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With the REPS scheme on its last legs, and no replacement that we are aware of, now more than ever, you must make sure that every cent spent on your property maintenance delivers maximum value for hard earned money.

HAYSHED HOT TIPS: If your steel sheds have either rust, peeling paint or both, you finally have solutions to hand that last for years, and… if you are handy and have some spare time, you can do all this yourself.

PEELING PAINT

Shed With Minimal Rust But Paint Peels Off

Usually this problem occurs because either the paint was applied too soon and the galvanised steel was too fresh when first painted or paint quality was not up to scratch if the steel was weathered (a common problem where dubious ‘contractors’ supply and apply).

New galvanised corrugated sheeting etc should be left a few years to weather before any painting is done. Only alternative but not practical on big sheds is to clean the galvanised surface with thinners etc to remove the protective layer.

NOTE: Safety is the number one priority. Don’t take any chances. Use proper access equipment and fall protection devices and take all necessary safety precautions.

STEP ONE… using a power washer with a min of 2000 psi, remove all traces of old peeling oxide paint & regular dirt. Ideally, aim power washer lance at a sharp angle to ‘scrape’ the old paint off. Allow to dry. If the cleaned steel has any patches of rust - light or heavy, spot treat same with Owatrol Oil using either a simple spray trigger bottle or paint brush. Check screw/nail heads and brackets, gutters etc. Loose sheets, if any, should be tightened down with new appropriate screw nails. 

When roof has dried fully, apply a coat of any high quality oil based paint with some Owatrol Oil mixed in. Correct mix for total adhesion is… add 5 litres of Owatrol oil to 20 litres of Oxide Paint. (One coat as above does a great job and lasts for years.)

ADHESION: Owatrol Oil should be a minimum of 20% of the total paint volume. (More than 20% will do no harm but don’t exceed 25% because it will weaken the colour’s hiding power) That mix will guarantee that the newly applied oxide paint will stick like glue to the metal or existing well stuck on paint and there will be no more peeling. Not only that, the paint will retain its shine for at least five years. Does not go dull like oxide paint that has been thinned with white spirit.

If you want a really long lasting job & you don’t mind the additional expense and work, apply a second coat of high quality oil based oxide paint, this time with only 10% Owatrol added in to double the life of the coating. In that case leave first coat a few weeks before applying the second coat.

Steel buildings (roofs and cladding) can become faded and tired looking.

You can refresh that building very easily and with minimal cost by using ordinary oil based paint and Owatrol Oil. Make sure it is clean of course. First coat with at least 25% Owatrol Oil mixed into the oil based paint of your choice. This will make the paint stick tight to the cladding. If a second coat is required, apply with just enough Owatrol Oil in it to make it flow out nice and even. 

You should expect years and years from this method. Can be rolled, brushed or sprayed.

SHED RUST - Basically there are two main types of rust… TIGHT RUST and HEAVY SCALE RUST

TIGHT RUST

Tight rust as seen on the left is very simple to deal with. BEST OPTION: Apply a light coat of Owatrol Oil direct to the rusted areas & leave a minimum of 24 hours. Wipe off or move on any ‘ponding’ patches in the ‘valleys’ to prevent a skin forming during drying process. As soon as you get a chance, within a few weeks ideally, (before dirt gets on it) apply a coat of good quality oil based oxide paint with about 10% to 15% of Owatrol Oil added in.

Second Best Option is to apply a coat of oxide mixed with at least 25% of Owatrol Oil. (Stronger Owatrol mix pulls the oxide deep into the micro sized rust pores)

EXAMPLE: 20L can of oxide paint… pour out 5L of paint into a separate bucket & replace it with 5L of Owatrol oil. Stir well and apply a nice coat direct to all areas including the tight / lightly rusted steel.

TIP: You can use a standard, soft bristle sweeping brush to apply the above – quick & easy.
REMEMBER… Owatrol Oil solves both rust & peeling (oil based) paint problems.

HEAVY SCALE RUST

If your shed steel is in a really bad way, we recommend the following.

After thorough power washing to remove heavy rust scales, old peeling paint and dirt (see Tight Rust)

NOTE: Any scale rust that is well stuck or remaining after a good power washing does not need to be removed or ground off. A saturating coat of Owatrol expels all moisture and oxygen [see page 18 - How Owatrol Oil Works On Rust] from such places thereby stopping the rust.

Apply a nice saturating coat of Owatrol Oil neat to all rusty areas paying particular attention to nail holes and sheet overlaps. Owatrol Oil creeps so it will get into the tiniest pores on the metal. If the Owatrol Oil ‘ponds’ in the corrugation valleys, move it on (best) or wipe it off to avoid skinning when drying.

You can use any simple application method, sweeping brush, long hair roller or special corrugated shaped roller if you have one. Allow at least 24 hours for the oil to dry. If you cannot get back to apply the oxide paint next day, don’t worry, you can get back to it even weeks later as rust has now been sealed and rain will not harm it.

Finish the job with a coat of good quality oil based oxide paint which has some Owatrol Oil in it, ideally enough just to make the paint flow out nicely, about 10 to 15% usually does the job.

You will discover that a paint job that contains Owatrol Oil retains its shine & will outlast any other method by years. It will cost you a bit more to do the job in this way initially but you will save it ten times over in more paint and hard work later on. Not to mention the jealous looks from the neighbours!

TIP: Use similar methods to restore rusted farm machinery, silos, vintage tractors etc.