Revamp breakfast table and chairs with Rust-Oleum
I am in the process of paving my outdoor area and want to set up a spot where we can sit outdoors on warm mornings and enjoy breakfast. Using cast-off plastic and steel chairs and a concrete pedestal table, everything was painted with Rust-Oleum spray products.
The plastic and steel chairs are ones that we used for our DIY Divas workshops and have been left outdoors for the past couple of years. While not beyond repair, they are rusty and covered with cracked paint. But they are just the right thing for my little breakfast spot in the sun. The concrete pedestal table is about 20 years old and has been spray painted in assorted colours. This time I'm using Rust-Oleum 2X satin dark walnut - a new colour that I love. The pictures don't quite show the true colour, which is a deep chocolatey brown.
These are the disgusting plastic and steel stacking chairs that have been left in the garden. With a little help from some Rust-Oleum products you can see the transformation. I don't like throwing things out and am always on the lookout for ways to re-use and revamp, so here goes...
First things first, time to grab some Plascon RemovALL and strip off the old paint. You need to apply liberally and then use a scraper to take off all the paint. A pot scourer or steel wool will take care of any remaining paint.
The base of the legs and underside of the chairs were coated with rust. Luckily it hadn't had time to eat away the metal, but it was pretty close. I used Rust-Oleum Rust Stripper and an old toothbrush to take care of these areas. DO wear gloves and safety glasses when working with any acid products and be sure to follow the instructions. The rust stripper was applied to the rusty areas with a toothbrush, left for 10 minutes, and then washed down with a hosepipe to neutralise the acid.
It's amazing how easy the chairs cleaned up. The paint is gone and the legs and underside of the chairs are rust-free and everything ready for painting.
To paint the plastic seats I used Rust-Oleum Universal spray paint in gloss Cobalt Blue. I used the Universal spray paint because you can spray the can even when it's upside down, so I will be able to do the entire chair without moving it around. The bottom section was masked off with newspaper to protect from overspray.
The steel legs and under frame were painted with Rust-Oleum Universal in silver hammered. There are quite a few colours in the hammered range, all of which you will find at your local Builders Warehouse. Take a look at the Hammered range and Forged Hammered.
The concrete table was lightly sanded down with 120-grit sandpaper before spraying with Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in satin dark walnut.
After painting it was decision time. I sprayed one chair in Rust-Oleum Universal gloss cobalt blue, and one with Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover in satin dark walnut. After asking everyone in the family which they preferred, cobalt blue won!
The simple seat cushions were made using leftover fabric filled with two layers of thick batting.
The cushions are rectangles sewn around three edges, filled with batting and then a tie added at both ends of the long side before sewing up.
Rust-Oleum have recently launched a new product called Never Wet. Although this product is generally recommended for use on fabrics other than canvas, I put this product to the test on my outdoor cushions. I believe that Rust-Oleum will soon be launching a NeverWet Outdoor Fabric Water Repelling Treatment, which will hopefully be available in South Arica, as it will be an invaluable product for outdoor furnishings.
Rust-Oleum NeverWet is a 2-step process and both the base coat and top coat are included in the complete kit. It is easy to apply, but definitely should be used outdoors. Follow the instructions on the package to ensure proper application. You will find Rust-Oleum NeverWet at your local Builders Warehouse.
After application the fabric felt a bit chalky, but since it's for seat cushions I'm not too worried about that. What is nice is that I don't have to worry if I forget to leave the cushions outdoors when it rains, or if the kids spill juice on them.
