For all its greatness, an iron fence has one enemy – rust. Once rust creeps in, it can slowly affect the entire iron fence, making it weaker, affecting its life span in the long run. To keep your iron fence in its best condition, you must practice these five care tips.
Always Watch Out for Rust
If you are living in a place where the weather changes every quarter, you will need to check your iron fence regularly. In places where the weather doesn’t change much, a once-a-year inspection is enough.
During an inspection, look out for rust, cracks, bends, and scratches. Check for chipped or peeled paints. Fix small damages and don’t wait for them to spread and become a bigger problem. Bigger damage can mean a more expensive repair cost.
For areas where rust has already set in, you can use a rust converter to easily remove it. Commercially available rust converters are in phosphoric-acid form and tannic-acid form. Don’t apply these rust converters with your bare hands. Read the label first before using it as some require protective gear to prevent bodily harm.
Keep it Clean
Pamper your iron gate and wrought iron fence from time to time. Use warm water to wash it. Scrub it gently with a toothbrush and rinse it with clean water.
You can scrub it with sandpaper if there are dark spots. Be gentle though and avoid scrubbing too hard. You can use regular soap or dishwashing detergent to clean your fence. Avoid using strong cleaning agents that can damage the top layer of your iron fence.
There is no need for regular cleaning. Your iron fences are better off when dry than wet. Constant exposure to water can also cause corrosion and weakens the structure of your iron fence in general. If you have a sprinkler for your garden, make sure that it doesn’t reach your iron fences.
Keep Vines and Plants from a Safe Distance
In horror movies, you will usually see big houses with iron fences. Their iron fences are also covered by climbing plants. It doesn’t just look creepy, it damages the wrought iron fence too.
Plants hold water and that water can damage the structure of your iron fence. The best way to keep climbing plants in your iron fence is to add a wire where they can grow.
Iron Fence Needs Regular Resealing
Iron fences need resealing from time to time, especially after cleaning. You can use a gel-wax type used for cars to seal your iron gate. It will protect your iron fence from getting in direct contact with moisture and oxygen that is damaging to the iron.
Sealants will also protect your iron gate from direct sunlight and UV rays. It will keep the paint last longer. When sealed properly, your iron gate’s paint can last longer and shinier.
Repaint It
You can hire contractors of iron fencing in Austin TX to do iron gate repaint jobs if the job is too big for you. They can do the cleaning as well before the repainting job, which means less labor for you.
Repainting your iron gate and fence is important especially if you want to keep the aesthetic beauty of your home’s façade. Don’t wait for the paint to completely wear off before doing a repaint job – this will expose your iron fence to oxygen and moisture.
Repainting is good especially if you just had a change in your home’s exterior decoration. You can match it with a new iron fence paint too.
Additional Care Tips for Your Iron Fence
Repainting and resealing your iron fence might require you to hire professional contractors of iron fencing in Austin TX. However, there are careful steps that you can also do such as replacing missing locks and greasing hinges.
If you notice a fastener is missing or y of the fence hardware is broken, assess the job if you can do it. If you can, look for a similar fastener or hardware from the nearest hardware store in your area and replace it.
For greasing hinges, do it if you start hearing squeaks whenever you open or close your gate. Squeaking noise means the hinges are dry and it needs lubricant or grease. It is easy to apply and can be done in minutes.
Final Word
Having an iron fence and gate is a classic way of making your home stylish outside. It is expensive but when installed properly, it can serve its purpose as it can last a lifetime. By doing the five care tips we shared above, you can surely enjoy your iron fence for decades to come.
