After a little planning, working with a contractor, and investing, you are left with a stately ornamental steel fence that envelops your home and property, offering a whole new layer of visual appeal to your place. You will no doubt want to keep this new feature shiny and new for as long as possible. Just like any other metal that is situated outside, your ornamental steel will have to have a little maintenance attention through the years. Check out these simple maintenance tips to help you keep that new fence looking as good as possible for as long as you can.
1. Keep vegetation away from the fence. - Unless you live in a desert land, vegetation just goes with the territory. Therefore, you will likely see some weeds and grasses spring up that seem to clamor to your steel fence. Even though this can be a nuisance, it is important that you keep weeds and vegetation away from your steel fence–even if it means you have to use weed killer to keep the growth at bay. Vegetation that wraps itself around the fencing harbors moisture that can cause the fence to rapidly deteriorate because it will break down the protective finish.
2. Avoid harsh cleaning methods. - You may be thinking that a steel fence should be up for just about any intense scrubbing method when it gets dirty, but just because your new ornamental fence is made of steel, that doesn't mean it can't still be damaged. Most steel fencing is coated with a layer of protective material to ward off damage that would normally be caused by exposure to the elements. But if you get a little too brisk with cleaning methods, you could easy scratch and scar this protective coating and leave your fence vulnerable. Use only recommended cleaning methods, such as scrubbing with a soft-bristled brush and warm water.
3. Tackle areas of rust immediately. - On the off chance your ornamental steel fence is starting to show a few rust spots, you cannot let these spots go unattended because the problem will spread quickly. Rust can and will spread the longer it is left to do so without any input from you. Any rust spots should be cleaned away and the area where the rust has developed should be coated with a layer of rust-protecting primer or converter, which will protect the spot from becoming further rusted.
For more information on how to maintain your steel fence, contact a company that offers ornamental steel services, such as MISSCO.
