DIY projects

How to refresh rusty table legs

You may have worked hard on scrubbing and staining your deck to get it looking shipshape, but if your outdoor furniture is looking worse for wear, your al fresco entertaining area won’t look quite as good as it could.

The Upcycler Jacob Leaf’s outdoor table and bench seats have been exposed to the elements, with the metal legs in particular looking very rusty. Instead of throwing them away and purchasing new ones, he shows us how easy it is to repair and repaint the legs and get them looking good as new with the help of some clever Resene products.

His secret weapon for the rusty legs is Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer, a high-build, anti-corrosive primer designed for most common metals found in New Zealand homes and businesses, it is ideal for rusted surfaces as well as galvanised steel and aluminium, it will disguise fills minor imperfections, and create a smooth and durable base for topcoats. Jacob used Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in the colour Resene Kaitoke Green, but you can choose any Resene colour that suits your particular set-up.

In Jacob’s case, the timber tops were also looking extremely worn, so he replaced them with fresh pine that he stained with Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain in Resene Natural, which is the same product he used on his deck. “My plan is to clean and re-stain the tabletop and benches whenever I redo the deck, roughly every 18 months,” he says.

If you put the work in now, summer entertaining on your deck is about to look a whole lot better.

Drop cloth
Penetrating lubricant
Socket set
Safety gear
A good wire brush or angle grinder with wire brush attachment
Sander with medium grit sandpaper
Lint-free cloth
PAL paintbrush
Resene testpot roller kit
Resene testpot roller sleeves
Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer
Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat
Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel (Jacob used Resene Kaitoke Green)
Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain (optional)

1

Remove the legs

Find a large flat surface – the deck will do – and lay out your drop cloth. Turn your bench seats and table upside down, then spray any rusted fasteners with a penetrating lubricant. Use a socket set to carefully remove the legs.

2

Remove the rust

Put on your safety gear – especially gloves, goggles and mask. Use a wire brush (or an angle grinder with a wire brush attachment) to thoroughly remove any loose rust and flaky paint from the legs

3

Sand the legs

Use a hand sander with a medium grit sandpaper to sand the legs down and feather the paint edges to get the surface as smooth as possible for the Resene products that are going to be applied over the top.

Give every surface a thorough wipe down with a lint-free cloth to remove all sanding dust.

4

Prime the legs

Pour the Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer into a small paint tray and apply two coats with a Resene testpot roller or paintbrush, especially in the previously rusted areas, and wait five hours for it to dry.

5

Prime again

Pour Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat into a small paint tray and use a small roller or paintbrush to apply one coat. Allow two hours for it to dry. Propping up the legs on small pieces of timber allows for easier access.

6

Paint the legs

Pour your Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss enamel into the small paint tray and use a small roller or paintbrush to apply two coats, waiting two hours between coats. Jacob has used the colour Resene Kaitoke Green.

7

Reattach the legs

Lie the bench seats back down and reattach the legs. Jacobs original table and seats were a little too worse for wear, so he replaced each with new pine versions that he stained with Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain in Resene Natural, which is the same product he used on the deck. His plan is to clean and re-stain the tabletop and benches whenever he redoes the deck, roughly every 18 months.

8

Assemble your new setup

Time to enjoy dining, relaxing and entertaining al fresco at your refreshed table and chairs.

How to stain your deck

Spring and summer are ideal times to refresh your deck, thanks to the warmer days and more settled weather. As well as applying a smart looking stain, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to treat and remove all the moss and mould that can build up over the damp winter months.

A nicely stained deck can make a huge difference to how your outdoor area looks and gives it a real polished, well-finished look. It can also help it to look its best for longer. Stains and oils help to protect decks from the weather, so they stay in better shape and will be less prone to drying out, splitting and causing splinters.