Rust-Oleum

Rust-Oleum paint is for protecting and refinishing surfaces around the house or on a maintenance job. Spray paint reaches around shaped parts, while primers help prepare the surface for the finish. Start with what you’re painting and what it’ll have to stand up to.

Rust-Oleum manufactures protective paints and coatings for home and industrial use and is headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Sea captain Robert Fergusson founded the company in 1921, and its roots are in rust-preventive paint. RPM International Inc. acquired the company in 1994.

Choose the spray finish for the work

Decide how much shine the job needs before settling on color. Gloss makes dents and sanding scratches easier to see. Surface preparation shows through the finish. Judge a sample on similarly prepared scrap in the light where the piece will sit.

Keep the can moving through light, overlapping passes. Trying to cover everything in a heavy pass is how you get runs. Stops Rust with Custom Spray lets you select spray patterns through a dial. Follow the particular can’s directions for spraying distance and recoating.

Rust-Oleum Low Odor Spray Paint is water-based. The formula is a product-level choice. Match the particular paint’s surface and application requirements to your job, and follow its cleanup instructions.

Give the primer a sound surface

A protective coating helps keep moisture away from metal when it’s bonded to a sound surface. Remove loose rust and flaking paint, clean off grease, and feather the edges of sound old paint. Paint stuck to loose rust comes away with the rust.

Rust-Oleum offers traditional, specialty and spray primers. Use the finish coat’s instructions to determine the primer, then match it to the prepared surface. Plastic needs particular attention because adhesion depends on the type of plastic. Check that the primer suits both the substrate and the finish coat.

Match wood and floor coatings to the job

Industrial Choice Multi-Purpose Spray Paint suits everyday industrial maintenance on metal, wood and masonry, sprays from any angle, and dries to the touch in 10 minutes. Plan handling and return to service around the coating’s instructions.

For wood where you want the grain to remain visible, Varathane’s translucent stain makes the grain part of the finish.

EpoxyShield Garage Floor Coating rolls on like paint and leaves a glossy finish that resists spills, salt and hot tire pick-up. Floor contamination can interfere with adhesion. Prepare the floor carefully and schedule vehicle use around the coating’s return-to-service instructions.

Match water protection to the surface

Decide whether the job involves occasional water exposure or water coming through masonry. That condition determines the coating you need. For masonry waterproofing, SEAL-KRETE DampLock requires bare concrete and is restricted to vertical surfaces.

Clean before sanding or coating

Rust-Oleum offers household cleaners and professional cleaning solutions. Match the cleaner to the dirt and the surface. Remove grease before sanding so it stays out of the sanding scratches. Follow the cleaner’s residue-removal directions, then let the surface reach the condition the coating requires.

Spray paint specifications

Product	System or nozzle designation	Listed surfaces	Spray features	Dry to touch	Color selection
Industrial Choice Multi-Purpose Spray Paint	1600	Metal, wood and masonry	Sprays from any angle	10 minutes	44 colors
Stops Rust with Custom Spray	5-in-1		Five dial-selected spray patterns
Low Odor Spray Paint			Water-based formula

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Rust-Oleum stop rust?

Rust-Oleum makes rust-preventive coatings, but paint won’t turn loose, flaky rust into a sound surface. Clean, solid metal gives the coating a base it can hold onto. A scratch or chip that exposes bare metal lets moisture back in, so keeping the finish intact matters after the painting is done.

Is Rust-Oleum oil-based?

It depends on the product. Rust-Oleum Low Odor Spray Paint is water-based, so being in a spray can doesn’t mean a paint is oil-based. Check the particular coating’s cleanup directions before choosing a solvent.

Can you use Rust-Oleum on wood?

Yes, Rust-Oleum Industrial Choice spray paint is suitable for wood. Sand rough areas and remove the dust before coating. Paint covers color, but it won’t make rough grain or sanding scratches disappear.

How long does Rust-Oleum spray paint take to dry?

Rust-Oleum Industrial Choice spray paint dries to the touch in 10 minutes, but that isn’t a drying time for every spray in the range. Dry to the touch also doesn’t mean ready to handle, recoat or put back to work. Cool air and heavy coats can slow drying, so use the particular can’s directions to plan the job.

Is Rust-Oleum spray paint waterproof?

You can’t assume every Rust-Oleum spray paint is waterproof. A finish that sheds an occasional splash isn’t automatically suitable for standing water or constant wetting. The particular coating needs to suit the water exposure your project will get.