How to Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture (Like a Pro!)

A Beginner’s Guide to Painting Wrought Iron Outdoor Furniture

Before you replace your ugly patio furniture, check out this guide on how to paint wrought iron patio furniture so it looks better than new!

---

Even if your wrought iron furniture is rusted, peeling or just looks drab, chances are, the furniture is still in structurally good condition but just needs a new paint job. 

Because wrought iron furniture is so strong and long-lasting, it can be expensive to replace.  Over time, it can rust but there are lots of great paints on the market that can hide and contain the rust to keep it from spreading.

Fortunately, for the price of a few cans of paint, old patio furniture can have new life with a durable and beautiful finish that will last for years!

LET ME SHOW YOU:

• How to save hundreds of dollars by painting your outdoor metal furniture instead of buying new!
• How to repaint metal patio furniture so it lasts!
• The best spray paint for wrought iron patio furniture
• How God Defines Self Care in this week’s Renovate Your Faith devotional at the end of this post.

What Kind of Paint Do You Use On Outdoor Wrought Iron Furniture?

When it was time to have my grandfather’s porch swing refinished, I wanted to give it the best possible finish so I decided to have it powder-coated. 

After getting it back, it looked great! To my surprise, the refinisher gave me a can of paint for touchups.  The one-quart can was Rustoleum Universal Metallics which he applied with a paint sprayer.  So essentially, he spray-painted it instead of powder-coating it!

Since then, I have spray painted all of my old metal patio furniture and have had had great results with spray paint.

What is the Best Way to Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture?

Spray paint is the best method by far for painting wrought iron furniture, because it’s quick, easy and isn’t prone to drips like painting with a paintbrush or roller.  There are definitely times you want to paint furniture with a brush or roller but this is not one of them! 

For the same reason you wouldn’t eat ice cream with a fork, painting metal furniture with a brush or roller would be incredibly frustrating.

The detailed, rounded, and slick nature of metal furniture makes it prone to drips and excess paint easily builds up with a brush or roller.  Spray paint allows you to apply a thin even coat quickly for a perfect finish!

Also, spray paint is great for outdoor use because it is an oil-based paint meaning it provides great durability and weather resistance.

Restoring A Wrought Iron Glider

For this project, I’ll be refinishing a 30-year-old wrought iron glider that I’ll have under an arbor with climbing roses.

There is some rust damage that isn’t severe but definitely significant. Most of the glider is covered in wrought iron mesh. The rose blooms will be pink so I thought a blue would be really pretty underneath!

FREE Spray PAINTING CHECKLIST For a Pro Finish

☑️ Spray painting is easy as long as you know a few simple tips & tricks to get a perfect finish every time. To get my free spray painting checklist, click here: My Best Spray Painting Tips and Tricks

What is the Best Color to Paint Wrought Iron Furniture?

There are a variety of colors to pick from to give your patio furniture your own personal touch.  I love blues and am so happy with the Bright Future blue that I went with as it’s now one of my favorite colors of spray paint. 

If you want a more classy, sophisticated look that doesn’t scream, “Hey, I spray painted this!”, stay away from bright colors and go with colors with gray under undertones.   

If you go with black paint, I recommend using Rustoleum Universal Metallics in Oil-Rubbed Bronze because their oil-rubbed bronze is still very black without much bronze color. This color is the closest to a Rustoleum wrought iron paint as the undertones give it more dimension and hide color imperfections better than flat black spray paint.

Supplies Needed FOR PAINTING WROUGHT IRON Furniture

The Best Paint for Wrought Iron Furniture

When it comes to finding the best paint for wrought iron furniture, there are several options and some are much better than others. 

My personal opinion is that Rustoleum spray paint is your best bet and my two favorite spray paints are Rustoleum Universal Metallics and Rustoleum Ultra Cover.  I’ve used them many times with great results! 

For the first time, I used Kilz – Magnolia Home Spray Paint in the color Bright Future on my wrought iron glider because I loved the color.  This product was so easy to use without drips and I like the finish that I feel safe in saying it’s another good option for painting outdoor projects.  You can find it at your local Lowe’s or here:  Magnolia Home Spray Paint

How Many Cans of Paint Should I Buy for Painting Wrought Iron?

For spray painting one large piece of furniture like my glider, I would get 1 can of primer and 3 cans of spray paint. This is overkill a little bit on the spray paint but I’d rather you have extra spray paint that you can return later as opposed to running out when you are only halfway done.

How To Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture EASILY

No matter if you are repainting a table and chairs, chaise lounges, or metal garden art, the process is exactly the same. The video that pops up will show you every step of this DIY tutorial in detail. If you don’t see the video, you can find it on my YouTube Channel here: How to Spray Paint Patio Furniture, YouTube Video.

Step 1: How Do You Prep Rusty Wrought Iron for Painting?

I’m always tempted to skip this step but it’s important to remove any dirt or mold that has built up on the surface of your wrought iron furniture.

Spray down the entire piece with Krud Kutter For Tough Tasks and wipe it down with a rag or scrub brush

So many of my restoration projects remind me of God’s capacity to transform our brokenness and restore our hearts.  If you are a work-in-progress, just like me, check out the Renovate Your Faith Devotional at the bottom of each DIY and home décor post.  Click here to get a weekly email of new posts.

Step 2: How to Remove Peeling Paint From Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

This step is to remove any loose pieces of old paint and to rough up slick areas so the primer and paint stick well to the surface.

I like to use an electric sander with a 120 grit sanding pad to scuff up the existing paint and remove peeling paint. Remember that you are not removing the existing layers of paint – just loose paint that is actively coming off.

RELATED: My Favorite Electric Sander | How to Sand Any Furniture Piece in Less Than 5 Minutes

If you don’t own an electric sander, no worries! Instead, you can use a stiff wire brush and a little elbow grease by brushing the surface in a circular motion paying more attention to rusty areas.

You can also use a paint scraper to remove any larger pieces of peeling paint.

Step 3: Prep Your Spray Painting Area

The next step is to prep your spray area. If you have a set of outdoor furniture you’ll need a lot of space! Set up in a well-ventilated area in the grass.

If there are any plants within 7-10 feet that you don’t want spray paint on, cover them with a drop cloth. It’s amazing how far spray paint particles can drift.

Use something to prop up your furniture piece. I used a 5-gallon bucket and also soup cans under each leg when it was upright.

I like to spray the bottom of your furniture piece first so that when you flip it, any fingerprints in the spray paint will be on the bottom that no one sees anyway.

Since iron pieces are heavy, make sure you have a plan or someone to help you when it’s time to flip over your wrought iron furniture.

Step 4: When To Prime Wrought Iron Furniture Before Painting

When I am spray painting with Rustoleum Universal Metallics or when a furniture piece is in great shape with only a little rust, I skip using a metal primer when spray painting old furniture.

Rustoleum Universal Metallics does such a great job of painting bare metal and rusty surfaces.

When there are a LOT of rust spots or I want a different color than the Universale Metallics line has available, I use a spray primer.

Since there are no blues I liked in the Rustoleum Metallic line and because there is consistent rust over most of my glider, I opted for using a primer.

There is an additional cost with a primer but not as much as you might think since it replaces a layer of spray paint. Also, it only adds a little extra time to your DIY project.

It’s a good idea to use a primer in a shade similar to your furniture piece so you have better coverage. I probably should have gotten the dark gray shade of Rustoleum Bonding primer to give me better coverage but if you are limited to the white primer, then that’s perfectly fine!

When you’re done priming the bottom of your piece of furniture, let it dry about 15-50 minutes before flipping it.

Shake the can of primer for at least a minute and spray a light even coat over the surface paying extra attention to rust spots. Don’t try to get full coverage on your first coat. Just spray on a light coat and wait 15-30 minutes before a second coat of primer. The primer will look uneven and that’s OK!

Be sure to wear disposable gloves, unlike I am doing here!

Step 5: How to Repaint Metal Patio Furniture

The secret to spray painting anything is to spray in several light coats with a 15-30 minute dry time in between. Light coats will give you a smooth finish and will help you to avoid paint drips!

Drips are a nightmare not just because they look bad but because the paint inside the drip doesn’t dry enough when it’s time for the next coat. So then more drips collect on and gunk up that first drip and it can just look BAD!

Before painting, shake the can of spray paint for a minute or whatever it says on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Spray on the first coat lightly. You will be tempted to try to get full coverage but don’t because it will make drips. Your first coat should be spotty and uneven. Wait 15-30 minutes before the second coat of paint.

Between each coat, wait 15-30 minutes. My glider took me three coats of paint but your wrought iron furniture might take more or less depending on the paint and color.

You know you are on the last coat of spray paint when you are getting full coverage. Be sure to wait to touch your furniture piece a couple of hours so you don’t leave any fingerprints on the surface.

How to Remove Drips From Wrought Iron Furniture

You can remove drips if you catch them right when they form. A big clue that there is too much paint in any given area is when tiny rough bubbles start to form. Those bubbles will soon turn into a big drip.

When you see the little bubbles, take your finger (wear gloves!) and lightly swipe away the excess paint. Then, don’t touch it for at least 15-30 minutes and just spray on the next coat as normal.

Doing this allows you to fix an area that would have been a drip as long as you catch it before or right after the drip forms. If you see a drip on your furniture, and it’s already been 20 minutes, do not touch it. Touching it will only make it so much worse.

I like to wait 48 hours before using metal furniture so that it has enough time to dry and cure.

Last, add some new cushions made with outdoor fabric and your wrought iron furniture is even better than new!

I’m so happy with how the glider turned out. Now I can sit and enjoy my rose garden under my arbor.

On the arbor, I put two of my favorite climbing roses – David Austin Spirit of Freedom. These will get huge and hopefully cover the whole arbor with pink blooms.

Be sure to check the other outdoor spray paint projects below to see those before and after reveals too!

RENOVATE YOUR FAITH: Why God Wants Us To Enjoy His Gifts

For more spiritual encouragement, click here for the rest of my project posts that also include Renovate Your Faith devotionals.

More Outdoor Projects I Spray Painted

The Ultimate Guide on How to Spray Paint Patio Furniture (Wrought Iron Table and Chairs Reveal)

How to Restore Metal Furniture to Its Original Condition (Chaise Lounge Reveal)

FREE Spray Painting Tips and Tricks:

Here’s where you can get my tried and true tips for getting the best finish possible when spray painting!   Get the password for the library with all of my free printables including wall art, checklists, and templates by filling out this form:

FAQs: How To Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

How to Touch Up Wrought Iron Furniture

If you find that there is an area of your patio furniture you need to touch up, you can also find Rustoleum Universal Metallics in a can and apply some with a small paint brush: Universal Metallics in a 1 Quart Can

If your paint color is not available in a can, spray some onto a paper plate from the spray can and use a small brush to do touch-ups.

How to Paint Wrought Iron Furniture with a Brush

No matter your particular project, it’s a bad idea to paint wrought iron with a brush. That’s because the slick, rounded, detailed nature of metal furniture is a recipe for drips. Using a brush can cause a build-up of paint on the metal. But by using spray paint, you can apply a very thin later of paint a little at a time to avoid drips and give you a super smooth finish.

the best paint for wrought iron railings

The best paint for wrought iron railings is Rustoleum Universal Metallics. If you want the original look of wrought iron, go with their Oil-Rubbed Bronze which doesn’t have enough bronze undertone to look gold but has just enough dimension that it doesn’t look like flat black.

best spray paint for wrought iron patio furniture

The best spray paint for wrought iron patio furniture is Rustoleum Universal Metallics. It’s their best product line and I’ve used it on a number of wrought iron products with great results years after. I love that it is also the easiest paint I’ve worked with and is not at all prone to drips.

More Posts Related to Painting Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

The Ultimate Guide on How To Spray Paint Patio Furniture (Table and Outdoor Chairs Reveal)

How to Restore Outdoor Patio Furniture with Spray Paint

The Easy Way to Update Old Light Fixtures

The Best Way to Refinish Metal Door Knobs

The Best Latex Paint for Furniture

How to Paint A Metal Door to Look Like Wood

How to Spray Paint Glass Easily!

Final Thoughts on How To Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture

No matter what kind of project, whether you are painting a wrought iron patio set, iron side tables metal frames, this tutorial will show you how to apply a new coat of paint like a pro. Spray paint not only gives your furniture a new look but it seals the surface to protect it for a long time to come. The next time you paint wrought iron patio furniture, you’ll be amazed not only at the new look of the furniture but how much it elevates other elements in your outdoor space!

I love to hear your thoughts and questions!  Scroll down to leave a comment and I WILL reply! ❤️

Blessings,

 

 

 

 

Be sure to follow the fun here!

Email Subscription | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter

How to Paint Wrought Iron Patio Furniture, Youtube Video

How To Repaint Metal Patio Furniture