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John Sez:
Fighting Rust
Rusting is the process of nature taking back something we work hard to produce. Iron doesn’t occur in its pure form naturally. It takes a lot of energy to purify the iron we use for cars and building materials. We us coatings to protect iron from the element, water and oxygen, that cause rust to form. Once rust begins to appear on the surface of iron, it will continue to form until the iron is ultimately returned to its natural iron oxide or rusted state. The presence of a salt or acid will considerably accelerate the rusting process. A very obvious effect of this is where we see the base of steel hand railings rusting away due to the ice-melt and salts used in the winter.
Painting over rust may prevent water and oxygen from reaching the metal but rusting will continue under the paint. Before painting rusted iron, the rust needs to be either mechanically removed or coated with a special rust converting primer that changes the rust into a non-reactive chemical compound. This primer needs to be top coated soon after it has dried and it will significantly retard the formation of rust under the paint.
We have this rust converter, made by two different companies. One Step comes in spray cans and pint bottles. Benjamin Moore Paints has another rust converter that is available in quarts and gallons, for bigger jobs. These products are a very clever way of using chemistry to extend the life of the building materials we need and enjoy.
Belcaro Paint & Decorating Center, Inc.
5475 Leetsdale Dr., Denver, CO 80246 303-757-5435
and
209 W. Littleton Blvd, Littleton CO 80120 303-703-4487
Belcaro Website
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