‘They look like new’ gush DIY fans as man transforms his rusty garden railings and gate on a budget
A DIY fanatic has been hailed for his “ginormous effort” after restoring his rusty garden railings on a budget.
Ben Fawcett, 42, is renovating his family home in Glasgow’s east end and regularly shares transformation updates on Instagram (@thesandstonemanse).
For most DIY fans, the early months of the year are all about home improvements which means we can overlook the exterior.
But in a recent DIY project, Ben tasked himself with restoring the bumpy, tarnished railings and gate at the front of his property to their former glory.
And he managed it in just 48 hours on a £100 budget – with enough resources left over to refresh his front door too.
Ben said: “Like any DIY job, the preparation is the most mundane time-consuming part, but well worth it.
“The height of the railings and the curves made this project challenging, but you don’t need to go right down to the bare metal when preparing the surface.”
He added: “With over 40 years worth of paint, large amounts of rusty and flakey sections, the railings required a lot of elbow grease and TLC.
“Using wire brushes, I removed the most damaged areas, even in the intricate curves of the railings, and used an angle grinder to create the perfect platform to begin painting the railings.
“We then used Zinsser Allcoat – recommended and provided by The Paint Shed – which is so easy to apply and needed just two coats to get the perfect finish.
“As I chose matte black, the finish helped to hide any sins and complemented the natural slate roof on the property perfectly.”
And the effective garden makeover has proved a big hit, with Ben getting praise from strangers.
He said: “We are still getting compliments from random passers-by!
“A professional could complete it in half the time it took me, but for a fraction of the price, we have an incredible finish which will last us for years.”
It’s not just people passing the Glasgow pad who have applauded the DIY project, with social media users loving it too.
After Ben shared it on social media, one person gushed: “They look like new!! I’m saving this to show hubby.
“We have a small rusty gate at the front and he thinks it’s beyond repair.”
A second echoed: “Wow amazing. You’ve done a great job they are not even bumpy.”
A third added: “Ginormous effort! Love it.”
Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: “Wow this is a very satisfying to see! Well worth all tht effort.”
And with some paint left over from the railings project, Ben revamped the storm doors at the front of his home too.
He said: “The storm doors are original and over 120 years old. You can imagine how many layers of paint, plus wear and tear, there were on them, especially around the bottom of the door from water damage and around the curved panelled areas.
“Preparation included some light sanding and a curved carbide scraper to reach the intricate areas.
“If we had fully sanded down the door it would have taken weeks, plus door dipping is extremely expensive.
“We used Toupret Fibacryl to repair the damaged sections on the doors, which doesn’t crack with the temperature change – perfect for outdoor use.
“Using Zinsser Allcoat once again, we needed just 4 hours to achieve the perfect matt finish, which provided the perfect canvas for the brass door hardware. It’s really not bad for 2 days’ worth of work!
Michael Rolland, Managing Director at The Paint Shed, commented on Ben’s home renovation: “Ben’s work on the Sandstone Manse shows that planning, preparation and hard work can help you achieve a professional finish in little time, whatever your budget.
“Renovating a home can be expensive and a lot of hard work, but committing your time to smaller jobs really elevates your home, and this goes to show that you don’t lose out on quality either.
“Projects such as this are perfect, as they fit into one weekend, give you a real sense of achievement and personalisation, and most importantly, help you save money for other jobs elsewhere.”