Property Workshop is proudly reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small Amazon affiliate commission but this does not affect the price you pay. Learn more here.
Painting a corrugated roof is something you should only do a couple of times in your life, so it’s important to pick the best metal paint.
Trust me, you don’t want to buy cheap paint and be up there more than twice in your lifetime. One time is more than enough!
Fortunately for you, I’ve researched hundreds of paints for roofing projects over the years, so I know what a minefield it is and how to navigate it.
I’ve used this experience while researching the latest paint systems on the UK market. So read on to find which paint wins our award for the best paint for corrugated roofs in the UK.
Corrugated Roof Paint Reviews — The UK’s Top 3 in 2024
So, let’s look at our top picks for corrugated roof paint.
1. Wethertex CP80
- Satin finish
- Self-priming
- Highly water resistant
- Protects against rust for up to 12 years
- Quick drying
Wethertex CP80 is a high-performance, self-priming paint. It’s quick-drying, meaning you can apply a second coat after only 2–4 hours.
CP80 is available in a wide choice of standard colours, which you can tint with any RAL or BS4800 colour. With over 4,000 colours to choose from, it’s excellent when matching an existing colour, and CP80 dries to a highly water-resistant satin finish.
The 10-litre tubs are heavy (about 13kg), so you may want to decant half of this into a smaller container to carry onto the roof, especially if you need to thin it down. CP80 should be thinned with 10% water when applied to bare metal surfaces, which improves the 10 m2/litre coverage rate even further.
CP80 can be applied using a brush, roller or spray, but take note of the weather conditions at the time. Don’t apply in cold or hot weather (less than 8°C or more than 25°C) or when the substrate temperature is over 30°C. Check the forecast for rain as well, as it needs to remain dry for at least 24 hours.
Avoid sunny days — dry but overcast is ideal, so a typical UK summer’s day is best.
CP80 offers excellent protection against rust for up to 12 years, and it’s also resistant to salt spray, making it good for coastal regions. It’s suitable for all roofing materials, including weathered galvanised steel, Plastisol, PVF2 and powder-coated steel, aluminium, copper and zinc.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The coverage rate of 10 m2/litre is the best we found | It can’t apply in extreme temperatures or wet weather |
| 12-year rust protection — also the best | Requires two coats |
| Quick-drying time | |
| No primer required |
2. Rust-Oleum Metal Cladding Topcoat
- Improves life expectancy of metal cladding
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Excellent flow and aspect with a brush, roller or spray
- High-filling and hiding power
- Tintable in almost any colour
- Water-based so low in VOCs
This semi-gloss acrylic resin paint is specially formulated for all types of metal cladding and has a decent single-coat coverage of around 8 m2/litre. It also has excellent UV resistance, a 10-year life expectancy, and an extensive range of RAL and BS4800 colours.
You can apply Rust-Oleum Topcoat to galvanised steel, aluminium, copper, zinc, and Plastisol coated sheeting, providing a long-lasting, durable finish. It’s not as quick-drying as Wethertex CP80, but you can apply a second coat after 8 hours.
Like Wethertex, the weather at the time of application is critical. I.e. don’t apply rust-oleum topcoat if it looks like it will rain within the next 24 hours, and avoid extremely hot or cold days. Apply it with a brush, short nap roller, or airless spray gun.
Pro Tip: One coat should do the job if you’re using a spray gun.
A 10-litre tub of Topcoat covers around 80 square metres, but you may also need a primer on some uncoated surfaces. We recommend Rust-Oleum’s water-based Mathys Metal Cladding Primer for this purpose. This primer is suitable for most metal roofing materials and is available in white, light grey, and dark grey. It’s ready for a topcoat in just one hour, and a 10-litre tub covers 125 square metres.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 10-year life expectancy | Primer required on some surfaces |
| Low VOC | It can’t apply in extreme temperatures or wet weather |
| Quick-drying |
3. Durashield
- Easy to use and smooth finish
- One pack with no mixing
- Zero wastage
- 10-year life
- Single coat coverage: 1L per square metre
The previous paints are ideal for large roof areas. If you just want to give your garage’s corrugated roof a new lease of life, this Durashield rubber-based paint is worth considering.
You can apply this paint with a brush or roller, and in most cases, without a primer. Furthermore, it provides up to 10 years of rust-free service.
Our British summers aren’t a problem either — you can apply Durashield within a temperature range of 5–25°C. It doesn’t matter if it rains soon after, as the rubber coating sheds water immediately.
Durashield is only available in grey, but this won’t be a problem if you’re not looking for a colour.
Don’t be fooled by the low price, though. Durashield is rubber-based, so the coverage is much less than water-based paint; a small 3m x 6m garage needs five or six 5-litre tins.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 10-year lifespan | It only comes in grey |
| Suitable for repairs as well as complete roof covering | Expensive for large areas |
| You can apply it in damp conditions | |
| One coat should be enough for most jobs, and no primer is required. |
Best Paint For Corrugated Roofs — 2024 Comparison Table
| Product | Cost/m2 | Base Material | Second Coat (hours) | Coverage (m2/litre) | Longevity (years) | Rating out of 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wethertex CP80 | ££ | Silicone | 2–4 | 10 | 12 | 4.8 |
| Rust-Oleum | £ | Acrylic | 8 | 8 | 10 | 4.7 |
| Durashield | £££ | Rubber | Not required | 1 | 10 | 4.2 |
Corrugated Roof Paint Buying Guide
Having researched and procured metal roof paint products for many years, I discovered all the different types of paint available: acrylic, latex, alkyd, liquid rubber, polymeric, and silicone. And then there are the hybrids.
It’s mind-boggling. Each has its merits and downsides, and it’s challenging to determine what’s best for any situation. I’ve chosen three products with different base chemicals for this guide, but each works well.
The best paint for corrugated roofs must have the following qualities:
- Resistance to UV light
- Elasticity to deal with extremes in temperature
- A reasonable rate of coverage
- Longevity — you don’t want to be up on that roof every few years
- Anti-corrosion properties
- High adhesion to smooth surfaces
If the roof is visible, colour choice is also a factor.
Methods of Application
The three typical methods of application are roller, brush and spray gun.
Roller
Being corrugated or profiled, you need to roll across the slope unless you have access to a profile roller — a roller shaped to match the corrugation or cladding profile. A short nap roller provides the best finish.
Brush
A brush reaches all the areas a roller can’t, such as underneath flashings and ridge sections.
Pro Tip: If the roof is flat, use a soft yard brush to quickly spread the paint across the surface.
Spray Gun
The most effective method is to use a paint spray gun. There are two types of spray, air and airless. In simple terms, air sprays need a compressor, which can be heavy and bulky — not something you would want to haul up onto a roof.
Airless sprayers pump the paint directly from the can or a container attached to the spray gun.
Spraying is the quickest method and provides the neatest finish if used correctly. The downside is cost. Spray guns and compressors aren’t cheap, but you can hire them.
Whichever method you choose, remember that the coverage areas quoted in this guide are for flat surface areas only. So the actual surface area is much less, depending on the corrugation depth or profile.
Pro Tip: Allow 25–30% extra for profile depth when pricing or ordering paint.
Final Thoughts
Wethertex CP80 is the stand-out product in this comparison simply because it provides a 20% increase in longevity over its nearest rival, and when you’re doing any roof work, the less frequent, the better.
Rust-Oleum is an excellent product, and although it may need a primer, primer works out cheaper than the topcoat.
If you’re not concerned about colour and you don’t have a large area to cover, Durashield is worth considering, but beware of the low coverage rate — it could be very expensive.