Fight Rust With Finish

What attracts us to iron in the first place? Iron is known for its strength and ability to withstand the elements better than fencing made with other materials. But without sufficient coating, it can become vulnerable to rust from constant moisture. Morning dew, rain, and snow are the usual culprits of rust, but you can fight them off by coating your iron fence with a nice coat of rust-resistant finish.

Stick With the Solids

In addition to rust, iron fencing is vulnerable to things such as deep scratches, dents and chips. Rust-resistant finish does an excellent job of warding off surface scratches and chips, but offers little protection against deep scratches or chipping. And it certainly does nothing to protect against dents or bending. Your best defense against fence dents and bending is to resist using hollow iron. (Plus resisting the urge to "see how tough it is".)

Wash and Wax

To keep your iron fence looking new, give it a good washing with warm soapy water between seasons. Follow up with a wax and then oil the fence's joint, springs, latches, etc. with mineral oil. Steel wool can be used to sand away light scratches, while specially formulated paint will cover small holes. While painting, let each layer dry between one another. Otherwise you'll risk dripping (while wet) and flaking (while dry).

If you're not careful to quickly nip those little scratches or spots of rust in the bud, they'll increase in size and form noticeable holes before you know it - holes that will require even more maintenance than what's described above!