The beauty of an iron fence may be hard to match, but it’s not too difficult to maintain. With proper iron fence care and maintenance, your iron fence will last for many years to come. This week, we’ll talk about some tips for keeping your iron fence in the best possible shape. What should you do about rust? Should you wash your iron fence? What’s the best way to paint an iron fence? The answers are below!
5 Tips for Iron Fence Care and Maintenance
Watch out for vegetation.
Ivy or other plant life on an iron fence may look nice, but over time this weakens the fence and could damage it. Cut back vegetation from the fence to prevent this from happening. Also, don’t use sprinklers near the fence, to prevent water from remaining on the fence for long periods of time, which could lead to rust.
Inspect your fence.
Look for missing caps on posts that need to be replaced, or rust spots or flaking paint that needs to be touched up. The sooner you find these things, the more easily they can be fixed.
Should I Wash My Iron Fence?
You might think that a little rain is enough to keep your iron fence clean, but really there’s no substitute for a good washing. Pour a small amount of dish detergent in a gallon of warm water and use a clean rag or sponge to wash the fence. You can also use a spray bottle to get this mixture into crevices you can’t reach with a rag. Once you’ve finished the wash, dry the fence with a towel, and apply wax. This helps repel water and protects the paint. When drying the fence, take extra care to dry off places like latches, where water can get trapped and accelerate the oxidation process.
What to do about paint problems.
If the paint on your iron fence is flaking or bubbling in an area, use a wire brush to clean it off. Sand down to the metal, fill in holes with a metal filler, and give the area a good cleaning. Now apply a rust-resistant primer, and repaint with several coats of rust-resistant paint, using a small brush or spray. Check out our blog on painting an iron fence for more information.
How to fix rust spots.
Rust spots are something no homeowner wants to see on their iron fence. Read our blog on removing rust from iron fencing and railings to take care of rust spots. And for more information on iron fence maintenance and care, contact Hercules Custom Iron!
Hercules Custom Iron has more than 70 years of experience crafting ornamental iron and quality aluminum in its in-house manufacturing facility. Professional in-house installers take care to provide the highest quality service for every job they complete. Contact Us today to learn more about how we can help you with your next custom iron, specialty metal or aluminum project! Also, be sure to follow Hercules Custom Iron on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
Source
http://www.ehow.com/info_8035191_care-maintenance-wrought-iron-fence.html