Wrought iron doors are one of the most durable door options to keep your home safe and show off your style. Maintaining them is simple and will keep them in good condition for decades to come.
Wrought iron doors are strong and can withstand plenty of force. They tend to bend, instead of breaking. However, their main vulnerability is rust caused by moisture. It’s important to keep your iron doors well-maintained so they don’t succumb to rust.
What Is Wrought Iron?
Before we discuss how to keep your wrought iron doors in perfect condition, it helps to understand the material that you’re working with. Wrought iron has a very small amount of carbon compared to other irons.
What makes wrought iron unique is how it is formed. Wrought iron is formed by hammering hot iron into shape. When the iron is cooled, it’s heated up again so the ironworkers can continue to shape it. This practice continues to this day.
The constant heating and cooling strengthens the iron and makes it malleable, and more likely to bend than break when met with force. Cast iron materials are poured into a mold, where they cool off and set. This actually makes cast iron more brittle than wrought iron.
To this today, wrought iron is created by artisans by hand.
How Do You Keep Your Iron Door From Rusting?
Rust is your number one enemy when it comes to protecting your iron doors. If you live near the coast or in a humid area, you’ll need to be especially vigilant in stopping rust before it forms. Fortunately, you can prevent rust with some basic upkeep.
One of the best, and easiest, ways to keep rust from forming on your iron doors is by painting them. Rust-free paint will provide a seal on your doors and keep water from touching the iron and rusting. Over time, chips of paint can flake off and expose your door to the elements.
It’s also important to clean your door, so that rust never gets the chance to build up. Regular cleaning will help you find and remove rust. The sooner you find rust, the sooner you can remove it and prevent it from spreading.
How Do You Clean A Wrought Iron Door?
Cleaning iron doors is one way to prevent formation of rust and keep them looking great.
You can clean them with a simple mix of vegetable soap and water, or else a special cleaner designed for wrought iron.
The mix should be mostly water with about a teaspoon of soap added, so that it’s not too sudsy. You can wipe this gently over the door with a microfiber towel. Once you’ve applied the soap mixture to the entire door, you can rinse it off with water.
It’s important to dry your wrought iron with a rag after cleaning it. That way, you don’t leave it wet and exposed to water, which could cause rust. Some people even run a leaf blower or hair dryer over the air to make sure it’s thoroughly dry!
How Do You Polish A Wrought Iron Door?
After a good cleaning, you may want to polish or wax your iron door. When done right, this can improve your door’s protection from the elements. This is especially important for anyone in a humid or coastal area, where the elements will be hard on your door and its hinges.
What polish should you use on a wrought iron door? Two popular options are wax and linseed oil. Both will add a final, shiny coat to your wrought iron door. They’ll also help the iron repel water and make the iron shine.
You can apply either one of these to your iron door by hand using a cloth. It’s best to do so after cleaning the iron, so that you have a clean, smooth surface to work with.
While polishing will leave your iron door looking great, keep in mind it won’t replace a sealant or coat of paint. These polishes will wear off after a short amount of time and leave the iron vulnerable to rust again.
How To Restore Iron Doors?
To restore iron doors, first you’ll need to remove any damage or rust that has occurred.
It’s often recommended that you wash the doors before removing rust. You may also want to remove loose areas of paint so you can touch them up and ensure the longevity of your door.
Removing rust is often done by hand. You can scour the rusted parts of the door with sandpaper or a wire brush. For the hard-to-reach areas, you may want to switch to a small toothbrush. Once the rust is removed, you can seal that part of the iron again.
Sealants include paint, wax, or an anti-rust spray. Paint is the most frequently used form of sealant, because it’s long-lasting, it covers the iron fully, and it is attractive.
If you don’t want to repaint your iron, you can choose to apply a thin layer of wax instead. The wax repels water and ensures that it will roll off instead of resting on the metal and causing rust. However, wax will only protect your custom wrought iron door for a few months, and you’ll need to reapply it.
Wrought iron doors don’t require a lot of day-to-day maintenance, but they do need some basic care to make sure they last as long as possible. Keep your custom iron doors clean and rust-free by painting them, cleaning them regularly and removing rust as soon as it forms.
‘Wrought iron is designed to last for decades, so clean them as often as you can and touch up the paint. A properly sealed wrought iron door will repel water and avoid rusting. Rust can do a number on wrought iron, so keep these tips in mind!
Baltic Iron Doors can help you make your iron door dreams a reality. We offer great solutions for hand forged luxury ornamental custom iron works in Orange County and Los Angeles, CA. Contact us today to learn more about our custom iron doors and get a free quote.