Will Painting over Rust Stop it?
Fighting rust can be a never ending battle and we often get asked if one could just paint right over rust to stop it. The short answer is “Yes”.. if you use the correct products. Now you can’t just spray any paint over top of rust and expect it to stop the rust. Closing up the surface can slow the process down, but won’t stop it as once the rust has formed it will continue to spread if standard low-grade spray paint is applied over top.
The first thing you need to do is remove any loose, flaky rust off of the surface as the coating you apply is only as good as the surface you apply it to. If you those rust flakes get knocked loose the coating won’t be underneath of it and the rust could begin to spread underneath the coating.
Once the loose rust has been removed you need to use a product that will neutralize the rust and stop it. Eastwood Rust Encapsulator is formulated to neutralize the rust and stop it from forming. It locks out moisture and stops the corrosion process from spreading. A top coat can further protect the surface.
So in short, yes you can paint over rust and it will last another lifetime if you use a quality product designed to stop rust. Standard spray paints may allow moisture to get under the surface and won’t neutralize the rust. To see our entire line of rust solutions visit our site HERE.