Painting Rusty Ironwork

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It’s important to refinish rusty decorative ironwork or steel on your house as soon as possible to prevent the metal from corroding more.

To refinish rusty iron or steel:

• Use a wire brush or rotating wire drill attachment to remove all the rust from the surface of the metal.
• Wipe down the metal with mineral spirits to remove any rust dust.
• Spray the cleaned metal surface with rust inhibiting primer.
• When dry, apply several light coats of finish paint to the metal.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• How to Paint Anything Outside (article/video)
• How to Paint or Stain Almost Anything (article)
• How to Paint Galvanized Sheet Metal (article)
• How to Prepare the Outside of a Home for Painting (video)

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The first step to repainting rusty ironwork is removing the rust. A wire brush, or wire brush attachment for your drill, will get the job done. Remove the remaining dust by wiping it down with mineral spirits. Now, spray the affected ironwork with a rust inhibiting primer, and allow it to dry well before applying two or three coats of the finish paint. Remember several light coats are better than one thick coat.