I'm working on preparing my "To Do" for the summer. One of the things on the list is to repaint the lintels over the doors and windows on my house, which are starting to have bits of rust.

They're currently coated with what I believe is a red oxide primer.

Am I correct that I should mechanically remove the rust with a handheld wire brush or a drill-mounted wire wheel, then use a new coat of primer, and follow up with a top coat of paint?

Or should I skip the mechanical removal and just use a chemical rust converter/reformer product, to convert the existing rust to primer, along with the existing primer, and just paint directly over top of that?

What primer and paint should I use? Should I go with something with specific anti-rust properties like Rustoleum enamel? What about the various DTM (direct to metal) paints that don't require a primer? I'm planning to use a brick/rust red, similar in color to what they already have, since it goes with the surrounding brick veneer.

I’d brush them enough to remove loose paint and rust scale, then coat with Ospho per label directions, then paint with oil base paint.

I’ve never painted a lintel but have painted lots of pipe and wrought iron using that method.

I would first probably try blasting off the loose rust with a pressure washer, then rust converter paint, then a topcoat. But I have a 4300 PSI washer and a 15 foot extension wand for it so I could do all the pressure washing from the ground...

I do not have a pressure washer. And I'm not sure that I'd want to be blasting high-pressure water directly into the tiny cracks around my windows and bricks anyway...

None of the rust or paint is loose or flaking. It's basically small rust spots freckling the exposed areas of the metal lintels.

We installed a lot of angle iron while bricking houses. They are usually rusty to begin with. Rustoleum makes two part paint and goes on heavy. I believe it has rust fighting chemicals in it.

Plenty of good auto or marine paint-over-rust paints.
One that is very good is POR15 .
I've used it on several projects - works great.

I like to use my 4" angle grinder with a cable twist wire wheel. Something like this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mi...48-52-5030/202807646

I used POR15 on a trailer once. After a year or so in the sun it looked like crap. I don't think POR15 has UV protection in it. I was quite disappointed.

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
I like to use my 4" angle grinder with a cable twist wire wheel. Something like this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mi...48-52-5030/202807646

I used POR15 on a trailer once. After a year or so in the sun it looked like crap. I don't think POR15 has UV protection in it. I was quite disappointed.

Correct POR15 does not have UV protection - it needs to be top coated - it is their recommendation.
The product itself is great for inhibiting and encapsulating rust but needs a topcoat in some cases like sunlight exposure.
Like anything proper use and prep is a plus.

POR 15, and my product, Zero Rust, will chalk when exposed to UV radiation. They both do a nice job preventing rust but for exposed surfaces, you need to apply a finish.

Finally my coast guard trading can be put to use!!

I learned how to paint anything in the CG.

Lol, just hit the rust with a stiff wire brush and then use some OSpho, wait till it turns black and prep and paint it.

It ain’t rocket science