How to Stop Rust on Nails

by Carole Vansickle

Overview

It is a fact of life that most nails rust. For this reason, you should always do any work in any area that has the potential to get the least bit moist or humid with galvanized nails. However, if the work has already been done and the problem is already in place, then there are several steps short of tearing down the entire structure that you can take to alleviate the evidence of the problem, although in the long run external structures build with the wrong types of nails will ultimately require fortification with better nails or rebuilding.

Step 1

Remove any existing rust. If you just cover rust up, it will bleed through paint and make ugly brown marks. You must first remove any rust that is already visible on the nails. Use liquid detergent and steel wool to scrub the rust off the tops of the nails. If you are scrubbing nails that are embedded in a surface that can be scratched and that you are not planning to paint over, then use a plastic scrubbing sponge instead of steel wool, but be prepared to exert some serious pressure.
Step 2

Paint over exposed nail heads with oil-based paint on outdoor structures. The oil will prevent water from coming into contact with the nail heads and you can then paint over the oil-based coat with whatever paint you prefer.
Step 3

Cover indoor nail heads with a coat of clear, acrylic nail polish. The nail polish will deter moisture and prevent rust. You can paint over this or leave the nails exposed, as you prefer. Use several layers of the nail polish to completely cover the nail heads.

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Steel wool Mild liquid detergent Oil-based paint Nail polish
Steel wool
Mild liquid detergent
Oil-based paint
Nail polish
You can pound nails into the medium and then cover the heads with putty, but this tends to be difficult because the putty must then be sanded before painting and it often internalizes the problem, hiding the issue until the nails have rusted completely away and the structure becomes unsafe.
You can pound nails into the medium and then cover the heads with putty, but this tends to be difficult because the putty must then be sanded before painting and it often internalizes the problem, hiding the issue until the nails have rusted completely away and the structure becomes unsafe.