Simple Precautions

• There are a number of very simple precautions you can take to maintain the integrity of your wrought iron fence and keep it looking great. Cut back plantings so they do not touch the wrought iron. Avoid letting the spray from your lawn sprinklers reach the fence; consider drip irrigation for the area within the fence. Replace any missing caps so that water does not get into the posts. Inspect the fence carefully at least once a year. If problems are starting to show, it is much easier to fix them before they have done extensive damage.
  
  

Regular Cleaning

• Clean the wrought iron fence regularly with soapy water (a capful of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of warm water) and a rag or sponge. A spray bottle is useful to get the cleaner into all the crevices of an ornate fence. Dry the fence thoroughly using old towels. Apply wax, such as car wax, to the fence to help protect the paint. Repair small scratches immediately by sanding lightly with steel wool and applying several thin coats of rust-resistant metal paint. Use a small brush. Pay special attention to hinges and latches, which can trap water and cause rust to form more quickly than it does on other parts of the fence.
  
  

Flaking or Bubbling Paint

• As soon as you find flaking or bubbling paint on your fence, clean it off the wrought iron using a wire brush or a hand rotary tool equipped with a grinder. Sand the area down to bare metal. Fill any holes or pitting with a metal filler, then clean the area thoroughly before you spray on a rust-retarding primer. Paint the fence with a couple of coats rust-resistant paint. Use a small brush or spray on the paint.
  
  

Large Rust Spots

• When you see large areas of rust, it's time to repaint the fence. Remove all the rust and flaking paint by scrubbing the fence with a wire brush. Remove deeper rush with a coarse file. If there is a lot of rust, use a wire wheel brush attached to an electric drill. Spray the fence with a commercial rust remover and sand the surfaces with 80-grit sandpaper. Clean the fence with trisodium phosphate, rinse thoroughly and let the fence dry. Apply a coat of rust-inhibiting metal primer and then finish painting the fence with black rust-resistant metal paint.