Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Iron Entry Door Damaged by Concrete and HCl Overspray

I need a solution to clean and restore 1 year old exterior iron doors originally made in Mexico. The finish has been damaged by concrete installed just outside their entries. They are painted with a dark brown paint and highlighted with bronze patina. Now bits of concrete are splattered on the finish; they are covered with a white cloudy film or stain; and a high pressure spray was used to wash the concrete containing acid has over-sprayed onto the doors, frames, hardware and glass. They are no longer smooth and shiny; rather they are rough and matte looking. Not to mention that the concrete people who have been in this position before, used a cleaning agent called "xylene" (a benzene derivative) to restore the finish and luster. That lasted a day or two before the white appeared again. Can I restore this or is the answer to start over with a new finish? Help.

Gail Annese
building authentic italian home - Kansas
September 17, 2008

---

I think it would be helpful if you could upload a photos to show this problem.
We suggest you to repainting it.

Joshua Chen
- Xiamen, Fujian, China
April 9, 2009