After 15 years making and fitting wrought iron in Sheffield, we’ve seen plenty of rust. Our weather doesn’t help – it’s wet most of the year and that’s what causes the problem.
The bottom of railings and gates always rusts first. Makes sense when you think about it – that’s where water sits. Rain runs down the metalwork and pools at the bottom, or splash-back from the ground keeps the lower sections damp. If there’s any weak spots in the coating, that’s where rust starts.
Welds are the next problem area. When metal’s welded it changes the structure slightly at the join. Even with galvanising, weld points can be vulnerable if they’re not done properly. We grind all our welds smooth and make sure they’re fully coated, but we’ve repaired plenty of old railings where the welds have rusted through first.
Anywhere water can collect is asking for trouble. Horizontal rails, decorative scrollwork with upward-facing curves, any bits where rainwater doesn’t drain off. Victorian railings are beautiful but some of the designs almost seem built to hold water. We’ve learned to modify traditional patterns slightly – keep the look but make sure water runs off rather than sitting there rotting the metal.
Powder coating goes over the galvanising for most of our jobs. It’s not just for looks – it adds another layer of protection and seals everything up. The powder coat’s baked on at high temperature so it doesn’t chip or peel like ordinary paint. We usually do black but can do any RAL colour.
Paint without galvanising underneath is a waste of time for outdoor metalwork. We’ve seen it fail repeatedly. Paint looks good for a year or two then starts bubbling where rust’s forming underneath. Once that starts it spreads fast. Rubbing it down and repainting just delays the inevitable.
Maintenance is just checking for any coating damage and touching it up before water gets in. The galvanising does most of the work but if something’s scraped or knocked the powder coat, bit of touch-up paint stops problems starting. We use proper metal paint, not household gloss – needs to be flexible and stick to powder coat.
Stainless steel’s an alternative if you really don’t want to worry about rust. Costs more upfront but it genuinely doesn’t corrode. We use 316 grade stainless for outdoor work. It’ll discolour slightly over time but it won’t rust. Most people stick with galvanised and powder coated mild steel though – good value and lasts decades if it’s done right.