How to Prepare Rusty
Metal Surfaces for Painting
home selling articles and tips
If you are trying to sell your house, there is no better way to make it good looking again than to give it a quick paint job. It’s really neither expensive, nor demanding task and it certainly can be very helpful when negotiating the price. Painting of wooden elements shouldn’t be too much of a problem and because of the fact that approximately 80% of later paint failures on metal surfaces are caused by sloppy and improper surface preparation, here, we will dwell more in this topic and discuss several ways to get that part of metal painting right.
Removing the Rust
Before proceeding to painting, you will first have to get rid the surface of rust and old paint and clean it properly. So let’s start from the beginning and count four of the most common ways of dealing with rust:
Sandblasting
Sandblasting is probably one of the quickest ways to remove any trace of old paint and rust from some metal surface. It is essentially a compressed air used to blow fine abrasive materials, such as sand, through spray nozzle and effectively blast away every unwanted element from the surface where blast materials hit. This method is very well suited for hard to reach places and you can even use smaller handheld units for iron handrails, iron furniture, etc.
Wire Brushing
It can be conveyed with hand brush or wire wheel brush, but nevertheless end result is same – With just a few quick passes with brush you will remove all the loose material. Smooth painted finish will demand, though, another round of sanding until the surface where you will apply it is completely free of defects. Usually you can get the job done with the combo of 80 grit sandpaper and 120 grit sandpaper for later smooth sanding. Just be sure to use auto body filler material for top quality finish.
Using Chemicals
Using strong chemicals for removing rust, corrosion and older coats of paint has its share of both pros and cons. For example, oxalic acid removes the rust very efficiently, but the residue of iron oxalate which it leaves behind is almost completely insoluble. So, while these acids are very efficient in dealing with large surfaces like roofs you should be very cautious when using them for their dangerous chemical nature.
Rust Conversion
What you will get by applying quality rust converter on the surface you want to paint are harmless chemical compounds and protective film that prevents rust from appearing again, so given the fact that with this method there is no serious need for brushing and sanding we can say that it is one of the easiest ways to go. Although it wasn’t meant for super smooth surfaces, rust conversion excels in dealing with areas where brushing is difficult and ornamental iron.
Cleaning the Surface
Because paint doesn’t rally mix well with dirty or greasy surfaces that should be our next concern and thorough washing with some strong detergent followed by rinsing is prescribed. If you notice “flash rust” after washing don’t worry it can easily be removed with some of the “surface prep” materials. At this point you should be able to coat the metal with simple oil and proceed further.
After applying new coat of paint, visual refreshment should be more than noticeable. You house will look like it was just made, potential buyers will be more interested and you will be happier for that.
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