How to Strip Metal Railings

Metal railings, such as those on an outside staircase leading to your porch or patio, are exposed to the weather and can have faded or peeling paint, or even rust, which requires repainting the railing. Before railings are repainted they should be stripped of all old paint and rust.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Poly abrasive disc attachment
• Power drill
• Wire brush
• Sanding disc attachment
• Sand paper
• Rags
• Mineral spirits
• Vacuum

1. Insert the poly abrasive disc into the end of the power drill and tighten the chuck. A poly abrasive disc looks like a sponge that is covered with glue and sand.

2. Press the trigger on the power drill, and run the disc over the railing in a circular motion until you have removed most of the old paint and rust.

3. Use a wire brush to scrub areas that you cannot reach with the poly abrasive disc.

4. Replace the poly abrasive disc attachment with a sanding disc attachment.

5. Run the sanding disc lightly over the railing to smooth out rough areas and remove any remaining paint or rust.

6. Use regular sandpaper to smooth out areas that you cannot reach with the sanding disc.

7. Wipe the railing with a rag that has been dampened with mineral spirits. This will remove any paint residue and dust that may remain after sanding.

8. Clean the paint chips, dirt or other material from the ground using a vacuum, such as a shop-vac.

Tips & Warnings

• Chemical cleaners can also be used to strip paint, but these can be toxic.
• A circular motion is most effective when using a drill attachment to remove paint.
• Power drill attachments can be purchased at any home improvement store.
• Paint dust may be detrimental to health when inhaled, so a face mask is recommended.
• Pieces of paint and metal can fly around when stripping, so eye protection should be worn.

References

• How To Repaint Iron Railings
• Repainting Metal Furniture and Railings