rust spots on metal railings

Contact the factor and tell them about it. Tell them that the problem is getting worse by the day, and make them come paint them now, and don't wait. You're already paying them to keep up the look and structure of the building, aren't you?

Thanks - I have contacted the management company to see what they suggest. When there were a couple of spots of rust previously the suggestion was to patch up the paint myself (which I did), but there are more spots now and - while I was happy enough to repaint a couple of patches - I certainly don't fancy re-doing the whole railings.

They seemed quite reluctant last time (they're v keen to keep down the service charge, which of course is *generally* a good thing), saying the railings were due for repainting in 2007. To be honest, it doesn't look that bad: you have to be looking for it to really notice the rust. is it likely to get much worse though, or to damage the railings so they require more work in 2007?

Cheers

Jon

I would think that if you can actually see brown rusty marks bubbling through the paint surface, then it is bad enough now to warrant a good chipping off and redoing. Rust only gets worse with time, so the quicker it is removed, and a new coat of protection over the bared rusting metal is applied, the better.

If youve got a dremel type thing with a little rotary wire brush, rust spots are a doddle. Half second application of tool to remove paint and rust, put a blob of paint on, next one...

If you do them with red primer but not black topcoat, they might agree to finish the job :) Either that or pursue you for damage.

NT

Cheers. I've already repainted a few of spots of rust (removed paint/rust with a steel brush, then 2 coats of mettalite) twice, but since each time more have appeared in different places - and while repainting a couple of spots is easy enough, I can see myself having to redo most of the railings spot by b****y spot over the next 2 years as new bits of rust appear, which really doesn't appeal.

Will point out to the management co. that the problem will only get worse - the thought of more work to do if they leave it till 2007 might convince them... Might also suggest they get a different company to do the painting from last time, as the railings were only painted two and a half years ago - I'm right in thinking a good paint-job on railings should last longer than that?

Thanks,

Jon

If chipped, brushed and sanded, and then given a good brush over with red-lead under coat, then any top coat should last, at the least, about ten years. That's how long our garden railing lasted before needing re-done, and it was used as a kids climbing frame for a few of those years. So, if it is done properly, then I would think you actually save money in the long run.

chances are it was done with household gloss paint. Cheap but not that durable.

NT

err, don't you mean red oxide? AFAIK red lead was used as a glazing putty among other things.

cheers, Pete.

Red lead primers are better than red iron oxide primers. However they contain maybe 25% lead and have been illegal to manufacture or sell for some years.

Usually white lead, for glazing. Red lead (or a mixture of both red and white) was used to make gasket cement for steam plumbing.

And/or may not have used the correct primer.

cheers, Pete.

Doh...talk about a false economy to 'save' on paint...save a few quid then have to redo it way too soon :(

Anyway, still waiting to hear back from the management company. Tempting to just fix the rust spots now, but got a horrible feeling that if I do so the problem will just recur in a month's time...

Jon

For a temporary fix you could paint the rusty patches with a 'rust eater' like Jenolite to turn the rust black. Won't last but will look better than orange rust in the meantime.

If you paint the rusty patches there's a good chance the management company will look at it and decide it doesn't need painting.

How often do the railings get repainted at present?

cheers, Pete.

Thanks Pete, but the railings are black anyway so I imagine if I turned the rust black the management could still say it doesn't need painting... I presume it shouldn't make much of a difference leaving the rust spots unpainted for a week or two (they're only small spots)?

Jon

spots)?

Wouldnt make much difference if you left them for a year or 2.

We've had a run of these recently, not sure why.

NT