How to Refurbish Metal Lawn Furniture

It's easy to refurbish your metal lawn furniture and make it look like new.

Metal lawn furniture is an attractive and durable option for outdoor living and entertaining. Metal furniture comes in a variety of styles, colors and materials and can be made more comfortable with the addition of seat cushions. These can be changed to give the furniture a fresh look. Metal furniture can be damaged by the elements, however. Left outdoors, steel will often show signs of rust. The finish on aluminum furniture can become cloudy and oxidized. You can refurbish your metal lawn furniture with a little time and effort to make it look like new.

Things You'll Need

• Dishwashing liquid
• Wire brush or power grinder with wire attachment
• 100-grit sandpaper
• Paint remover
• Metal filler
• Rust-resistant primer
• Self-etching primer
• Rust-resistant paint
• Clear urethane finish coat
• Plastic sheet
• Paintbrush
• Metal spatula

Instructions

Steel

1. Remove cushions and floor protectors. Lay down a plastic sheet while working on the furniture to protect the floor or patio surface.

2. Examine the furniture for signs of rust damage, which can be as light as surface corrosion or serious enough to eat through the metal.

3. Remove rusted areas with a wire brush. You can also remove rust with an electric grinder equipped with a wire wheel. Further smooth the surface with a 100-grit sandpaper

4. Apply paint remover to furniture with a paintbrush or by spraying on, depending on what type of product you have purchased. Leave it on as recommended by the manufacturer.

5. Wash off loose paint. Sandpaper remaining paint to the bare metal.

6. Fill holes or cracks with metal filler with a metal spatula. Allow to dry.

7. Spray on a rust-resistant primer. Apply in thin coats moving the spray can back and forth over the area as paint is goes onto the surface. Repeat coats until the entire piece is fully covered. Allow to dry thoroughly.

8. Apply rust-resistant paint by spraying the surface lightly. Add additional coats to cover fully. Allow to dry for 24 hours.

9. Spray on a clear urethane protective coat. Dry for 24 hours

Aluminum

1. Wash furniture to remove surface dirt with one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in one gallon of water. Lay down a plastic sheet while working on the furniture to protect the floor or patio surface.

2. Examine furniture for areas of loosening paint, or a white coating that indicates oxidation of the aluminum.

3. Use a wire brush to remove loose paint and oxidation.

4. Rough up the bare surface of the aluminum with sandpaper.

5. Apply primer and allow to dry. Self-etching primer, available at auto supply stores, will help the paint to adhere to the surface.

6. Apply matching paint. Allow to dry for 24 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• If the rust on steel lawn furniture is light or scattered, you can remove the spots and sand smooth. Then apply primer and a color that matches the existing paint.

• If large areas of the metal lawn furniture paint are damaged, consult with a metal power coating company to strip and re-apply a power coat coating.

• You must rough up the surface of aluminum with sandpaper to allow it to hold the primer and paint, according to BackyardLandscapingIdeas.

References

• Backyard Landscaping Ideas: Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
• Catalan Gardens: Patio Furniture
• Dulley: Repaint Old Rusted Patio Furniture