We recently moved into an old house which has granite walls and steps out front, with a steel railing mounted on top of the granite wall. The granite is covered with about 50 years worth of general pollution as well as rust stains from the steel railings which isn’t the best either. Any suggestions? (M Fleming  D6).

  1. Use a pressure washer first though to clean away most of the grime off the granite.
  2. Then apply the Net-Trol. Depending on how filthy the granite is will determine what strength of Net-Trol to use. If really bad, use neat, otherwise, you can dilute up to 4 parts water to 1 part Net-Trol. Follow instructions carefully and you will end up with a lovely new granite wall for all intents and purposes. 

Next, sort out the railing rust with Owatrol oil first followed by a good oil-based metal primer like Lowe Rust Primer, with an oil-based gloss on top of that to finish. (a good tip is to mix the Owatrol into both the primer and gloss coats) You could skip the Lowe coat but you’re better off doing the job properly by including it. Owatrol is highly effective on the rust source, but before you do all that, lay a strip of plastic sheeting or even cling film all along the top of the granite so as to catch any stray drops of Owatrol or paint that might drip down. Follow the instructions carefully, but if you have any doubts about what to do, Contact Us: 01 830 2250 or Email: info@igoe.ie