How to remove rust from doorframe?

karinas

Hi team,

My home has metal door frames and the bottom of some door frames where they meet the floor, have rusted. These are the door frames of the bathrooms. 
It has been like this since I moved in a few years ago, so I don’t know the total amount of time it has been like this. As you can see it is bubbly under the paint which I am thinking means it is rusty under the paint too (please correct me if that’s incorrect).

Would it be best to sand the rusty parts and then use a rust converter before repainting? Given it’s a wet area, how do I then prevent more rust coming back? 

Some of the tiles and grout also have rust stains (mostly in the grout lines running from where the rusty bit of door frame is, but also some spots on the tiles). It’s a space of about 25cm x 25cm. I was able to scrape some off using a knife. And, I’ve tried things like vinegar, bicarb and a few types of abrasive cleaners and brushes -but I haven’t been able to remove it completely. Any other suggestions to get the rust stains out? 

JacobZ

Hi @karinas,

Your thinking is correct that you would need to remove the paint, sand the rust, apply a rust converter and then prime and paint with a rust preventative paint system.

I would start by either scraping the bottom 100mm of paint off the frame with a paint scraper. If you are not having luck with just the scraper, you can use some paint stripper to soften the paint for removal. Just remember to open the windows, use your exhaust fan if possible and wear gloves and a mask when using paint stripper as it has some pretty strong fumes.

Once the paint has been removed, you'll want to remove as much of the loose surface rust as possible. This can be done with a combination of a wire brush and some sandpaper.

When the paint has been removed, apply White Knight Rust Guard Rust Converter to the affected area and wait for the chemical reaction to take place and for it to dry.

You can then apply White Knight Rust Guard White All Purpose Primer to the area before painting with Metal Top Coat Paint to match the surrounding areas.

For the rust on the silicone at the junction between the frame and the tiles, you'll likely have to cut it out and replace it. You can use a silicone such as SikaSeal Kitchen And Bathroom Silicone Sealant for this. Check out How To Silicone a Gap for some guidance.

For the rust stains on the grout, you could try using a grout cleaner like this Long Life Grout Cleaner and scrubbing it with a grout brush.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob