Hi!
Got aluminium shades (blinds) on the outside of the house, the type on a steel frame and made from aluminium strips - common enough things. They jut out over the windows to keep the sun and rain off. Great. One problem - the coating on the exposed areas (top) wore off, leaving the bare aluminium. Reckon the shades were made before the popular
plastic coated aluminium shades became available. Tried painting the tops with ordinary oil-based paint. Looked nice for a while, but the paint quickly curled up and fell off, maybe due to the constant metal expansion and contraction all the time.
Tried using spray paint - better result, but the paint started wearing away after a few months and the tops of the shades are looking real ugly.
Went to a store that makes these things to ask their advice - the only answer I got was "buy new ones".
Would do, too, only there ain't nothing structurally wrong with the shades - the outsides just need shining up, that's all.

Question of the day - any good advice as to what I can use - and something that lasts awhile, preferably with a "glossy" finish? Appreciate your comments.

Hi Scooter,
Alluminium requires a special Primer before you can paint it (hence your problems)...over here in the UK its easy to purchase...Udon?...you could pop over to Home Mart (or Home pro?) and ask for "Khun King" (I think its Home mart he works at...if not its only another 1km down the road to Home Pro )
Anyway...Khun King (Mr King) is a Thai gent that spent 6yrs working in Oz and came back to Thailand 8yrs ago..Speaks fluent "Oz" which is close as you're gonna get to English so he is probably a good bloke to ask..He's helped me out a lot in the past

Hi Panick!
Thanks for the info - only one problem, I ain't in
Udon, but say hello to Khun King. Will certainly look around for aluminium primer (as a start).

Scooter,how many of the 'shades did you get and do you remember the price?

Hi BKKSTAN!

Sorry, can't help with the cost of the shades. Them babes were already hung up on the house
when I bought it. But true, it would be nice to have an idea how much they cost, for future
use. Got 5 shades over the windows (each about 2 metres wide), plus a long mutha over
the back terrace, and which must be around 5 metres long. All need shining up on top!

Maybe some other guys know about the cost of these things - sure hope so!