Painting Over Rusted Baseboards

Removal

• Remove the baseboards to clean the rust off the metal. Most baseboards attach to the wall with a hook on the top and bottom of the metal cover. Lift the baseboard, and pull out on the top of the baseboard, releasing it from the top hook. Push down, and slip the bottom lip of the baseboard off the bottom hook. Then place the metal baseboards on a saw horse for surface preparation.

Scraping

• You can use fine-grit sandpaper to remove light rust spots, but steel wool or a wire brush is needed to remove heavily rusted areas on the baseboard. Clean rust off the baseboards in a ventilated area, and use safety equipment, such as goggles and a face mask. Make sure all the rust is removed from the surface of the baseboard before applying paint, because any rust remnants can prematurely deteriorate the new paint. Any area of the baseboard that has remnants of old paint must be sanded to ensure the new paint sticks to the surface.

Clean

• After removing all the rust from the surface of the baseboard, wash the baseboards with a degreaser, such as Ultra HD or Power Plus. Scrub the baseboard with a soft-bristled brush, and rinse thoroughly to remove the degreaser. Dry with a soft cloth and let the baseboards air-dry. The baseboards must be completely dry before applying any primer or paint.

Primer

• Apply a rust-inhibiting primer, such as the clean metal primer manufactured by Rust-Oleum. Apply the primer with a brush, instead of a spray primer. The brush allows you to get into all the cracks and crevices of the baseboard, which spraying can miss. Once the primer is dry, inspect the surface of the baseboard to ensure the surface is completely covered. The primer must be completely dry before applying additional paint.

Paint

• Choose your color of paint and apply. Make sure you use a rust-inhibiting paint, similar to the primer. You can use a spray or brush to apply this paint. Purchasing a spray is more expensive then the brush-on paint. If you apply the paint with a brush, back-brush to ensure that you level the coat. It is recommended that you apply two coats of paint, but allow the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. Reinstall the baseboards after the painting.