Aluminum Bleachers - Football

Painted with Futurac Acrylic Enamel
Completed: 10/03/07

Painted Top and Bottom + Kick Plates + Supports

 Original Color: Red faded to pink 
 New Colors: Pure White

Goal was to repaint the faded center "T" of the football field's aluminum bleachers 
white without the expense of removing and transporting the bleacher seats.  

Work was performed during favorable weather over a five day period.  Seats had an extruded
 non-slip surface that had collected considerable dirt from foot traffic over the years. High
pressure power washing was required to remove the initial layers of dirt.  All surfaces were
then lightly hand sanded with 3M foam sanding blocks and power washed a second time. 
Pre-cut pieces of 36" wide paper were slipped behind the kick plates and over the flat walkways 
and taped down.  Remaining gaps around the support posts were masked separately.  Plastic sheeting
 was secured to the fencing along the top of the stands to act as a barrier to wind-borne paint drift. 
The existing blue painted areas (which were not to be painted) were covered with plastic and/or canvas tarps.

Hard to reach areas under the seating were first "spotted" with an HVLP system. 
The surfaces were then given two coats of a catalyzed acrylic enamel, applied electrostatically.

Although the outdoor temperature ranged from 70-75 deg F; there were no clouds, and the
surface temperature of the metal was hot enough to dry the paint in minutes.

This was our first job of this type, and it proved more difficult than we had anticipated.  Even
with the relatively low ambient temperatures for that time of year, it was painfully hot in the sun.
The actual temperature of the metal was higher than expected and the drying time quicker than expected. 
 And even on what seemed like perfectly calm days, there was always a steady light breeze that played havoc
 with the paper and subjected us to the risk of wind-borne drift.  Despite the hardships,
the final result was exactly what we sought to achieve.

 
Work in progress - viewed from the highway with some
of the original faded red paint still showing.

Finished results - again viewed from the highway.

      
Finished results - viewed from the playing field.
The opening in the fence at the top of the stands was to make room
for a new press box to be built following completion of our painting project.

   
Detail of bench seats showing kick plate and
support posts that were also painted.
   
Note: These last two pictures show water beading up
on the surface following a rain shower.  It is not a defect in the paint.