In this part of the front porch makeover I will be tackling the mailbox flap and the railings by the stairs. These were two of the smaller projects with the whole front porch project that made a huge difference, but were quicker and easier to accomplish than some of the other parts.
Materials :
- Wire Brush
- Sandpaper
- Acetone or paint thinner
- Rustoleum rust reformer spray paint
- Rustoleum Spray paint in the colors and sheen of your choice
- Another Color of spray paint- I chose gold.
- Enamel paint or I used nail polish:)
- Clear sealing topcoat- optional
Step 1: Removing the Rust and Paint
I started with the railings. They had lots of flaking paint, and exposed rust peeking through. Overall they were not in terrible shape, but they definitely needed a little love.
I scraped off any flaking paint, and then used a wire brush to really get off the smaller bits of paint and debris.
I then used the wire brush on the really rusted parts, and made sure to try and make the ledge between the rusted and painted parts more uniform. You can also used a fine grit sand paper to do this, gently sanding in small circular motions.
After I did this, I made sure to clean off all dust in the area to prepare it for painting.
For the mailbox cover prep, I used a 100 % strength acetone solution to soak the metal mail plate in. I love using acetone, because after it sits in the solution long enough the paint literally bubbles off of the metal surface. Then with just a small wire brush all of the paint will easily come right off the rest of the way. I got it down to the bare metal before I went any further.
Step 2: Primer
For the railings, I used a rust reforming primer before actually painting. I love this stuff from rustoleum. It has a matte finish, but really covers up the rust protecting the metal wonderfully.
I made sure to apply 2 coats, making sure it was even and that I didn’t miss a spot. I had a few spaces of overspray onto the concrete areas. I planned to strip the paint off of them later, so I wasn’t really to concerned about getting it on them.
If you are concerned about the area surrounding the metal and don’t want to deal with overspray issues, then you can mask off the area with tape, plastic, or paper. Or use something like a spray guard, holding it up behind the direction the paint will be flying.
For the mailbox cover, I just used a coat of flat primer. This ensures better adhesion for the next step.
Step 3: Painting
The next step in the process is choosing the paint. For the mailbox plate, I went in with gold spray paint. I applied an even coat of the gold paint all over it, making sure to get the edges as well as any sides.
When spray painting between coats it is important to make sure that the paint completely dries before applying the next coat of paint. I usually do 2 coats at a minimum to ensure even coverage and color. I forgot to take a photo of the mailbox hanger plain gold… sorry:(
The next step in painting I took with the mailbox plate was to make the letters, and design a contrasting color to make them pop. I kinda decided to do this on a whim, and late at night. So I used the only paint I could think of to be durable enough for the outside….
nail polish.
I would have preferred something like model car paint, or another enamel based paint, but I used what I had, and it actually worked out pretty great.
I just dipped a smaller brush into the nail polish bottle, and fine detail painted all of the parts I wanted to be contrasting. It took a little while, but I think the results turned out to be pretty cute.
For the railings, I chose a flat black spray paint from rustoleum.
I chose flat, because although I sanded and prepped this metal the best that I could, it still had a lot of texture from previous paint jobs, chipping, and rust.
I wanted to minimize the appearance of that texture as much as possible. A flat paint will have less sheen to it naturally, so when light bounces off of it, the higher and lower points ( texture) will appear to be less textured without the shine.
The only downside to choosing a flat paint, is that it can be a little harder to keep clean with dust and dirt etc. Wiping it down is always easier if the paint has a little more sheen to it, because it will be glossier AKA slicker… Hope that all makes sense.
Step 4: Protect
This last step is optional depending on the sheen you chose above, or the possible wear and tear that may happen with what you are painting. I knew that these railings, and mailbox cover were going to get some use out of them, and I wanted the paint job to last as long as possible.
So I used a clear coat of spray paint over them to help protect them. There is clear matte paint that actually protects well, while keeping the look of flat or matte paint the same.
AND thats it for the railings and mailbox cover. I have started making youtube videos about my projects too. You can see the most current videos on my channel here:
I have been keeping track of all of the expenses involved in this project in an effort to be as transparent and open about doing projects on a budget as possible. Here is the cost breakdown for this step of the project.
| Materials | Cost | # | Already had Y/N |
| Wire Brush | 7.64 | 1 | Y |
| Sandpaper | 4.78 | 1 | Y |
| Acetone or paint thinner | 23.95 | 1 | Y |
| Rustoleum rust reformer spray paint | 25.85 | 2 | N |
| Rustoleum Spray paint in the colors and sheen of your choice- I chose flat black and gold. | 13.96 9.78 | 3- (2 black 1 gold) | N |
| Enamel paint or I used nail polish:) | 11.49 | 1 | Y |
| Clear top coat- optional | 6.19 | 1 | Y |
| Total costs: | – | – | $103.64 |
| Total costs for me: | – | – | $49.59 |
Check back soon to see what happens next on this porch.
-Amanda