At Absolute Painting & Power Washing we often run into rusty surfaces when we are painting the exterior of a home or building. We will often see this in metal handrails, metal doors, decorative metal or nails in the siding.
In many cases it will be just surface rust that can be fixed with a little extra work. If the rust is fully exposed and only on the surface we can use a wire brush or grind it off completely to get down to the bare metal again. If this is the case we are able to put a rust inhibitive primer on prior to painting again and it may be fine for many years.
If the rust has gone all the way through the metal then it is more than primer and paint can fix. You may just need to replace the item that has been damaged. If the rust is on the nail head that is in your siding we may not be able to fix this either. In most cases when the nail is rusty on the end you can prime and paint over and hope for the best but it may come through the paint again within a few years. The nail is likely rusted deep into the siding so you are not able to fix it completely.
The best thing to do is to try to fix rust before it is a major problem that will cost you more money. Take the time to prepare, prime and paint any outdoor metal surfaces with the right products the first time. Once they are painted with the wrong products it is much harder to fix.
Feel free to call Absolute Painting with any concerns you may have and we are happy to help.
