Depending on in which Melbourne suburb you are located, be it East Melbourne, West Melbourne or somewhere else, the fences and gates installed can vary in size, style and the purpose they meant to serve. Most of the fences and gates have most likely been previously coated to protect them against corrosion and rust. Hence, your fencing needs surface preparation before applying a new coating. Today we will focus on fence surface preparation to make sure you have a few tips in your back pocket when it comes to fence painting.
Depending on when the gate or the fence was installed, the current coating type
that your fence has can vary. For example, the older the fence, the higher the chance that the paint used for the metal fence coating was alkyd/enamel paint coated over a rust primer. Newer fences that have been produced in a factory and installed by a fencing specialist, are most likely powder coated.
Once you know the coating type on your fence, it's time to prepare yourself for your upcoming fence painting project. Firstly, be patient! It takes time and effort to prepare the fencing surface correctly. For the best result, make sure you do not rush as cleaning and preparing metal fence surfaces are time-consuming and need better care because metal fences are exposed to various weather conditions and will deteriorate much faster compared to some other surfaces that do not have to withstand the rain, UV and changing temperatures.
STEP 1:
It's time to clean all the metal fence surfaces. You can start by using high pressure clean, also known as pressure or power washing. Essentially it is using high-pressure water spray that removes loose paint, mold, grime, dust, mud and any other kind of dirt stuck on your metal fencing.
If you do not have a high-pressure water spray, you can do it manually with sandpaper or scotchbrite scouring pad. Scour all the fence surface and then clean off.
Be more careful when you find rusted or corroded areas as they will need a bit more work. By using a wire brush or a grinder with a wire wheel attachment, remove the corrosion. Be aware that you need to get rid of all the rust as rust can spread when left untreated, creating more damage in the long run.
STEP 2:
Once you have cleaned your metal fence from the rusty spots, you may discover that some parts of your metal fence may have corrosion holes in the metal. You can fix that by filling up those holes with the epoxy metal putty. It's a non-rusting epoxy putty that can quickly repair and rebuild anything that is made of metal.
STEP 3:
Once your metal gate or metal fence has been cleaned, depending on which one you are working on, it is time to choose a paint coating system that is appropriate for your fencing project.
Some of the few ones to choose from are:
- Brush and a roller. It is the traditional way of painting the fences. If your fence has some ornaments, we recommend purchasing some of the smaller rollers (mini-rollers) that will allow accessing smaller spaces when painting ornate fences.
- Additionally, something you can do yourself, spraying either using airless or pot gun. Be aware that when using a spray gun to paint your metal fence, you need to cover the surrounding area as the paint can go anywhere. For example, footpath, cars parking nearby, nature (trees, flowers), etc. Therefore, make sure you have covered them before starting to paint the metal fence using a spray gun.
- The third option is something that you can't do at home by yourself, and that is an electrostatic spray application. It is done by specialists. When using electrostatic spray application, the paint will wrap around the fence posts and fence itself, creating an even coating while simultaneously creating minimal overspray and waste.
Sometimes, depending on the size of the fencing project, you may not want to undertake it due to personal time restriction. Therefore, it is wise to turn to fence specialists (electrostatic professionals) who have various painting systems, preparation techniques and spray technologies that in the long run can be worth the money.
When it comes to fence and gate repairs, Diamond Fence can help you out! You can get in touch with one of our fencing specialists who will be able to advise on old fence repairs and new steel fence installation!
Call us on (03) 9753 4566, shoot us an email on info@diamondfence.com.au or get a FREE online quote.
