Refurbishing a shipping container exterior will ensure a clean and professional look. Painting it is especially important if the container is one of your business’s brand ambassadors. Many shipping container modification companies, including Storage on Wheels, offer to repaint any container of your choosing. Although, if you decided to take on the challenge of painting it yourself, here are some simple guidelines you may want to follow for your upcoming project!
Refurbishing a Shipping Container
Pick the Right Paint
The type of shipping container paint you should choose is dependant on the intended use of the container. If you would like a clean, uniform color, it is highly recommended that you use industrial grade alkyd enamel paint. If applied, this paint will give a hard, yet shiny, finish that will last anywhere between five to ten years! Also, alkyd enamel paints are relatively inexpensive and used for many shipping container homes.
If you intend to paint a mural on a container, use any acrylic paint. Now acrylic paints may not last as long or shine like alkyd enamel, additional coats of paint will get better adhesion. It’s also easier to paint over acrylic with other colors.
Lastly, you should use polyurethane paint if you intend to use your container for heavy industrial purposes. This type of paint can last for over three years. The chemicals in this type of paint tend to be more hazardous. This calls for special procedures for mixing and applying. If you find that your container needs polyurethane paint, it is highly recommended that you consult a professional for this particular job.
Preparing your Container Before Painting
When most people wonder how to remove rust from shipping containers, they think sandblasting. Sandblasting your container is not recommended for a couple of reasons. First, sandblasting the entire container can be very expensive. Second, sandblasting will strip off a ton of protection. Sandblasting removes a high-quality marine grade paint as well as the protective zinc coating that prevents rust! It is highly unlikely that a home paint job will offer the same amount of protection as the original coating. Instead, you should consider priming and painting over the existing paint!
Painting the Container
It is highly recommended that you paint your container on a dry, sunny morning. Cool or wet days can prevent your paint from setting correctly. Containers painted in the afternoon are at a higher chance of being covered in dew before the paint sets. It’s very common when water becomes trapped beneath the surface of the paint and creates blister-like pockets.
When refurbishing a shipping container on this “perfect” morning, be sure to check if your container is completely dry. Once you’ve done so, you can either spray or roll your desired paint on the container. You’ll most likely have to apply a primer coat. Speak with your paint vendor about how long your primer coat should dry for before you apply your pigmented layer. In some cases, you may need to wait an entire day.
Get Crafty with Storage on Wheels
If you’re looking for used shipping containers for sale, Storage on Wheels is your one-stop shop! Not only do we have a wide selection of storage containers for you to choose from, but we also fully customize them as well! For more information on what products and services we have to offer, contact us today!
