Southern Painting’s Wrought Iron Fence Painting

Painting a wrought iron fence rejuvenates the color and protects the metal.  The process for painting a wrought iron fence is as follows:

Color/Sheen & Product Selection

• The traditional wrought iron fence color is black, but other colors are available.
• Wrought iron is typically painted in either semi-gloss or a gloss sheen.
• Southern Painting prefers acrylic enamels for use on wrought iron, as alkyd a/k/a oil-based enamels do not hold up as long under exposure to the sun.  Newer generations of combination oil-based enamels, i.e. urethane alkyd, have come on the market and are promising significant improvements over acrylic or old style alkyds.  For customers who prefer a gloss sheen, we have started using urethane alkyds.
• The paints used are direct-to-metal products that do not require primer unless needed for rust mitigation (see below).

Surface Preparation

• Power washing is usually not needed unless there is a heavy accumulation of mud or other debris adhering to the fence.
• Surfaces to be painted are wire brushed to remove loose material, then lightly sanded to remove surface oxidation and to create a profile for improved adhesion of the top coat.

Rust Mitigation

• Minor rust is spot primed using a rust-inhibiting primer.
• More severe rust may require pretreatment with phosphoric acid based rust converters and/or a full coat of rust-inhibiting primer.

Product Application

• Paint is applied to wrought iron fences via brush, mini-roller, or paint mitt techniques.