How to Paint a Tool Shed

Take a tour. Walk around several neighborhoods and check out which tool sheds catch your eye. Pay close attention to those sheds that have a similar style to your own.

Keep it in context. Your shed's appearance should never clash with (or take away from) your home. Keep the style and color of your tool shed similar with your house to create a pleasing and cohesive appearance.

Scrape off as much paint or rust from the shed as possible. For paint, the best options include heat guns, electric sanders, chemical strippers or scrapers, while removing rust involves using steel wool, buffers/grinders or wire brushes. Scrape away the loose particles first, then go back and re-scrape or sand remaining problem areas.

Clean the surface. After scraping your tool shed, make sure the surface is free of dirt, mildew, grease or any other foreign substance by washing with soap and water. To prevent suds, use solutions such as trisodium phosphate to get rid of the grime. Rinse with your hose and allow to dry for 48 hours.

Prime the area. Use oil or alkyd based products with high quantities of rust-inhibitive pigments for metal priming, while oil based, exterior wood primers are an excellent choice for wood.

Paint the area. Plan to paint your tool shed at a cool time of day out of direct sunlight. This will ensure a perfect paint job that lasts for years.