Restoration of 170-year-old ironwork on a heritage property was achieved with ease by a Devon decorating company, thanks to its discovery of Ferrozinc from HMG Paints.
Dart Decorators were tasked with a complete makeover of the Grade II listed townhouse at Ashburton, a small town on the edge of Dartmoor, and turned to Rabart Decorators Merchants for advice on how to tackle the guttering and other ironwork.
“They asked for advice on the external decoration as it was in such a poor state,” says Rabart’s area sales manager for Devon Peter Bird. “As well as advising on window, render repairs and external coatings we were able to introduce the contractor to the system of HMG specialist products best suited to tackling the ironwork.”
“On the guttering there was 170 years-worth of paint to be stripped back plus some rusting” explains Dart Decorators’ Oliver Price. Rather than a costly stripping or blasting process the Rabart team recommended to treat the rust with HMG’s Ferrozinc followed by BDX Primer, then a finish with two coats of C71 Speedline.
Ferrozinc rust converter is ideal for situations where it is not possible or practical to blast clean metal substrates such as restorations on historic properties.
Ferrozinc’s primary advantage lies in its straightforward application. After removing loose debris and failed coatings, a simple scraping and wire brushing to eliminate loose rust prepares the surface. Applying a thin coat of Ferrozinc to the affected areas completes the process and a white-to-black colour change confirms Ferrozinc’s rust neutralisation.
“This was an old building that needed really good quality paints,” says Oliver. “The HMG products were easy to use, and they took the restoration of the ironwork up to a different level.” The guttering was finished in a shade of pearl which was colour matched by Rabart to match the rest of the restored facades.
The HMG system is fast becoming a go-to for decorators and professionals tasked with this type of work. After a thorough cleaning of loose material Ferrozinc can be applied to all signs of rust.
The product goes on white and turns black to indicate that the rust patches have been neutralised.
Ferrozinc is then overcoated with BDX Primer, a high-build, anti-corrosive coating and followed by C71 Speedline, a synthetic alkyd enamel which provides a tough finish, and is particularly suited to areas with a challenging exposure to the elements.
For more information visit the HMG Paints website