If your cast iron stair railings are looking a little shabby with old peeling paint, you may save yourself a lot of money and fix that eyesore yourself. Cast iron is not fragile, so it's hard to damage it if you're careful. Using the right tools and techniques for the job, as well as a little elbow grease, that old railing can be restored to its original iron glory, or be ready for a new, perfect paint job if you prefer. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Use a lead paint testing kit on your railing if your home was built before 1980 and an older paint job may be lurking under newer layers. If you do have lead paint, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends hiring a professional to remove it due to the toxicity of lead paint. Getting lead paint dust in the air is not only a threat to you while you work, but also to everyone living in the house. If there is no sign of lead paint, proceed to remove it yourself.
2. Cover the area under your railing with a drop cloth to catch paint chips and dust. If you are indoors, you may also wish to protect surrounding walls and floors to make clean-up easier. Put on protective eye wear, work gloves and a dust mask to protect yourself as you work.
3. Scrape off any immediately apparent flaking and splintering paint or rust with a stiff wire brush and a hand scraper.
4. Clean the railing with a de-greaser detergent and rags. If outdoors, or if it has not been cleaned and repainted for years, there may be a build-up of dirt, so be thorough in cleaning it.
5. Outfit your electric drill with a strong wire wheel brush attachment. Run your drill, allowing the wire to scrub the metal, to remove as much paint as possible. Work your way down the stairs, scrubbing one section at a time thoroughly.
6. Attack stubborn spots with a heat gun. Using the heat gun according to your manufacturer's instructions, aim the heat at the spots with remaining paint and move it back and forth until the paint begins to soften, bubble and peel. Return to using your hand-held wire brush and scraper to remove the paint. Skip this step if the majority of the paint has already come off with the wire brush wheel.
7. Attach a drum sander to your drill to get into small areas, curves or little chips that the wire brush missed.
Tags: lead paint, wire brush, railing with, spots with, your drill, your railing
