How to Repaint a Rusty, Metal Hand Rail | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House painter Mauro Henrique helps a homeowner clean up and repaint a rusty, metal railing

Time: 2-3 hours

Cost: $100

Skill Level: Beginner

Tools List for Painting a Rusty Metal Hand Rail:
Metal scraper
Wire brush
Paint brush
Paint roller

Shopping List:
Lead test kit
Masks
Safety glasses
Drop cloths
Scrubbing pad
150 grit sandpaper
Mineral spirits
Rags
Oil based metal primer
DTM paint
Paint tray
Duct tape

Steps:
1. If the railings were installed in 1978 or earlier, start by testing the railings for lead paint. Follow the instructions on the lead test.
a. If the railing tests positive for lead paint, start by protecting the work area with tough, plastic drop clothes.
b. Wear a mask that is rated lead paint, gloves, and a protective coverall suit. Then, follow the additional steps below.
2 If the railings don’t test positive for lead, begin prepping the work area by placing drop cloths underneath the railings. This is a very messy job.
3. Using the metal scraper, scrape as much of the metal railings as possible to remove the rust and any peeling paint.
4. For non-flat surfaces that the metal scraper can’t reach, switch to a wire brush to remove the rest of the rust.
5. Once the bulk of the rust and peeling paint have been removed, clean up the surfaces with a dry scrubbing pad.
6. Lightly sand the metal railings with 150 grit sandpaper.
7. Wipe down the railings with a rag dampened with mineral spirits.
a. If the railings tested positive for lead paint, dispose of the drop cloths and the protective suits in a heavy duty trash bag.
b. Seal up the trash bag with duct tape. This can then be safely disposed of.
8. Pour the primer into the paint tray and then apply the primer to the railings using the paint roller. For hard-to-reach areas, switch to a paintbrush.
9. Allow the primer to dry.
10. Apply the DTM paint as a top coat using the same technique as before. Apply two coats.

Resources:

The other materials Mauro used to prep the railing, including the scraper, wire brush, and sandpaper, can all be found at home centers.

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How to Repaint a Rusty, Metal Hand Rail | Ask This Old House

[dukesilvergold]

Just keep in mind: when the the joyful music starts to cue, the most tedious, painful, awful, sweaty, dirty part of the work commences.

[dancarter]

I’ve watched these types of videos before and not one has tested for lead paint. It’s nice to see the professional work done!

[nancyhilbun]

Okay, as a science teacher, I was so excited to see that you did a “control” test for your lead test kit. That’s great!! Good science, yay!!

[george]

I like Mauro. He is a great addition to the This Old House/Ask This Old House team.

[oldtwinsna]

Nice to see this done right. Fly by night jobs around here will just use a rag to wipe off the railing, then start painting directly.

[TGRRAG]

Followed these instructions and got great results. Scraping was tedious, but resulted in a uniform beautiful result. Thanks for the tips, TOH.

[LivingWithDragon]

Thanks for covering the lead removal process. Very informative.

[MatCendana]

One of the most useful channels at YouTube, made even more so by some of the comments.

[connieallday]

I’ve watched several videos on how to sand down an old rusty metal wine rack and there was never any mention of checking for lead 🤔
Even though I’m finished I’m glad to have found this video

[CommomsenseSmith]

I bought a needle scaler it did the whole job very quickly.

[joerodriguez]

Good segment by Mauro. I liked his emphasis on prep work!

[saulgoodman]

I would have used a grinder to get it down to the bare metal.
I would have also spray painted it. An extra hour of prepping, would save you hours in painting.
I brushed and rolled my railing once, never again. I only had before 11 am to get it done, or else the sun will be on that side and dry it out real quick. So it took me like a week and about 2-3 hours a day, with just a brush and roller.
Next time it will be spray painted.

[phonedave]

I had a old set of rusted railings like these. I drilled them out, took them to a local sandblaster. I think I paid around $100 to have them taken down to bare metal. Then I was able to spray primer and finish before reinstalling them. Faster and easier than using a scraper and wire brush.

[BradleyAllenNewman]

I usually do the card test first. Then cut off some paint and pulverize it, then dab the powder with the test pen. I've gotten false negatives when just brushing the pen on a sliver cut.

[richb]

Rust once it occurs migrates under paint. The only sure way is to strip paint or wire wheel to bare metal. Then use a chemical treatment to neutralize the rust with something like Ospho Rust Treatment or an equivalent. Then Prime and Paint. I prefer to simply brush it on with structures like railings so the paint isn't spread so thickly. Treat the metal first to stop the rust before painting or the rust will come back within a few months. Do a good job and it can last for years.

[johnnyfeathers]

We used to use that red oxide primer as an undercoat then a black industrial enamel.. I really hated to prep things like these railings..lol

[NAB]

Funny - my railings are in the same condition, and I was planning to do this in the next month. Perfect timing and informative.

[SamoMalo]

Just what I needed! I'm going to repaint my old rusty fence like this, thanks a lot for this video.

[Fkidd]

I like this new guy . Makes me feel represented lol . Viva la raza

[williamgrayson]

Plus rolling it on the paint is thicker than in the aerosol