Quote:
Originally Posted by roger59
Need advice on repairing small rust area on roof. Do you cut it out and weld a new piece of metal? I live in So Calif ant advice on a body shop.
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Don't cut it out unless the rust goes all the way through, such that when you remove the rust there's a hole left behind (even a pinhole is enough to justify cut-out-and-replace).
Otherwise, remove all rust, and all loose or flaking paint around the rusted area until you get back to good metal and good paint. The surface preparation level is called "brush-off blasting" which is an industry term for removing everything that isn't stuck on too tightly to remove, usually by "sand" blasting with a mild-abrasive blasting media such as tiny glass beads, crushed walnut shells, or dry ice powder. But if you're doing it yourself, you can use handheld power tools that will accomplish a similar level of foreign-matter removal rather than renting sandblasting equipment. If you use power tools or hand tools, blow off the area with dry high-pressure air to brush it off when you're done.
Then you will want to apply a primer coat to the cleaned-off area, and two or more thin layers of spray paint. Thin layers work best, even though they take longer to apply.
Make sure the air temperature is above 50°F, and that the air temperature is also at least 5°F above the dew point, so that there will be no condensation until after the paint dries. Also, it's best to position the van so that the whole area to be painted is in the shade the whole time, so that the paint dries at a uniform rate for the whole area to be painted, with no part of the paint job drying faster because it's in sunlight.
Urethane and polyurethane paint tends to be more durable than most other formulas for painting metal that is exposed to weather and ultraviolet light. And you can get polyurethane in a clear finish for a topcoat, if desired.
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