by a handyman. The only thing I can find to "age" them is in a kit. Surely there is a process, and one can purchase the pieces in the steps.

Ericka N. Gillette
homeowner - Cedar City, UT, USA

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There's a multi-step painting process by modern masters called metal effects that can be used on exterior metal roofing. I think it's a little pricey if I remember correctly, but it looks really nice. There are a few different finishes available....aged iron, copper patina, etc. hope this helps

Shannon Sparks
- Springfield, MO, USA

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My name is Romualdo de Blas and I live in Bisbee, Arizona. I am a retired architect designing a new house for myself in the historic preservation district of this old mining community. Corrugated steel roofing and siding was commonly used in this district from the 1880's to the 1940's. I want to duplicate the appearance of that weathered material and need to find out if there is a user-friendly product that can be applied to new galvanized corrugated steel that will make it look rusty in a matter of days or weeks. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Romualdo de Blas
retired architect - Bisbee, Arizona, USA

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It's a 4 step process....a coat of seal over the steel, then a coat of metallized paint that matches the steel over that, then a coat of rust activator (which supposed oxidizes in minutes) and then another coat of seal over that....you can read more about it at the modern masters website under metallic effects. There's also an image gallery with some examples of rust effects used on exteriors.

Shannon Sparks
- Springfield, MO

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I have primed galvanized surfaces with vinegar before painting and I have completely removed galvanization with Muriatic acid. Any acid-weak or strong will work at removing the galvanization from sheet metal. The acid from years of rain will remove it, but stronger store bought acids will cause it to rust faster. Rust is nothing more than a burning action taken on the metal by oxidation just as ashes from a fire. The zinc coating just protects iron from oxidation. Remove the zinc with acid.

I've seen movie sets in New Mexico sprayed with varying degrees of diluted Sulfuric acid just a few weeks after construction that looked a hundred years old in a very short while.

Ron Cook
building construction supervisor/school teacher - Tahlequah, Oklahoma

July 16, 2008

Try phosphoric acid. It'll knock the glint off of galvanized surfaces and leave them quite dull. Repeatedly soak the panels and rinse with plain water. Phosphoric is a common fertilizer element so it's not dangerous to the ground in the concentrations you'll use. In fact, your grass may grow greener if its soil PH is too high!

You'll need to wear protective gloves [link is to product info at Amazon] and protective gear, but it won't hurt you if you get splashed (unless it's the eyes, nose, ears, and so on). I generally apply it with a red Scotch-Brite abrasive pad. Remember to rinse the panels when you're done.

Chris Shelton
- Camano Island, Washington

September 26, 2009

Try using diet Coke, the acid in it will dull even polished aluminum, and it will be eviromental friendly.

Kenny Hibbs
- Rockwall, Texas, USA

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