Painting Metal Patio Chairs: 5 Easy Steps to an Awesome Makeover
What’s worse than a rusted, faded, and drab looking patio chair?
Not being able to enjoy your outdoor space because of them!!
We all want to be proud of our homes and be able to have friends or family over. Don’t let a little paint get in the way of having fun with your loved ones. I’ve made the mistake of thinking that repainting a metal chair will take forever and isn’t worth the time or effort. But I’m here to tell you that if my wife thinks the chairs in this post look good then you will, too.
By the end of this short tutorial you’ll transform your chairs from looking worn out to AWESOME in 5 easy steps. I did make a few blunders though, so please read on so you don’t fall victim to the same mistakes.
Here are the supplies you’ll need:
- Wire brush with scraper
- Random orbit sander
- 60, 120, 220 grit sand paper for sander
- Bucket, water, and sponge
- Drop cloth
- Rust Oleum Universal Paint & Primer (I chose oil rubbed bronze)
- Respirator
- Protective eyewear
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This project will take you about two hours and it the end you’ll be super stoked with your chair’s makeover. So let’s get to it.
Prep Work: It Makes All the Difference
Thoroughly inspect your entire chair for peeling or cracked paint.
Step 1 – Scrape off loose paint.
Step 2 – Use the wire brush to remove small chips and rust. Wire brushing is the best option for rounded or oddly shaped areas. Both of these steps are super simple and shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes. You don’t need to get all the paint off and completely smooth, just be sure to remove the loose or flaking pieces.
We had some rust spots where the paint wore away over the years. The chair arms were super rusty in certain spots and that’s where a random orbit sander comes in handy.
I must say that Bosch makes kick-butt tools and this sander didn’t let me down. The directions will clarify which kind of sand paper grit to use and what setting is best for your project.
Step 3 – Use 60 grit paper first then 120 with the sander setting on 6. One thing I learned was that you should place the sander on the surface before turning in on and move it without applying pressure. Let the sander do all the work. The 60 grit took off all the remaining loose paint that couldn’t be removed by hand. And the 120 grit smoothed out the transition between the rust spot and the existing paint.
Step 4 – After using the sander, remove dust and dirt with a bucket of water and sponge.
Let the chair completely air dry before moving onto Step 5: painting.
Rust-Oleum Paint Has Never Let Me Down
I’ll tell you something about paint: Rust-Oleum should be on your short list because it’s never let me down. What do I mean by this? The coverage is superior, it sticks to everything, and the finish is professional. (And I’m not paid to say this!)
I decided to use Rust-Oleum Universal spray paint because it has primer in it, too.
This cuts WAY down on time spent painting, which comes in handy when you try to fit in projects over the weekend between kids’ activities.
Step 5 – Paint the chairs. There is a method to painting patio chairs, albeit debatable. I chose to paint the front of the chair from the top to the bottom first.
Next, I worked my way around the chair in a clockwise direction starting on the left hand side. I let the chair dry for 30 minutes.
At this point you can turn the chair upside down and paint the bottom. The cool part about Rust-Oleum’s Universal paint is that it can be sprayed on metal and plastic. This comes in handy for adjustable patio chairs like these ones. The height adjustments on the chairs are plastic as are the slats that hold the cushions in place.
Here are some tips to help you with your paint spraying:
- Shake the Rust Oleum can for about 30 seconds
- Hold the can 6-10 inches from the chair
- Smoothly move from left to right for horizontal sections and from top to bottom for vertical areas
- Let paint dry for 30 to 45 minutes before applying a subsequent coat
- Place the legs of the chairs on top of old pieces of wood
That last tip, using old pieces of wood, will help you get an even paint job on the bottom portion of the chair’s legs. This is even more important if you have a drop cloth on top of concrete that you don’t want to ruin. In the off chance the drop cloth isn’t fool-proof the old pieces of wood will absorb the spray paint.
Oh, and make sure you keep the chairs away from the edge of the drop cloth. Why you ask?
Because the overspray will definitely get on your driveway. Yes, I’m thick-headed and for some reason didn’t think of this. Lesson learned. Thank goodness we have a power washer. Fortunately my wife didn’t notice. Otherwise I could have been in some deep trouble.
Here’s a nice before and after picture to show you the HUGE difference just a little paint can make.
After 24 hours you should be able to add cushions to your chairs and enjoy you’re favorite mixed drink.
What do you think,could your chairs use a makeover?
Take care and have a great day!
I have these same chairs. Three of them have a ball foot that will not connect to the leg, it just spins around loosely. Can you tell me how to fix this problem?
How do I safely removed oxidation?