How to Prevent a Metal Gazebo from Rusting

A metal gazebo might look good in the garden, but metal can rust. To keep the metal gazebo looking good and to keep it stable, you need to make sure rust doesn’t have a chance to develop. This isn’t difficult to do, although it will take a little work. The results will more than repay the investment of time, as your metal gazebo will look good and remain useful for years to come.

Step 1 - Preparation

Put drop cloths all around the metal gazebo before you begin working on it. Make sure you have good safety equipment. You’ll need a dust mask and safety goggles, and you should make sure you wear a long sleeved shirt to keep paint and rust off your skin.

Step 2 - Cleaning

The toughest part of keeping rust from your metal gazebo is cleaning it. Put a wire brush on an electric drill and take off the old paint from the metal gazebo as well as rubbing away any areas of rust that might have formed on the metal. Remove as much of the rust as you can. Finish the procedure by using an emery cloth on any rusted areas to take out more of the rust.

Step 3 - Rust Inhibitor

Rust can only form when air comes in contact with the metal. If you can seal off the metal, then rust won’t start to form. Begin by putting a coat of rust inhibitor on the metal gazebo. Apply it with a paintbrush to ensure you coat all the metal. If there are small areas of rust left after your cleaning, paint over them with rust inhibitor. It will stop the rust blooming further.

Step 4 - Primer

After the rust inhibitor has dried, put on good metal primer. This will add further protection to the metal gazebo as well as letting the paint adhere much better. Put on a thin coat over all the metal gazebo and leave it to dry before you apply a second coat of primer to the gazebo.

Step 5 - Paint

Professionals often recommend using a high gloss alkyd paint on a metal gazebo. This is because it’s very resistant to humidity and oil and is very durable, so you won’t need to repaint so often. Although you can use a roller to apply the paint, a brush will enable you to reach into all the nooks and crevices of the metal, which is important to give a good, even finish to the structure and help protect it from rust.

Put on two thin coats of paint. Let the first coat dry before you put on the second. This adds to the painting time but means that the metal gazebo will look much better. Check the metal gazebo regularly for any signs of rust. If you’ve painted properly, there should be none for several years.