There’s nothing worse than touching a rusty gate- other than owning one- and while iron gates are strong, they are not resistant. Over a handful of years, your brand spanking new gates will undoubtedly undergo extreme weather changes causing a coppery-brown corrosion to overtake your gates like an infection.
Sure, you can cover the gates with paint to provide extra protection from the elements, however this can chip and even tiny parts left unprotected can give rust the room it needs to develop and spread. Despite this, with some determination, there is a way to help your gates somewhat resemble the good old days.
Here at Cheshire Metalcraft, we’ve put together our top rust tackling hacks for all your gate needs…
Step One. Scrub the gate with a stiff wire brush in order to try and remove the rust. You should move in an up and down motion from one side to the other.
Step Two. Attach an abrasive metal grinding disc and use very gently in order to remove any paint. Don’t press down too hard as this can remove metal. You shouldn’t worry about getting every bit of paint off and remember to clean the clean with a rag afterwards. Make sure to stay away from the inner corners with the disc.
Step Three. Apply a rust neutraliser in order to try and prevent any future rust from occurring. Let the gate dry for roughly 24 hours.
Step Four. Spray on the exterior metal colour, holding the can 8-10 inches away from the gate and spraying evenly. Leave the paint to dry for as long as is necessary then apply a second coat.
Remember, these tip are not designed to ‘fix’ the rust on your gates, they are there to make them look more professional. The only way to fix rust on gates is by scrapping them and purchasing some new ones!
Cheshire Metalcraft have the best gates Manchester has to offer so if your gates are looking rusty, gives us a call and let’s reverse them back to a shine!