Ben Fawcett spent £100 on his budget friendly hack that took just two days to achieve.
The 42-year-old is renovating his home in the East End and is sharing the journey on Instagram account, @thesandstonemanse.
He has now brought his front door and fence back to life after removing years of paint and rust from them.
The door is 120 years old (Image: Sourced)
The door has been transformed (Image: Newsquest)
Ben explained: “The preparation was the most challenging aspect with over 40 years worth of paint, large amounts of rusty and flakey sections, the railings required a lot of elbow grease and TLC.
“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.
“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 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, recommended and provided by The Paint Shed, 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 two days’ worth of work!
“On the railings, we used Zinsser Allcoat once again, 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.
“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.”
The fence half way throughy being revamped (Image: Sourced)
To inspire Brits looking for quick and effective home transformations, The Paint Shed has partnered with Ben, owner of The Sandstone Manse.
Ben said: “Remember safety first and invest in good knee pads, gloves, a mask and goggles.
“The railings were by far the most challenging aspect. 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.
“Once you get that out of the way, the painting takes care of itself and you can’t go wrong using Zinsser Allcoat.
“It’s self-priming and takes away the need for painstaking undercoats, plus the finish is perfect!”
The fence and door had lots of old paint and rust (Image: Newsquest)
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.”
