How To Use Skip Paint - painting your own skip or container

How To Use Skip Paint - Painting your own skip or container. Author - Andy Potts Original 14th October 2016 Amended - June 23rd 2020 (reading time 3 mins).

If you have just bought a skip or container, it's quite likely it will require a professional paint before you can use it or provide it to clients. Where do you start? This guide will look into why you might want to paint a skip and container and how to go about painting it.

Skip Paint Why Do it?

By painting your skip or container, you are putting one more layer between the steel of your container and the elements. That slows down rust, making your container last longer. And, of course paint makes it look new and high quality. For a few more reasons why you need your skip painted to a high quality check out our film on high quality finishes below.

Prepping your Container

1. Peel off the shipping line markings if required - a razor blade may be needed.
2. Wash the container. A high-powered spray brush does the best job. Remove the obvious dirt, grime and grease, but also don't forget to clean the floor and all the hidden corners.
3. During the cleaning process, spray all the newly discovered rust you find.
4. Once the container is dry, sand down the rust spots and grind off any heavier rust. Just remember to grind right before you paint.
5. After we spot rust, then we begin to spot prime the shipping container. Do not prime the entire shipping container, just the areas you sanded. These steel shipping containers already have a solid primer and several coats of protected paint.

Skip Paint Stage

Now you are ready to paint. You need to choose a good industrial coating as this will form your primer / topcoat layer and as described in the short film above, this is a crucial stage. Respected brands such as Jotun produce paints ideal for hardwearing situations as do Ultrimax throughout its Ultrimax 1 and SGX ranges:

Jotun Hardtop XP                                                  Jotun Penguard                                       Ultrimax 1                                        

Ultrimax Gloss                                    Ultrimax SGX

Learn more about SGX Skip and Shipping Container Paint

Which Painting Method is Best ? - there are 2 options on this.

1. Industrial paint sprayers make the project run smoothly, allowing for quick even strokes. Units such as Graco are advised here as the paint can be thick to layer and you need an excellent pump setup if you will be using skip paint often.
2. Otherwise, you can roll the paint on as well. We recommend using an industrial, alkyd enamel. There are direct to metal and oil-based ones to fit your needs. Try using a medium roller for impact on rough surfaces.
3. 2 coats are required for a full finish.
4. Finishing touches can be added, from camouflage to murals - just be sure that you continue to use container-friendly paints to finish your project.

Need More Advice?

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If you need any more advice, you can speak to our friendly technical team on 01302 571507. Alternatively, visit our website http://www.ultrimaxcoatings.co.uk/sectors/container-paint/