Wrought iron railing, concrete refinishing

[JLee]

Hi everyone,

It's (past) time for me to figure out how to refinish my front porch - the railing and concrete wall are in really bad shape.  I am generally handy but haven't done anything like this before - how should I start?

[sonofsven]

I'd start with a pressure washer on everything then switch to a wire wheel on a grinder and see how much iron is still there.
If the railing is salvageable then apply rust inhibitor as needed then prime and paint.
On the landing re point the bricks as needed then prime and paint.
It looks like the railing might be rusted through in places, or close to it. So you may need to replace it.

[JLee]

I'd start with a pressure washer on everything then switch to a wire wheel on a grinder and see how much iron is still there.
If the railing is salvageable then apply rust inhibitor as needed then prime and paint.
On the landing re point the bricks as needed then prime and paint.
It looks like the railing might be rusted through in places, or close to it. So you may need to replace it.

The railing feels really solid still - so just wire wheel it all off and go from there, I'll give that a shot.  Thanks!

[Sibley]

Those railings can take a surprising amount of neglect. You might be pleasantly surprised once you clean it up.

Note - make sure you use specifically metal primer and paint. And the stuff you brush on rather than spray on is likely going to be better.

[nereo]

Agree with pressure-washing first…

For the metal a flap-wheel does a better job on metal than wire brushes (and they are cheap!). I’d use a drill (pneumatic if you have one) and a drummer for the small spaces.

Not sure about the ‘concrete’ below, but it looks like blockwork? If your plan is to re-paint it you can pry out any loose pieces and then patch with CSA concrete.  If you plan on re-painting all you need to do is fill in the holes and spalling.  If you want to leave the concrete exposed you’ll probably want to skim-coat the entire surface or your repairs will be obvious (it will have a different color/texture than whatever concrete is there).

Concrete is really easy to dye/color too.  You can get crazy/creative and stamp patterns and textures on the surface.

[Sibley]

Agree with pressure-washing first…

For the metal a flap-wheel does a better job on metal than wire brushes (and they are cheap!). I’d use a drill (pneumatic if you have one) and a drummer for the small spaces.

Not sure about the ‘concrete’ below, but it looks like blockwork? If your plan is to re-paint it you can pry out any loose pieces and then patch with CSA concrete.  If you plan on re-painting all you need to do is fill in the holes and spalling.  If you want to leave the concrete exposed you’ll probably want to skim-coat the entire surface or your repairs will be obvious (it will have a different color/texture than whatever concrete is there).

Concrete is really easy to dye/color too.  You can get crazy/creative and stamp patterns and textures on the surface.

@nereo flap wheel best for paint that's not falling off too? I need to do my railing next year, and I've got a good amount of paint that isn't going to come off easy.

[sonofsven]

Agree with pressure-washing first…

For the metal a flap-wheel does a better job on metal than wire brushes (and they are cheap!). I’d use a drill (pneumatic if you have one) and a drummer for the small spaces.

Not sure about the ‘concrete’ below, but it looks like blockwork? If your plan is to re-paint it you can pry out any loose pieces and then patch with CSA concrete.  If you plan on re-painting all you need to do is fill in the holes and spalling.  If you want to leave the concrete exposed you’ll probably want to skim-coat the entire surface or your repairs will be obvious (it will have a different color/texture than whatever concrete is there).

Concrete is really easy to dye/color too.  You can get crazy/creative and stamp patterns and textures on the surface.

Yes, when I say "wire wheel" I should be more specific. There are a number of choices in the grinder wheel department that might work, so take a look and get an assortment. Since you're re-painting you don't need every bit of paint off, just enough to prep for the next paint job.
Generally speaking, 90% of it will come off easy and 10% will be nearly impossible.
When I worked on my utility trailer frame a few years ago, restoring it, there were a few spots that I worried about grinding away too much material trying to get all the rusty bits out,so I used a rust converter, which is different than the old acid naval jelly type products. They basically stabilize the rust for holding paint, so if it's not too structural that might be an option.

[lthenderson]

Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into removing all the paint from the railing, another option is to just fine a local company that does custom sandblasting. We have one in my area that is way cheaper than what I value my efforts. But that depends on you being able to unbolt it from the concrete and haul it there which may not be an option for many. There are starting to be mobile companies that do the same thing but with dry ice on site but from what I hear, they are really expensive.

[uniwelder]

Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into removing all the paint from the railing, another option is to just fine a local company that does custom sandblasting. We have one in my area that is way cheaper than what I value my efforts. But that depends on you being able to unbolt it from the concrete and haul it there which may not be an option for many. There are starting to be mobile companies that do the same thing but with dry ice on site but from what I hear, they are really expensive.

This is what I would do, assuming you can unbolt it without damaging the concrete too badly.  There's a place near me that does powder coating, and they sandblast everything before doing the powder.  Their sandblast work is relatively cheap.

[JLee]

Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into removing all the paint from the railing, another option is to just fine a local company that does custom sandblasting. We have one in my area that is way cheaper than what I value my efforts. But that depends on you being able to unbolt it from the concrete and haul it there which may not be an option for many. There are starting to be mobile companies that do the same thing but with dry ice on site but from what I hear, they are really expensive.

This is what I would do, assuming you can unbolt it without damaging the concrete too badly.  There's a place near me that does powder coating, and they sandblast everything before doing the powder.  Their sandblast work is relatively cheap.

It's molded into the rock/concrete wall of the house and welded together otherwise - short of cutting it off and welding it back on (which I'd really rather not do, ha), I think it's stuck here.

[johnbt]

In 2010 a railing company owner showed me how to refurbish the railings on my 1916 home.

Angle grinder with an 80 flap.
Wire brush, stiff putty knife scraper, coarse sanding sponges, and a linoleum knife (hooked pointy thing).
A 5-gal bucket to sit on and start blasting the stuff. Be heavy handed, you can't hurt the good metal.

Ospho. A watery weak phosphoric acid that converts iron oxide/rust to iron phosphate.
The loose rust turns powdery. Knock it off with the wire brush and sanding sponges after it's worked at least overnite. Put another coat on. Use a rag and rubber gloves if you like. I use a brush. Protect your eyes.

Knock the white stiff down, but don't obsess over it.

Spray primer. Only use Rust-oleum Professional Primer. It's flat red and comes in a 15 oz can. Read the temp and humidity directions.

Black paint. Only use Rust-oleum Lacquer, High Lustre Coating, black, 11 oz can.

I know, pro painters say not to spray lacquer over oil base. This isn't really real lacquer and the system works.

Let's see if I can find some pics of my stepson's house. The full flight of double railings on my old home are still looking like new.