Iron gates stand in rain, snow and sun all year round. The metal expands in the heat and contracts in frost, the paint cracks and water gets into those cracks. With wet winters and frequent thaws in Ukraine, rust can appear on an unprotected gate within a few seasons.
Protection has two parts: a coating for the gate frame and posts, and separate care for the hinges, lock and latches, which must not be painted.
What you will need
Important: Paint in dry weather above freezing, out of strong direct sun and never onto metal wet with dew. Do not paint lock mechanisms or hinges.
Step 1
Prepare new metal straight away
New steel leaves the mill with a thin protective film, but it is gone around the welds, which is exactly where rust starts. Do not delay: degrease the gate with solvent, paying special attention to welds, and let it dry.
Step 2
Apply anti-rust primer
With a brush or roller, cover all the metal with metal primer, including corners, tube ends and the inner faces of box sections. Let it dry completely and apply a second coat. The primer forms the main barrier between metal and moisture.
Step 3
Convert any surface rust
If the gate already has a light orange bloom, brush off loose rust and apply a rust converter, which chemically turns the oxide into a stable layer that can be primed. On a previously painted gate cleaned of rust, direct-to-metal paints with an anti-rust component save time by combining primer and topcoat.
Step 4
Paint the gate
Once the primer is dry, apply at least two coats of metal paint. It wraps the whole structure, keeps water away from the metal and lets you match the colour to the fence. Solvent-based alkyd enamels dry quickly and bond well to primer; water-based acrylics also work but may adhere less well to some primers.
Step 5
Protect hinges, lock and latches
Moving parts cannot be painted, so they need different protection. Spray the lock, latches, handles and sliding gate mechanism with WD-40 Multi-Use: it displaces moisture, leaves a protective film and stops squeaks. Use the WD-40 Smart Straw to reach inside the lock cylinder.
Treat the load-bearing hinges with WD-40 Specialist White Lithium Grease as well: the thick grease is not washed out by rain and lasts a long time.
Tip: Before winter, always treat the lock and latches with WD-40: it drives water out of the mechanism, so it will not freeze after a thaw followed by frost.
What next
Inspect the gate in spring and autumn, touch up chips straight away and treat the mechanisms with WD-40 Multi-Use every few months and after heavy rain. That way a full repaint will only be needed every few years.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».