The hallmark of the apartment is the entrance hall. The business card of a private house is its fence. All types of fencing require constant care, in particular, regular painting. In this regard, a logical question arises: what paint to choose for a metal fence?
Assortment of materials
The market of paints and varnishes impresses with its wide range. Such a variety of colors sometimes leads to a dead end. To make the right choice, you need to get to know each species better.
There are several main types of dyes for metal fences:
- alkyd;
- oil;
- acrylic;
- universal.
For iron fencing, you can also use epoxy coloring solutions. However, it is worth remembering that they are highly toxic.
Important! When choosing a paint, you should pay attention to its main characteristics: it is resistance to frequent changes in temperature and the level of adhesion (adhesion to metal).
The basis of oil dyes is drying oil. This substance is made from natural oils. Such paints well tolerate temperature increases up to 80 ° C. Their disadvantages include rapid burnout and cracking. It is possible to paint an iron fence with oil paint, but it is not recommended.
Alkyd coloring formulations have more suitable properties. They have excellent adhesion to the surface, but are unstable to high temperatures. Alkyd Materials - Perfect galvanized metal paint.
Acrylic compounds are most suitable for painting metal fences. They have many advantages:
- for a long period of time they retain an attractive appearance, do not fade and do not crack;
- protect the iron product from corrosion and adverse environmental conditions;
- absolutely safe for people;
- differ in elasticity.
Universal are those paints that can be painted completely unprepared surface. However, experts still advise not to neglect the preparatory process and first clean the metal from dirt, dust and old paint.
Separately, it is worth mentioning about dyes that can be applied even on rusty surfaces. They have a unique feature, painting over rust, to protect metal from the subsequent destruction. They can paint a fence made of ferrous metals, cast iron or steel.
If the fence is made of non-ferrous metal, it is better to choose paints based on organic solvents or acrylic. They will help create a corrosion resistant coating.
to contents ↑Application Technique
A few years ago, the workflow consisted of three main stages: surface preparation, priming and painting directly. Now one of the stages can be skipped, because paints that can be applied directly to metal have appeared on sale.
First you need to prepare all the tools and materials:
- container for dye;
- a brush, roller or spray;
- sandpaper to sand the surface.
The first step is the preparation of the paint. It must be thoroughly mixed with a construction mixer or a regular stick. If you need to get some shade, two colors can be mixed. In no case should you mix paints of different types. Do not mix those solutions into which the solvent has already been added.
Very often in a newly opened can of paint you can see clots or film. This indicates that it was stored incorrectly.
Most likely, the dye lost its properties and became unsuitable for further use.
The second stage is the preparation of the surface to be painted. Using the simplest means, it is necessary to clean the metal from dirt, dust, etc. After that, use special tools to get rid of rust. Do not forget about the layer of old paint. You can try to remove it with sandpaper. If it does not help, it is recommended to use a brush with metal bristles or other special means. If necessary, cover the fence with a primer.
The last stage is painting. To get high-quality coverage, it is worth listening to several recommendations from experts:
- Fences made of non-ferrous metals should be painted in two layers. The first is a special base composition that improves adhesion. The second is the selected paint. The second layer can be applied one day after applying the first.
- From a large package, it is better to transfer the dye into a smaller container. This will reduce the consumption and keep the paint in good condition.
- The fence, which consists of several metal rods, will be easier to paint with a flat brush of medium hardness.
- For large even fences, a roller is suitable. With him, the process will go faster.
- If the fence consists of several separate parts, they can be painted before installation. In this case, you can use a spray gun.
Dye Powder
A spray gun is also needed if powder dye is selected for painting. The coating created with its help has its advantages:
- attractive appearance;
- strength;
- long term of operation;
- security;
- resistance to adverse environmental conditions;
- fire safety.
Powder paints come in several forms. They differ in their composition:
- Epoxy based on resins.
- Epoxy-polyester are a mixture of two types of resins in equal amounts.
- Polyester contains artificial polyester resins.
Powder dyeing is done in several steps:
- Surface preparation. This stage includes cleaning the metal from old paint, dirt, rust, etc.
- Spraying the coloring composition. This procedure should be carried out in a special chamber using special spray guns.
- The last stage is the most difficult and most responsible. This is a heat treatment of a metal structure. It is carried out in a special furnace. After the procedure, the product is cooled.
Due to the fact that many additional devices are required for powder painting, it is not produced at home. It is carried out by specialized companies.
to contents ↑Color and decoration
Now to choose the paint of the desired shade and effect is not difficult, because their range is simply amazing. Dyes can be glossy, matte and semi-gloss. If the shelves in the store do not have the right color, you can make it yourself.To do this, you need to purchase a color scheme or mix two or more different colors. Computer programs to create shades will help speed up the procedure.
On sale there are coloring compounds that give the surface an additional effect. This may be the effect of deformation, aged surface, etc.
to contents ↑
Some tips
There are several recommendations that will facilitate the workflow and make the coating more durable and attractive:
- When priming, do not use a roller. Moisture and air will get into small cracks and holes. Because of this, the structure will rust faster.
- There are optimal conditions for painting. This is the air temperature from +5 to + 40 ° C and humidity in the range of 80-85%.
- The more solvent added to the paint, the more transparent the layer will be.
- When using a spray gun, the layer will be smoother.
There are two ways to paint a metal fence: on your own, using, for example, acrylic dye, or using powder paint in special chambers. Which one to choose? It depends on the features and preferences. Both of these options will help extend the life of the structure and protect it from the effects of adverse environmental conditions.
