Painting Your Metal Gate

Hey folks, we have had a few questions about painting specific materials, so we thought why not make a series of blogs about just that! First up we are taking a look at painting a metal gate.

Here are some valuable tips before we begin:

• Look at the weather, you will need the weather to be on your side for this project as it involves a lot of air drying.

• Wear face, eye and hand protection. You’ll thank us later.

Step 1 – Prepare

Make sure you have the correct surroundings. It would be best to take the gate off its post and rest it on 2 saw-horses. Be sure to put a dust sheet down to protect your surroundings. Also, safety first- get yourself an eye mask and face mask, no one wants rust in the eyes or fumes in their lungs!

Step 2 – Remove Rust

Use a wire brush to remove any rust the metal gate may have accumulated. You want the smoothest base for better application of the new paint, and you can also then tell which bits have been affected most by rust. Then, just let it dry out! (Make sure you’re wearing your gloves for this)

Step 3- Smooth it out

Now that it is all dry, wipe the gate down with a cloth to eliminate any debris. Now it’s time for the wire brush again. We don’t actually stock these as of yet, but keep your eyes peeled! The wire brush is needed to smooth the surface once again. You can also add some rust neutraliser if there are any tough spots!

Step 4- Primer

Again, make sure your dust sheet is down for this step. Apply an outdoor metallic primer using a paintbrush, and wait until it is fully dry before you do a second coat. You can also apply it to any previously rusty areas, just the help seal any gaps left by rust. Again, allow the gate to dry according to the primer manufacturer’s guidelines, before moving on to paint the gate.

Step 5-Paint

After your gate is dry (this may be a long process I know!). Simply start by painting the outer edges first, then the decorative embellishments over it, and then to the backside of the gate.

Be sure to cover any hard-to-reach places, and use whatever works for you, as long as the paint is perfectly laid on the surface.

If you are wondering what paint is best, not to worry- we’ve got you sorted. You would use a high alkyd paint, such as Hammerite for metal materials. We have a variety of Hammerite in-store, but colours and stock will vary with what we have picked up recently!

We also sell Red Oxyd Primer and Metal Primer, two different variants of primer. Again, it is not guaranteed what specific colours we have but just pop along and our excellent staff will help you with your project.