One easy way to prevent rust on general metal is to make sure that it doesn't get wet. If you have metal patio furniture or metal handrails leading up to your front door, chances are good that this simplistic method is not a true solution. Here are some tips for protecting metal that you frequently keep outside

1. For Your Railing

In order to protect against rust, your metal railing needs to have a protective coating that keeps water and its oxidizing properties out. Many outdoor railings will already come with a coating that has been applied. However, all of these coatings are not made equal. Look for coatings that are literally baked into the railing itself or have been powder coated on. These tend to be more resistant over time and will last longer than a protective coating that has simply been painted on.

If you need to replace or repair the coating on your railing, be sure that you do it as soon as possible in order to reduce the chances of rust making its way beneath the already applied coating. If you don't have a lot of time, simply painting on a protective coating will help temporarily fix the problem. If you have more time, have a professional reapply a powder coating.

2. For Your Furniture

If you have outdoor furniture, make sure that they are powder coated to protect against rust. Try to avoid dragging the furniture on the floor because that allows the bottom of the coating to be scraped off and for the furniture to become more vulnerable to rust. Try to keep furniture from scraping against each other as well. If you ever notice that the coating looks discolored in the area where it was scraped, replace the coating as soon as possible.

3. For Total Replacements

If you have older metal furniture, there might be too many holes in the coating to patch. You might then need to replace the entire coating. If you choose to do this, you will need to use a wire brush to scrape off any paint or any other coat that is on the metal until it is down to its bare metal surface. Then, hose off the furniture so that any remaining particles of paint or coating are removed. Allow the furniture to dry. Once it's dry, you can apply the metal primer and the coating.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in rust protection.

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