Seating Challenge
5 Materials
$65
2 Days
Easy
Our patio is directly below our deck. The deck has an older metal patio set we scored at a garage sale a couple years ago. It's older, but it works for us.
I've been watching area sales for years to find something to use for seating on the patio. I came across these two wrought iron chairs at a garage sale and scooped them up for $7.50 each. They are heavy and needed some TLC. I can do that!
There's a bench on the patio I had painted a couple years ago that was not weather proof. It is splitting and bulging and needs to go in the trash. It's beyond help. There is also a plastic chair that I had painted a couple years ago that is not doing so great either. In other words, we needed seating down there. It's right out the door from where my craft table is.
This new set also needed a little love. There was peeling paint in spots and also rust in a few spots. That didn't deter me, though.
You can see the rust and peeling paint above.
I read on a blog in order to remove rust to make a solution of salt and vinegar and let the object sit in it overnight. I tried that above but since I couldn't let the chair soak in it (too big), I spread it on part of the chair, wrapped plastic wrap around it to keep it moist and let it sit overnight. Nadda. It didn't work. I tried the same with a baking soda and vinegar paste and didn't have luck there, either.
I broke out the dreaded drill and a wire attachment for this job. I also used a small wire brush that I don't have a photo of. It's a challenge to get in all the small holes and openings, but the rust was left in the dust (literally) by using the equipment and a lot of elbow grease.
Because I felt confident that I got rid of all the rust, the chairs were then sprayed with Rust-oleum's Clean Metal spray as a primer. I used two coats.
These chairs were looking so nice with the white primer that I almost was going to use a top coat of white. But I didn't. I can't get that voice out of my head from a neighbor years ago saying wrought iron is supposed to be black. Okay, Bill. You win again.
I failed to take any photos of spraying the chairs black, nor the top clear coats. So here are the chairs, looking grand. The most expensive items were the cushions at $20 each from Menards.
I would have loved to leave them here by the front door but there just isn't enough space on the sidewalk. So they are going down to the patio, which was the plan anyway.
This is the "before" shot of the patio. Pretty bad. The bench I had painted a couple years ago was in ruins due to humidity and rain. Behind the pallet is the coffee table we bought last year at a rummage and spruced up. These chairs will match it perfectly.
After cleaning and eliminating the junk, it's a wonderful transformation.
We ate on the patio tonight - it was perfect. The patio was cleaned up, the furniture was clean and bright, there were almost no bugs, the weather was great and the food was delicious. Wish you could have joined us!
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3 of 32 comments
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I have been very successful removing rust wth aluminium foil n WATER. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ROLL FOIL IN A BALL THEN DIP IN WATER AND RUB THE RUST OFF. THE METAL N METAL CONTACT REMOVES THE RUST . I JUST, DID THIS TO A PAINTED STEEL POLE With rust combo. There is also a RUST converter spray you can buy to stop an new rust that also makes it paintable surface.
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Thank you, Laurie, for the info. I now know how to handle the rust in the future and will save a lot of time!
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I just purchased a set of rockers almost identical to your chairs at a Flea Market. They need a little TLC/repainting. I hope mine turn out as well as yours. Great job!
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Very nice! The work it took to get rid of all the rust was definitely worth it! The final product is beautiful. I love your cushion choice as well. Do you have something under your deck to keep the rain off the patio? Two of our patios have decks above them and I'd love to find a solution to keep the rain out. Sometimes it is nice to sit outside when it is raining - except not so much when the rain comes through the upper deck boards!