Rust Cures
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
Yesterday I had a great couple who came into the store right before the radio show we do at 3pm every Saturday on WOAI 1200AM. They were telling me about a home they bought on Galveston Island. They were having a continuing problem with rust coming through screws on the steps outside the house. They did not understand why if they primed and then painted rust stains were not covered. Frustrating. Anyone else have that problem?
Solving a rust problem is a simple project... if you have the right product. There are several products, Ospho, Rustoleum, Naval Jelly …. but I like to recommend Restore. Restore is a rust neutralizer. Your problem may not be zinc screws that have rusted in the elements, but it might be metal furniture. Iron fencing is very stylish but is prone to rust. If the paint chips, and the metal is exposed, you will get rust. And rust is easy to ignore but if left alone it will destroy metal. So, when you first see rust, treat it.
If you have flakey rust, remove that first with a wire brush. That way if you decide to paint, you will have a smooth finish. Then treat the area with Restore. Pick a day of good sunshine. If you have automatic sprinklers, turn them off. If the product gets wet, it might spot. The spotting does not change the way Restore performs, but many customers do not paint afterward, and the spotting looks bad. Now on the label it says apply with a brush or mitt.... use a BRUSH. It does not have to be an expensive brush, just a chip brush will do fine. As Restore cures it will turn black and have a polished finish. And many customers are happy with the look, but you can paint over Restore after it cures. You can use oil, or latex...Restore is its own primer. No matter what the project is, once treated, it will NEVER rust again.
If you treated for rust but you still have stains, how do you take care of that? Goof Off RustAid Rust Stain Remover spray works on a variety of outdoor surfaces to neutralize and dissolve tough rust stains. RustAid is safe for use on a variety of outdoor surfaces including concrete, stucco, wood, fiberglass, brick, painted surfaces, and vinyl siding. Apply to an exterior wall, walkway, foundation, driveway, fence, shed, or lawn furniture. This rust eraser will leave your surfaces looking renewed and is safe for plants and grass. To use, simply spray on and rinse off, no need for scrubbing.
Restore comes in a convenient quart for small jobs and gallon for large jobs. It is on the website and any order will come with a free chip brush for your job.
Now to the email....
Question: My bathtub has been in my house since it was built in the mid-50s. By the time we bought the house in the late 80s, there were a few orange streaks on it where the porcelain or something had worn off. In 2018, I had a leak in the bathroom ceiling, and the company that did the work to repair the ceiling and walls told me that they had a spray that would make my tub look bright white and just like new. I agreed to the spray, and it did look good for several years. But then, every time the tub was washed, the sprayed-on coating came off. I just want to remove the coating that was sprayed on, what can I use?
Answer: You can remove that epoxy coating with Soy Gel. Make sure you buy the product that says Paint and Urethane Stripper. Now the label says fast acting, umm...it will take a couple of hours. But it has NO SMELL, so you will not have to wear a mask or worry about caustic fumes filling the house. I would work on a 1/3 of the tub at a time. Paint on Soy Gel about a ¼ of inch thick and cover with plastic wrap to keep it wet. After a couple of hours (go watch a movie) remove a corner of the wrap and rub your finger across the tub. If the coating has lifted, then you are ready to remove it using a plastic putty knife. But be warned, I do not know what they did to the surface to prepare for painting. It may be scuffed up and look worse than what you are dealing with now. But if you can remove the coating completely, you can restore the porcelain finish using Homax Tough as Tile.