Easy Way to Paint Wrought Iron Fence

If you are finding yourself working on a ton of outdoor projects right now, join the club.  I have moved from one outdoor project to the next, and it seems like it's a domino effect – ugh!!  For example, there was no reason to paint our patio pool deck before updating this rusty iron fence, or pressure washing the driveway because they are – well – all connected!  The good news is that a lot of projects are finally getting checked off the to-do list, and most of them have been very budget-friendly!!  So, here is my DIY Spray Painting Wrought Iron Fence Tutorial with some simple and easy tips to guide you along the way.

***This post contains affiliate links which means that I will receive a small compensation if you purchase something from these links.  Please see my privacy and disclosure policies below.  Thanks for your support. 🙂

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DIY Spray Painting Wrought Iron Fence Tutorial

Supplies:

• Rust-Oleum Satin Protective Enamel Black Paint – 8 cans for mine
• Spray Paint Holder
• Pressure Washer
• Drop cloth (canvas, paper, or plastic)
• Cardboard boxes flattened – 6 or so
• Painter's Tape
• *Gloves
• *Mask
• **Finial Replacements – mine

*Optional – but recommended.  After working on my fence for 2 days, I was covered with black "film" on my finger nails and around my entire face.

**Scroll to END of post to see how to measure for these.

Let's get to the 4 -Step DIY Spray Painting Tutorial.

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DIY Spray Painting Wrought Iron Fence Tutorial

4 STEPS:

1.   Prep Fence
2.   Clean Fence/Clean Area
3.   Prep Area
4.   Spray Paint Fence – 2 Coats

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STEP #1:  Prep Fence

The first thing you will want to do is get your fence prepped and ready for painting.   Check to see if there's anything that needs to be repaired, removed or replaced.

• make repairs if needed
• remove dog screen
• replace missing finials

We had a dog screen on our fence so we just simply removed it, and threw it all away.

We also had a missing finial on this fence and several more damaged ones in another area.

So, if you have missing or broken finials, this is the best time to replace them – if at all possible.

*Since I painted our fence during the pandemic, this wasn't an option for us.  But we were able to get the replacement finial, painted it, and then hammered (rubber mallet) it in afterwards.

**Scroll to the end of the post to see how to measure for replacement finials.

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STEP #2:  C lean Fence/Clean Area

Now that you have prepped and repaired your fence, it it is time to give it a very thorough cleaning.

• pressure wash fence/driveway
• wipe with soapy rag
• rinse with water

Begin by pressure washing your fence to knock off all of the loose dirt, chipped paint, and maybe even some bird poopie – ha!!

Then wipe it all down with a soapy rag, rinse it with a water hose, and then let it dry overnight.

NOTE:  If you do not own a pressure washer, I recommend lightly sanding or scrubbing your fence with a wire brush to get it cleaned thoroughly.

TIP:I highly encourage you to pressure wash the area underneath your fence at this stage.

You don't want to spend all of this time painting you fence, only to damage it with a pressure washer at a later time.

Remember how I said one project just runs into another project – UGH!!  So, of course I decided to do a large area of our driveway as well – just to get THAT project underway!

TIP:   This pressure washer attachment head is the bomb!  If you don't have one, I definitely recommend it.

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STEP 3:  PREP AREA

The prep work always takes  longer than the actual purpose of the project – right??

But I've learned the hard way – too many times – and it's just better to overprepare than underprepare.

So, now it's time to cover all of the areas around your fence either with plastic or paper drop cloths.

• plastic, paper, canvas drop cloths
• flattened card board boxes
• large boxes optional ("back stop" protection)

I put up plastic to protect our kitchen windows, and garage doors.  Then I used flattened cardboard boxes to slide underneath the fence railing.

TIP:   Make some kind of "back stop" if at all possible when spraying – like these 2 wardrobe boxes pictured below.

It was extremely windy both days I painted, and those 2 boxes helped out tremendously.

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STEP #4:  Spray Paint

I recommend reading this entire section before you begin this step.

Finally it's time to paint.

• wear a mask
• wear gloves
• paint 2 coats

Here is my go-to paint for outdoor projects because it prevents rust.

Use a spray gun – period.

My finger was still numb…..even WITH the spray gun.  It will be MORE painting/spraying than you will ever expect – trust me!!

TIP:  Have at least 3-4 smaller flattened boxes out so that you can use them to travel along with you as you spray paint.

TIP:  Also have at least 1-2 extra cans of spray paint ready (shaken), and within reach.

You will hold one of these extra boxes either behind the fence or in between the railings (pictured below) as you spray paint.

This will act as double reinforcement for the over spray.  Simply change out boxes when each one gets coated in paint.

PAINTING DIRECTIONS:

• Paint all of one side of the fence as diagram shows (Front Side)
• Then Repeat on the other side – but inside railing (Back Side)
• Let Dry 4 hours
• Paint 2nd Coat

TIP:  Paint ~5 spindles only, so you don't lose track of what/where you painted.

Just remember to move your boxes for your "back stop" when you change sides, and to paint the "inside" railing.

This will prevent you from forgetting one of the 4 sides of the railing – wink wink!!

Here is how I did my mine.  I painted the left side first, then the right side next, and the middle with the gate last.

This way I could prop the gate open just enough to pass through when I was finished.

And You Are Done!!

Have a Great Summer Everyone & Hang in There!!

Love & Hugs 🙂

Replacement finial fits in perfectly.

Here are the measurements you'll need for your replacement finials.

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Source: https://thetarnishedjewelblog.com/2020/06/02/diy-spray-painting-wrought-iron-fence-tutorial/

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