How to paint galvanised roll top wire mesh fencing?

[Amisia]

I have 12m of roll top wire mesh fencing along my pool area. The previous owners painted it approximately 6 years ago and is due to be repainted.

Any tips on the easiest way to do this?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Amisia. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about painting a fence.

It would be helpful to know a bit more about the current condition of the paint on the fence. If the existing coating is still sound, you may only need to give the fence a thorough clean and repaint straight over it. Since you mentioned it is due for repainting, it suggests the finish may have deteriorated, and that is really what determines how easy the preparation will be. If the paint is flaking or lifting from the wire, that becomes difficult to manage because, on a flat surface, you would normally sand all loose paint back to a solid edge before priming and repainting, and that process is very awkward on roll-top mesh. If the finish is chalky, dull or lightly worn but still bonded, repainting is much simpler. Let us know whether the paint is sound, powdery or coming off so we can guide you properly. 

There is also one important side note. In many parts of Australia, this style of fencing is not compliant as pool fencing because the horizontal wires in the middle section can be considered a foothold. Before investing time and money in preparing and repainting it, it would be worth confirming with your local council that the fence is compliant. If it is not, replacing it with a compliant fence may be the easier and more cost-effective path, and it would save you the effort of refurbishing something that may not pass a pool safety inspection.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Amisia]

Thanks for your reply, Mitchell. 

My existing fencing doesn't have the horizontal wires in the middle, so it was deemed compliant when I purchased the house (NSW Certificate of Compliance issued).

I have had a closer look at the condition of the fence. There are only a couple of small areas where the paint has lifted, no chalkiness, so is just dull/worn but the paint appears to be bonded.

[EricL]

Hello @Amisia 

I propose investigating the paints integrity by sanding the surface. If the paint stays firm even after sanding vigorously, based on those results, it would be safe to paint over the old paint. But if it begins to strip or chip off, I suggest sanding deeper to remove all the defective paint. These sections will need to be prepared, primed and painted over.    

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How To Paint Metal (some of the techniques used are applicable to your project)

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric