How To Refurbish A Wrought Iron Garden Table | Step-By-Step

What You’ll Achieve And How Long It Takes

This guide walks you through a complete refresh that brings back the crisp lines, rich color, and smooth feel of cast or wrought iron patio furniture. You’ll clean, remove rust, seal the metal, and finish with a durable paint system that stands up to sun and rain. A typical table takes a weekend: one day for prep, one for coating and cure. Plan for a dry workspace with steady airflow. Begin.

Tools And Materials Checklist

Lay everything out before you start. This compact list keeps the job moving and cuts back on trips to the store.

Item	Purpose	Notes
Drop cloths & cardboard	Protects ground and catches dust	Cover a wide area
Nitrile gloves, goggles, mask	PPE for dust and fumes	Rated for sanding and solvents
Degreaser or TSP substitute	Cuts oils and grime	Rinse well after use
Wire brushes & scrapers	Removes loose paint and rust	Use stiff, narrow, and cup styles
80–130 grit sandpaper	Profiles bare spots	Finish with 180–220 grit
Drill/driver with brush wheel	Speeds heavy rust removal	Keep moving to avoid gouges
Tack cloths & clean rags	Lifts fine dust	Lint-free saves time
Rust converter (optional)	Stabilizes tight rust	Spot use only
Metal primer (anti-corrosion)	Seals and bonds	Look for rust-inhibiting label
Outdoor metal enamel	Color and weather seal	Alkyd or acrylic
High-density foam rollers	Lay smooth coats	2–4 inch width
Quality brushes	Cut into scrollwork	Angle sash helps
Spray cans or HVLP (optional)	Even finish on ornate parts	Light passes

Safety And Lead Paint Checks

Older layers can carry lead. If your table lived near a home built before 1978 or you’re unsure, treat old coatings with care. Avoid dry scraping clouds, capture debris, bag it, and keep kids and pets away. The EPA’s RRP guidance explains safe practices for disturbing painted items from that era. Work outside or in a ventilated area, wear eye protection and a dust mask or respirator rated for fine particles, and wash up after the job.

Refinishing A Wrought-Iron Patio Table: Prep Steps

1) Wash And Degrease

Hose the table to knock off loose dirt. Mix a bucket of warm water and a degreaser or a TSP substitute and scrub every surface, including the underside and tight scrolls. Rinse until the water runs clear and let it dry fully. Any residue under paint can cause early failure.

2) Remove Loose Paint And Rust

Start with hand tools: a flat scraper for flakes, then a stiff wire brush for scale and seams. On heavy build-up, a drill-mounted wire cup or flap wheel speeds the work. Keep the tool moving, change angles, and aim for solid metal with no crunchy spots. Paint sticks only as well as the surface under it.

3) Sand For Bite

Feather edges where old paint meets bare metal. Use 80–120 grit on rough areas, then sweep the whole frame with 180–220 grit for a uniform tooth. Sanding knocks down tiny highs that would telegraph through glossy enamel. Vacuum, wipe with a damp rag, then pass a tack cloth to lift the last fines.

4) Deal With Pits And Tight Rust

Deep pits sometimes cling to a trace of orange even after brushing. You can spot-treat those with a rust converter. Follow the label and keep it off sound paint. The goal is a solid base, not a thick layer of conversion product. Let it cure as directed.

Prime For Durability

Primer blocks oxygen and moisture, grabs the metal, and sets the stage for the color coat. Use a rust-inhibiting formula suited to steel and iron. Brush into scrolls first, then roll the flats. Two thin coats beat one heavy pass. Many makers advise a light scuff once the first coat dries to knock down dust nibs.

Manufacturer data sheets echo these steps: clean to remove oils, sand glossy spots, and start with a primer designed for ferrous metal. Rust-Oleum’s Stops Rust line, for instance, calls for scarifying slick finishes and choosing a clean-metal or rusty-metal primer based on the surface you see. You can read that guidance in the Stops Rust primer sheet.

Application Game Plan

Mask And Stage

Set the table on blocks so you can reach legs and undersides without drips pooling at feet. Mask nearby walls, posts, and pavers. Keep fresh rollers, brushes, and a wet edge tray at hand. Shake or stir coatings as directed.

Prime Smart

Work in sections. Coat the underside first. Brush tight scrolls and welds, then roll flats. Flip once dry to touch and repeat on the top side. Aim for full coverage with no see-through glare. Let the primer reach the recoat window before moving on.

Lay Down Color

Start again under the top, then the apron, then legs. Keep strokes in one direction on each panel to avoid lap marks. On sprays, use light passes from about a foot away, moving past the edge before you release the nozzle. Three light coats beat one heavy coat.

Mind Dry And Cure

Dry to touch and full cure are not the same. Give the film time to harden so chair legs and planters don’t mark the finish. Avoid stacking items on the tabletop until the cure window closes. Good airflow helps.

Tidy Edges And Fix Small Flaws

Check corners and scroll roots where paint can hang or miss. Nibs and dust specks level out with a gentle 320–400 grit rub once the coat is dry. Wipe clean and touch up with a small brush. If you spot a run, let it set, shave the ridge with a razor, then nib and patch.

Hardware, Glass, And Wood Insets

Many garden tables mix materials. Bag screws and plates during prep. For glass, clean the edge band and set it back only after the finish cures. For wood slats, sand and seal separately to keep sawdust out of wet paint. Reassemble once all parts are dry to handle.

Care That Keeps The Finish Fresh

Rinse pollen and grit a few times each season. Touch up nicks before rust blooms. Slip felt pads under plates and centerpieces. In rainy spells, stand the table on blocks so feet don’t sit in puddles. A breathable cover helps during the off season.

Cost, Time, And Effort: What To Expect

A small round table with ornate scrolls runs 4–6 hours of prep, plus breaks. Coating takes 2–3 hours across coats. Dry times vary by weather and product. Supplies land near a modest budget: brushes and rollers, a few sheets of sandpaper, a quart or two of primer and paint, and cleaning gear. A wire cup, if you don’t own one, is a minor add. Renting a small sprayer makes sense for a set with chairs.

Troubleshooting Common Finish Issues

Peeling On Edges

Likely cause: dust or glossy remnants. Fix: sand the edge to a soft feather, clean, spot prime, and retry the color coat.

Flash Rust After Washing

Water can spot bare steel in minutes. Fix: dry fast with towels and sun, then prime that day. Keep rinse time short and move straight to drying.

Orange Peel Texture

Thick passes or hot sun can trap solvents. Fix: let it harden, sand smooth, and lay thinner coats in shade with steady passes.

Fish Eyes Or Craters

Silicone or oil traces repel paint. Fix: scrub with a strong degreaser, rinse well, and switch to fresh rollers and rags before a new coat.

When To Call A Pro

If rust has eaten deep into legs or joints, or if you suspect lead and don’t want to manage the controls, a shop can blast to white metal and finish with an industrial system. You’ll pay more, but the result can last many seasons. Mobile outfits can also spray on site where local rules allow.

Weather Windows And Conditions

Good weather makes coating easier and cleaner. Aim for a mild day, shade, and temps in the range on your can. Skip cold mornings with dew and late afternoons when metal bakes. If a breeze lifts dust, hang a drop cloth as a windbreak, leaving space for airflow. Don’t paint right before rain. Many products call for a dry window after application, so check the label and give yourself margin. Metal warms fast in sun; if it feels hot to the touch, move the piece, wait for shade, or start earlier in the day.

Choose A Paint System

Pick a paint that shrugs off UV and rain. Two common routes work well for patio iron: oil-based enamel or high-quality waterborne acrylic made for metal. Both need sound prep and primer. Spraying gives a factory-smooth look on ornate scrolls. Brushing and rolling give you more control on a balcony or small yard. The table below compares common systems so you can match them to your space and tools.

System	Pros	Watch-Outs
Oil-based enamel over primer	Hard shell; strong flow; classic gloss	Longer dry time; mineral spirits clean-up
Waterborne acrylic over primer	Low odor; quick recoat; color stability	Needs careful cure before heavy use
Aerosol enamel system	Great for scrolls; thin even passes	More cans; plan for overspray control

Quick Reference: Step-By-Step Recap

1) Wash and degrease. 2) Strip loose paint and rust. 3) Sand for a uniform tooth. 4) Spot-treat tight pits if needed. 5) Prime with a rust-inhibiting product. 6) Apply two or more thin color coats. 7) Let it cure hard before daily use. 8) Maintain with rinses and fast touch-ups.