如何:保持金属在你的院子里吗

Enter the yard of most homes in America and somewhere among the trees, shrubs, and grass, you’re bound to find metal. Patio furniture, barbecue grills, handrails, fences, andgates—these are only some of the metal features common to the spaces outside our front doors. Thanks to metal’s well-deserved reputation for durability, we don’t often think about the material’s maintenance requirements. But when it comes to preventing rust—the mortal enemy of metal—homeowners must intervene from time to time to ensure that their outdoor metals keep looking and performing their very best. Follow these simple guidelines to help iron, steel, and other metals enjoy the longest life possible.

Coatings Are Not Superficial

一旦降水和苛刻的天气都将在金属上的涂层上削弱和削减折叠，然后它只是锈之前的时间问题出现。明智地选择金属是最好的预防。您将获得从烘烤的搪瓷或粉末涂层表面的产品中获得最大的寿命。与较便宜的涂漆或涂漆金属相比，这些涂层产品远小于剥离和剥落。虽然它们最初更昂贵，但具有卓越涂层的金属物品在长期持续的情况下是价值的，因为它们真正持续多年。

保护您的家具

Metal outdoor furniture offers particular challenges. To make your furniture last, get in the habit of keeping up these easy routines:

• What a difference cleanliness makes!每年至少两次，给你的金属桌子和椅子彻底的一次结束。温水和液体洗涤剂的混合物应该做到这一点。用海绵涂抹溶液;抓住一把旧牙刷擦洗任何难以到达的区域。用一个hoseto rinse away all traces of the detergent, then dry the metal with a rag, or on a good day, leave it to air-dry in the sun.
• Take pains to avoid damaging the metal’s coating.一种简单的动作，如将两个金属表面倒在一起可以芯片一个或两个件，并拖动椅子或桌腿可能导致刮擦易受伤害的家具的刮擦rust. Take precautions. Raise the furniture up from the ground when you’re moving it, and at the end of the season, when you’re storing away your furniture, use old towels to prevent the pieces from hitting each other.

Also, if you live somewhere with monsoon summers, harsh winters, or other types of severe weather, consider bringing your outdoor metal furniture indoors, whether it’s for short-term shelter whenever a violent storm threatens, or for a season-long hibernation when the temperatures drop. No storage space in your basement, crawl space, or流? A reasonable alternative is to cover the furniture with a breathable fabric for the duration of the foul weather.

Make Fixes Fast

Despite your best efforts, the metal on your property may begin to show signs of wear. Don’t wait for a small problem to get more serious. When you come across a small patch of rust, thoroughly clean the area (as described above), except work fine-gritsandpaperinto the procedure. Lightly sand the rust away, then wipe off all residual grit before touching up the surface. Use metal primer first; once it has dried completely, follow up with a paint that’s specially formulated for metal.

Perform a Rescue Operation

More extensive damage demands more time and effort, and may require refinishing the metal. Here, preparation is key. Before you can begin a refinishing project, you’ve got to get down to bare metal—which is easier said than done. Use a wire brush—or to make quicker, easier work of it, use the wire wheel attachment on yourpower drill—and proceed to scrape away the old coating. Pay special attention to any crevices or scrolls that may be part of the design. Once you’re done scraping, wipe down the metal with a damp cloth (or hose it off), then wait for everything to dry before you apply metal primer and metal paint.