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Bust the rust on iron furniture
WROUGHT iron items—ranging from tiny candle stands and curvaceous mirror frames to sleek chairs—look stylish and elegant. This is why wrought iron furniture has become so popular these days. A room furnished with wrought iron beds or sofas looks less cramped than the one with heavy and ornate wooden furniture. Besides being light on the eye, wrought iron furniture requires little care. It does not call for frequent dusting and can be easily shifted around the house, unlike the regular wooden furniture. And despite its delicate appearance, it can prove to be quite sturdy. The usual problem that afflicts this kind of furniture is rust. Since wrought iron is generally made out of the purest form of iron, it is somewhat more resistant to rust than cast iron. If you devote a
weekend to the upkeep of your wrought iron furniture at regular
intervals, there is no reason why it shouldn’t remain problem-free. |
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If your wrought-iron furniture has begun to rust, here are some suggestions for making it look better:
Start by scrubbing the rust lightly with a wire brush. Scrub hard enough to remove any rust flakes, but be careful not to scratch the paint (unless the rust is so bad that you’ll have to repaint the furniture). If you see rust stains but no flakes, dip a very fine steel-wool pad into kerosene, and brush out the stains . Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves when handling kerosene, and work well away from open flames. If rust is difficult to remove, allow kerosene to remain long enough to loosen. If rust has developed in the joints of the furniture, you may find it easier to get the furniture disassembled and work with smaller pieces. When you’ve finished removing the rust, coat the furniture with liquid wax.The wax will help protect the finish against further rust. Do not use liquid wax on fireplace accessories because it is flammable. When needed, wash with a damp cloth and wipe dry. Repainting Severe rust problems can be treated with naval jelly, which dissolves rust. Some products convert the rust into a primer so the metal can be painted later. Owing to the natural ability of wrought iron to resist corrosion, by reason of its in-built barriers of slags, it is sufficient to protect ironwork by a good coating of paint. In common with other items placed out of doors, such as woodwork, wrought ironwork needs regular maintenance. Chips and developing problems should be dealt with at the earliest dry opportunity, and the work should be painted at least every three years. So, watch out for any rust stains on your wrought iron furniture, tackle them on time and it will serve you faithfully for a long time. — Compiled by Chetna
Banerjee |
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