Painting railing

[CORK]

I know it’s not strictly machinery but I hoped someone might advise.

Painting some railing here. It has a bit of very stubborn green algae on it and I want to get it painted.

Rubbing the steelwork down with industrial paint thinner and will paint with good quality industrial paint (same type of paint as I used on it 10 years ago).

How worried should I be about this algae remaining under the new coat of paint?...

 

[7610 super q]

That has to come off, surely. Pressure washer ? combined with generator and tank, if it's away from the yard ?

 

[CORK]

Yeah it’s away from water & power.

I could use sodium hypochlorite but have no way of washing it down properly.

I don’t want residue of the SH on the surface.

 

[bumkin]

Yeah it’s away from water & power.

I could use sodium hypochlorite but have no way of washing it down properly.

I don’t want residue of the SH on the surface.

water but and petrol powerd preshure washer

 

[CORK]

Decided to wipe it down with water/sodium hypochlorite mix and follow on once it’s dry with a rub down with thinners. The first run is taking the algae off very nicely and the thinners should remove any residue.

 

[Lazy Eric]

Hire petrol engine power washer,, get an ibc full of water.... job done

 

[carpenter1]

Decided to wipe it down with water/sodium hypochlorite mix and follow on once it’s dry with a rub down with thinners. The first run is taking the algae off very nicely and the thinners should remove any residue.

You have done the right thing using hypochlorite. I do it all the time.

 

[jms37]

I just spray it on with a knapsack before some rain..

 

[CORK]

I got a good bit done anyway. Washed down a section with water & SH. Actually used fresh water and a rag to remove it as could still get a salty tang (the SH) off the dry steel after wiping with thinners. Didn’t want any SH (or as little as possible under the new paint. Did what I could anyway and painted away. Looks great now. Surface was good as none of the old paint had flaked despite being painted onto the galvanized surface ten years ago.