Painting Rusty Sheet Metal

You can cover rusty steel with an attractive finish by painting it.

Painting rusty sheet metal.

Apply a second coat. Paint can t bond to rust so you ll need to start by restoring the surface. After prepping the surface prime and paint it with rust inhibiting products. The first step is to clean off loose rust and flaking paint and then apply a rust inhibitive primer.

The iron inside the alloy begins to turn to iron oxide also known as rust when it is exposed to oxygen. Add up the costs of a 12 ounce spray can of rust conversion primer and a 12 ounce can of metal paint that each cover. Painting rusty metal items versus replacing them is a win for your wallet. Elbow grease will do the trick for lightly rusted metal but tougher jobs may require a power sander or chemicals.

Use a primer designed for use on metals. However you must thoroughly clean and prepare the surface before coating it. They can be used on metals that are rusty provided you prepare the surface so the primer or paint properly adheres to it. Apply a rust proof primer to the galvanized metal with a paint brush.

Now the most important thing to remember when painting a rusty metal shed is not to do it in late july in south texas. That s all it takes to breathe new life into any old rusty eyesore. The primer provides a corrosion barrier just as the zinc oxide did. However badly rusted metal areas need more prep work and possibly a special primer.

The primer and paint also protects the metal from further rusting. To prep metal for paint adhesion you must first clean it with soap and water remove light rust with a wire brush sand it with fine grain sandpaper and then in most cases prime. Although steel is more rust resistant than iron it will still rust over time. The second most important thing is prepping the surface correctly before painting.

Just stay inside enjoy your air conditioning and wait till fall. Rustoleum manufacturers paint and primer and offers a product line specifically for covering and protecting metal surfaces. You don t need to get down to bare shiny metal just clean off the flakes and powdery surface rust that prevent paint from adhering. But even if there is no rust through there you may find that rock nicks and chips have allowed salt and moisture to eat little pits in the metal.