Prep and Paint Tips for Outdoor Furniture

 

As temperatures moderate, everyone changes their focus to the outdoors and thinks about backyard entertaining, sprucing up the patio or deck--or just lounging on the lawn. Often that means doing something about the tired-looking, corrosion-prone patio furniture. And while a new paint job would do wonders for the substrate--as well as the appearance of these outdoor pieces--the prospect of prepping, priming and painting detailed ironwork or leggy, spindled pieces is daunting. To help with this not-so-familiar project, here are some recommendations and tips:

1. Assess the substrate: Metal furniture, structures and accessories are typically iron (steel) Galvanized iron or aluminum (which is easy to identify because it's easy to lift). Steel can oxidize (rust) and peel. Galvanized steel will rust if the zinc layer on top of the steel is scratched. The zinc layer is soft and can be easily scratched with a nail or screwdriver. Aluminum, which is usually powder coated, can just peel (almost inevitable if exposed to a lot of UV).


2. Analyze the finish: First test by wiping the surface with a rag dipped in xylene. If the film softens, blisters or crinkles, you have an alkyd finish. If there's no effect, it's a harder finish such as epoxy, urethane or a powder coat. To check for a possible water-base coating, wipe with denatured alcohol; the color will transfer to the rag if it's latex or acrylic.


3. Plan the approach: When it comes to metal items, it's best to stick with alkyd primers and finishes. They dry harder and are more abrasion resistant than water-based finishes. The ideal application method--for the coating, as well as the irregular shape surfaces of outdoor furniture--is spray, specifically, HVLP. It's easier and yields better results than brush-on. An alternative would be a fine mohair roller (short nap); then tipping out with a brush.


4. Prep the surfaces: Start with a simple (but thorough) washing with a bit of detergent and water; then rinse. Sand all surfaces to give it tooth (micro grooves for the new finish to grab). In rusted areas, sand all the way down to the clean (rust-free) steel. For aluminum as well as steel, remove all loose finishes and feather edges (to the point where you can't flick an edge when scraping along with you fingernail). If you choose to go down to bare iron/steel by sandblasting, it's essential to apply primer immediately to stop corrosion in its tracks.

   

5. Apply the primer: Spot prime bare iron/steel using alkyd metal primer such as Benjamin Moore Super Spec HP P06, Alkyd Metal Primer or P07 Universal Metal Primer, which dries faster (a consideration when applying by spray). On galvanized surfaces, use Super Spec HP P04 Acrylic Metal Primer. Bare aluminum can be primed with P04. You do not need to prime areas that still have a finish; just scuff-sand for better adhesion.


6. Finish with a top coat: Commercial alkyd coatings, such as P22, P24 and P26 are good choices. If you need to use an acrylic finish, P28 or P29 would work well. These high performance products may not be on the shelf at all dealers. Some consumer-level options are C163 (Ironclad) and C133 (Impervo), both of which are alkyd materials.

Comments

[Outdoor Furniture Pittsburgh]

Vintage and highly spirited designs. Entails an artist to appreciate such.

[Xavier Wessinger]

Fantastic! So that's how you properly strip and paint outdoor furniture. They face a greater risk against the elements so they have to be protected with the proper paint job.

[Patio New Jersey]

great patio post!!

[Vaporizer VS Humidifier]

thanks for the ideas

[Henkel Knives]

I'm sure steel wool would be fine, maybe hose it down afterwards and let it dry to get all the fine wool particles off that could come off after being painted

[Mitutoyo Calipers]

Would it be a good idea to steel wool the metal furniture to get all the old paint off or would that cause problems?

[Graco Sprayers]

Thanks for the tips!

[jewelry making]

It is my first to see a banquette like this one. Is this made from trees? I am wondering of the qualities. Is is lasting?

[Sevenoaks Furniture]

Thanks a lot for sharing this valuable and helpful tips that you got in here. It's worth the read!

[california surety bond]

A classic looking garden.

[I Can Fix This]

Nice patio furniture you got there - those look like some vintage pieces :)

[Commercial Property Kent]

How to get rid of old furniture in Bangalore city?

[long island landscaping]

What should be the Ideal Strategies in real estate?

[Recepti]

Bathrooms are not just for utility purposes in today's lifestyle. This is the place you can set your mood for the day ahead or comfort and relax you at the day's end. Depending on your decorating style this room can be sleek, polished, sophisticated or sparkle like a diamond.

[Auto paint colors]

If you are preparing to paint your car or simply considering the option the first thing you need to know about Auto paint colors is that not all colors work for all cars. If you think about cars that has been driving around town, you can probably think of some very different cars that made him think that what they were thinking about painting the car that color.

[dining table]

The tips are really great. I can apply them in all the rusty furniture that I have at home! Thanks a lot.

[Outdoor Furniture]

This is a great money saving guide. It's often advisable to make something old new again than to just buy something new--especially in these times.

[Patio Furniture]

the tips you gave on saving the patio furniture is great. It really isnt hard to bring something old back to life.

I love the ideas! patio furniture