Prepare your Wrought Iron Garden Fence for Painting

Decorative wrought iron garden fences are sturdy as well as beautiful.  They can also add an air of elegance to your home or garden.  Unfortunately constant exposure to the elements can so a fair bit of damage to the wrought iron surface.  By applying a fresh coat of paint you can decrease the appearance of rust and keep your wrought iron garden fence looking beautiful.  To successfully paint your iron fence you need to prepare the metal surface and surrounding area properly.  I have written some instructions below for you to follow so you can prepare your wrought iron fencing for painting correctly.

Firstly scrub the fence gently with a wire brush to remove all traces of rust.  You can use a wire wheel attachment on your cordless drill of you want to speed up this process.  After all traces of rust have been removed you then need to sand the wrought iron surface using medium-grip sandpaper.  This process will remove and chipped or peeling paint and will also provide a rough surface so the new layer of paint has something to adhere to.  Sanding will also remove any deteriorating paint if you used a drill and a wire wheel attachment to remove rust.  Once complete, wipe down the wrought iron with a clean and dry cloth.  Before you start painting cover the surrounding area with a tarp or drop cloth so protect them from any primer and paint spillage.  Take extra care to protect steps, plants and windows.  Sprits the greenery and flowers in your flower beds with water before you cover them.

Next you need to apply a rust-inhibitive primer to the entire surface of the wrought iron.  Made-for-metal primers come in liquid an aerosol form and you can find them in the majority of hardware stores.  A better choice is an aerosol primer as it will give you better coverage especially if your fence has intricate scroll work incorporated into the design.  Allow the primer to dry as per the manufacturer instructions.  Most primers will require 1 to 3 hours of drying time.  Once the primer is dry then you can apply a coat of exterior rust-inhibitive enamel paint over the primer.  Like the primer, the paint will come in either liquid or aerosol form so you need to make sure you choose the type of paint that is suitable for your project.  If you are using aerosol paint hold the can 3 to 4 inches away from the fence to reduce drips.  Make sure that the primer and paint are compatible to ensure optimal paint coverage and also longevity.

Wrought iron garden fences can be wonderful addition to the exterior of your home and it is relatively easy to keep it in good condition by following the advice I have given you.