Can your fire pit rust? If you start noticing a rusty fire pit, many reasons could be responsible for it due to your attitude towards its use. In this article, let’s explore what makes a fire pit rust and what can be used to prevent it.
Rust is associated with steel, iron, or metal, especially when they are exposed to fire, humidity, and water. As a result of this, there is always a diminishing in its qualities as time goes on, and one of its effects on the fire pit is causing holes to form in it, thereby reducing its ability to function well.
It has been established that rusts have different degrees hence the type of approach you apply to the fire pit when scrubbing and spray painting it. To achieve the best result, follow the process of each method you decide to use.
Can I Use a Rusted Fire Pit?
It is not a safe idea to use a rusted fire pit. It can pose a danger because a fire pit is often made of steel, making it vulnerable to quick decline when exposed to fire.
When a fire pit keeps being exposed to fire, there are many levels of changes; among the most common ones is rusting. The more the fire keeps penetrating it, the more the outer layer gives way to rust.
There are ways to keep the fire pit from going rust. One of the best ways is to ensure that the fire pit is safely covered while not in use. Not only that, a fireplace whose rust can be cleaned and treated is safe for use.
Another means of sustaining the life of a fire pit is by using one made of either copper fire or stainless steel. This is because these types are fire resistant for a longer time than steel ones.
Is it Safe to Use a Rusty Fire Pit?
This is one of the concerns of everyone using a rusty fire pit and many times. Based on many reasons, it is not safe.
In a situation whereby using a rusty fire pit to prepare food and in the process of preparation, particles of rust continue to stick to such food, it might affect the systems in the long process even if the effects are not visible at first, in the long run, it would become visible in the body system.
Can I Spray Paint a Rusty Fire Pit?
Yes, spraying a rusty fire pit is a welcome idea, and it is done to prolong the lifespan and the safety of the user of the fire pit.
Find out how to spay a fire pit.
1. The first step is scrubbing the rusty surface
You can use either the traditional method or the chemical application. The traditional method involves using materials such as white vinegar, which could be done by allowing it to distill or adding it directly to the rusty parts and scrubbing with a cloth.
Also, scrubbing naturally can be done by using sandpaper or a brush to scrub the rusty parts.
Besides that, baking soda is another method to deal with rusty fire pits. You can do this by mixing it with water applying it and staying for some time. This is followed by scrubbing with a brush or other rough edges.
The disadvantage of this method is that you need to repeat the process until the best result is achieved.
2. Other methods are potato scrubbing
To do this, slice potatoes and add spray salt to them. Start rubbing it on the rusty surface. However, this method is only best for limited rusty spaces.
Furthermore, the use of lemon is one of the reliable home methods. This process is done by adding lemon juice with vinegar or salt and applying it to the rusty parts.
The only disadvantage is that the solution must not stay long on the metal to avoid further damage. It should be rubbed off within a few minutes of application.
The last DIY method of taking rust off your fire pit is by using cola drinks. It is one of the potent ways to scrub the rust off your fire pit.
3. Another method is the chemical application method
Among the most potent chemical that can be used to scrub the fire pit is Evapo Rust, Acero Liquid and many more. After removing the rust, either by natural or by chemical application, the first to do is spray painting.
This is done by making sure that the scrubbed area is washed thoroughly with soap and rinsed. After that process is completed, put it in a ventilated area or under the sun to allow it to dry off.
4. Finally, seal off areas you don’t want to be painted
If you want to leave out areas when painting, protect them by using a covering such as a tape to seal them off. After the fire pit dries off, start your process of painting.
One of the types of recommended paint is Krylon High Heat Max. This is because it has the power to withstand heat.
When the painting process has been completed, leave it to dry off, depending on how deep the painting was. To get the best result, repeat the painting process until the outcome looks great and satisfying and allow it to dry up thoroughly before handling it.
However, in the course of painting, caution must be taken to avoid painting the inside of the fire pit because of exposure of paints to open fire.
How Does Rust Get on a Fire Pit?
Many times we keep worrying about how our fire pit becomes rusty after we have painted it. There are many things we do not check when using fire pits, which is why our fire pit keeps becoming rusty.
Check out the few reasons:
- Failure to keep it covered it is not used
- Not keeping it tidy regularly, whether in use or not
- Not removing it from the outside during the harsh winter weather
- Failure to do time to time checking for the possibility of rust
- Refusal to use rust converter to prevent future rust
- Refusal to remove ashes each time it is used
7 Great Ways To Stop Fire Pit Rust
Maintenance is the first approach to keeping a fire pit from rust. Although the type of fire pit determines how long-lasting it will last, all fire pits need to be well kept from rust, and these are the best ways to achieve that.
1. Get a quality one
This is one of the things to do to avoid stressing yourself over and over again. When you go for a quality product, you can rest to use it for a long time and keep it from becoming rusty.
2. Avoid putting out your fire by yourself
As a result of hurry or carelessness in handling the fire pit, some people put out the fire by themselves by pouring water. This will, in turn, damage the fire pit and make it become rusty and weakened in no distant time.
After each use, allow the fire to cool down and extinguish by itself to keep the fire pit for use over a long time.
3. Don’t just put any material you want in it while burning
This is one of the mistakes that shorten the lifespan of a fire pit. To avoid this, do not burn any material that is considered toxic and can release harmful substances such as chemicals.
Although it is harmful to the fire pit, it is much more harmful to the body systems. Instead of that, burn woods or coal.
4. Maintain good hygiene of the fire pit
To make sure the fire pit is fit for use and free from rusting, maintenance of good hygiene is necessary. This should be done by scrubbing the steel wire grill, washing the bowl, sun drying it, or drying it with a piece of cloth.
Not only that, the fire pit itself should be cleaned thoroughly. By so doing, food residues that have stuck on them would be easily removed. A time to time cleaning before and after use will help prevent it from rusting
5. Always cover it when not in use
Leaving the fire pit exposed to elements such as rain is one of the natural enemies of steel. When exposed to the rain, it loses its strength, gradually leading to a rusty fire pit. It is, however, advisable to always cover it or take it far away from a place where it can have direct contact with rain or water.
6. Apply over the surface before use
When the fire pit is used for cooking, it is ideal for applying cooking oil to it before placing the food on it. This keeps the meal from sticking to it, thus preventing it from accumulating specks of dirt that aid rusting and corrosion
7. Master the habit of removing the ashes
Never leave the ashes to keep accumulating after each use because one of the agents sponsors quick wearing-out and rusting of a fire pit. The best means to tackle that is by removing the ashes after it has cooled down. This keeps it always clean and rust-resistant.
Conclusion
A firepit is one of the things that help to add aura and beauty to the backyard landscape. However, the beauty of the fire pit keeps diminishing after a long time of use due to rust.
The moment that is noticed, the best approach is to restore that once beautiful appearance to the backyard landscape. To bring back the beauty of the once beautiful fire pit, there are several methods to use.