hi, I noticed some rusting on my fence, is there anyway to prevent it? Im think putting a sleeper in along the fence around my garden, is there any other cost effective way to do it?
Hello @cal2
From the photo, it looks like the bottom edge of the metal fence has started rusting where it’s been in regular contact with the soil and moisture. Your idea of installing a sleeper along the garden bed is a good, cost-effective option, as it can create a barrier between the soil and the fence. You could use a suitable treated pine sleeper, or a concrete sleeper if you’d prefer something longer lasting and lower maintenance.
My other suggestion would be to move the soil away from the edge of the fence so there’s a small gap between the soil and the metal. The fence isn’t designed to be in permanent contact with soil, and keeping damp soil against it will encourage the rust to continue, even if you treat the existing rusty areas.
Before installing the sleeper, I’d also give the affected areas a clean-up with a wire brush to remove any loose rust, then apply a rust converter such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/bondall-250ml-ranex-rustbuster-rust-converter_p1560855 on the rusted surfaces only. Once that has been treated, you can protect the area with a suitable metal primer and exterior metal paint from the White Knight Rust Guard range. That will help slow down further corrosion, but keeping the soil and moisture away from the fence will make the biggest difference long term.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
