Patio - modern backyard patio idea in San Francisco with a pergola

A closer look at these unique custom designed corbel beams featured in the gallery/entry hall of this French themed home. Photo Credit- Laurie Fryar Photography

Howard Roberts
Pool - eclectic pool idea in New York

Appearing as though this structure has stood in it's current spot for decades, this amazing pool house was created by Restoring Texas using mostly reclaimed materials harvested from local dilapidated Texas historical structures. Particularly, the siding, columns, doors, windows and many of other elements were salvaged from a Texas Craftsman style sharecropper home built in 1930. The tin was taken from the roofs of an early 1900's Texas barn. Historic signs such as the "Poss Pool Palace" sign bearing the name of its owners are reproduced and personalized by a local artist. Restoring Texas works closely with skilled builders and designers, and of course the home owners, throughout Texas to build these amazing works of art.

Wine cellar - mid-sized traditional travertine floor and multicolored floor wine cellar idea in Raleigh with storage racks

This close up image shows off our hand-carved and hand-painted Medieval Floral Tiles in the color combination Helsinki. These tiles are part of a kitchen backsplash and are directly above the stove.

Sean Stiegemeier
Kitchen - industrial kitchen idea in Los Angeles

Does your iron fence look like Chicago winters have been winning the battle for years? That slow orange spread across pickets and rails is not just an eyesore - it is active corrosion undermining the structural integrity of metalwork that frames some of Chicago's most architecturally significant residential properties. Windy City Painters addresses iron fence rust at the source, using professional-grade rust conversion chemistry and direct-to-metal coatings engineered for the specific abuse Chicago's climate delivers. PROJECT OVERVIEW This project involved a heavily rusted ornamental iron fence on a Chicago North Side residential property. Rust had progressed beyond surface oxidation into moderate pitting on lower rails, a pattern Windy City Painters sees frequently on properties within blocks of treated roadways where salt drift accelerates corrosion. The scope included mechanical descaling, chemical rust conversion, DTM priming, and a durable gloss topcoat matched to the original fence color. MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS Ospho Rust Converter: A phosphoric acid-based treatment that chemically reacts with iron oxide, converting it to iron phosphate - a stable, paintable compound. Corroseal Water-Based Rust Converter is an alternative for situations requiring lower VOC handling. Rust-Oleum Professional DTM Primer and Sherwin-Williams DTM Acrylic Coating serve as the primary coating system, formulated for direct metal adhesion with built-in rust inhibitors. For structurally compromised sections, welding is coordinated before any chemical or coating work begins. THE PROCESS Step 1 - Mechanical Preparation: Wire wheel grinding on an angle grinder removes loose rust scale, mill scale, and flaking paint. For advanced pitting, Windy City Painters deploys a needle gun descaler, which impacts the metal surface thousands of times per minute to drive scale from deep cavities. This step determines whether the fence can be coated or needs welding first. Step 2 - Chemical Rust Conversion: Ospho or Corroseal is brushed onto all remaining rust surface. These products do not simply seal rust - they react with it. The conversion process takes 24 hours to fully cure before topcoating. Skipping this step is the single most common reason iron fence paint jobs fail prematurely. Step 3 - DTM Priming: Sherwin-Williams DTM or Rust-Oleum DTM primer is applied by brush to ensure full penetration around decorative elements, picket tips, and weld joints. Spray application is used on open sections for even film build. DTM formulations bond directly to prepared metal without a separate shop primer. Step 4 - Finish Coating: A DTM topcoat in gloss or semi-gloss provides the final weather barrier. Gloss is preferred for iron fencing because the harder surface sheds water more effectively and resists dirt adhesion between maintenance cycles. Windy City Painters applies two finish coats for maximum film thickness. CHICAGO-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES Chicago's freeze-thaw cycle is the primary enemy of iron fence coatings. Water infiltrates micro-cracks in paint film, freezes, expands, and delaminate coating from beneath. Properties on the North Side and Near West Side also contend with lake-effect humidity that keeps metal surfaces damp for extended periods, slowing cure times and promoting under-film corrosion if preparation is inadequate. Greystones and Victorian brownstones typically feature ornate cast iron or wrought iron fencing with complex geometries that trap moisture and demand hand-brush application to fully coat recesses. WHAT TO EXPECT LONG-TERM A properly prepared and coated iron fence in Chicago should hold 5-8 years before requiring recoating. Annual inspection of weld joints, picket tips, and base rails closest to grade will identify early rust return. Addressing small spots with touch-up converter and primer extends service life significantly between full recoats. PRO TIPS Tip 1: Never pressure wash a rusted iron fence immediately before painting. Water drives moisture into pits and delays the surface drying needed for chemical converter adhesion. Allow 48 hours of dry weather before prep begins. Tip 2: Picket tips and rail ends are the first failure points. These end-grain equivalent areas on metal concentrate corrosion. Ask your painter to apply an extra brush coat to every tip and terminus. Tip 3: Black is the traditional and most durable color choice for iron fencing. Dark pigments absorb UV rather than reflecting it, reducing thermal cycling stress on the paint film at color change boundaries. FAQ Q: What does iron fence painting cost in Chicago? A: Most residential iron fence painting in Chicago ranges from $400 to $1,200 depending on linear footage, rust severity, prep method required, and whether structural welding is needed before Windy City Painters can coat the surface. Q: How do I know if my fence needs a welder before painting? A: If you can press a screwdriver through a rail or picket, the metal wall has failed. Windy City Painters inspects all fencing before quoting and identifies weld-required sections so repairs happen before any coating investment. Q: Is Ospho or Corroseal better for my fence? A: Both convert rust effectively. Ospho is solvent-based and fast-acting, preferred for heavy rust. Corroseal is water-based with lower odor, preferred in enclosed or residential settings where off-gassing is a concern. Windy City Painters selects based on site conditions. Q: Can iron fence painting be done in winter in Chicago? A: Application requires temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for DTM coatings to cure properly. Most iron fence painting in Chicago runs April through October, with scheduling flexibility based on extended warm stretches. Q: How do I maintain my fence between professional recoats? A: Inspect annually in spring. Sand any rust spots to bare metal with 80-grit paper, apply Ospho, let cure 24 hours, then spot-prime with DTM primer and touch up with finish coat. Windy City Painters offers maintenance inspections. Q: Do you paint courtyard building fences and coach house gates? A: Yes. Multi-unit courtyard buildings and coach houses are common in the North Side neighborhoods Windy City Painters serves. We coordinate with property managers and HOAs for larger perimeter fence projects. Q: How long after painting can I touch the fence? A: DTM coatings are typically dry to touch in 2-4 hours and hard dry in 24 hours. Full cure for maximum hardness takes 7 days. Windy City Painters advises against pressure washing or heavy contact during that cure window. Visit windypainters.com to request your free iron fence assessment and project quote.

This library/office was treated with stationary panels on each side of the window. The top treatment is an inverted box pleat valance trimmed with a contrast banding along the lower edge. A Hunter Douglas 2" Silhouette is underneath for privacy and light control.

Inspiration for a tropical home design remodel in Hawaii

This oversized version of the Standard Audio Credenza is in cherry veneer. The client required two rows of vinyl record storage, to hold over 500 LP's. Photography by Mark Dawursk

Spanning three levels, this elegant modern staircase transforms light into a design element. Suspended by open risers, the dark wood treads appear to float between floors as natural light cascades from the top floor windows down through the entire stairwell. The horizontal stainless steel rods create clean, uninterrupted sightlines while emphasizing the architectural volume beneath the landings. The result is a vertical journey defined by transparency and light. 1976-2025 © Century Stair Company

Jennifer Mayo Studios
Example of a small beach style l-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen design with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, turquoise cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Composite Deck with Trex Transcend Spiced Rum and Screened-in Porch. Built by Decksouth.
Example of a large trendy backyard outdoor kitchen deck design in Atlanta with a roof extension

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2017 Houzz
Living room - eclectic living room idea in New York

Trendy staircase photo in Portland Maine

Detail-oriented cable management. This basement telephone jack is mounted to a wall with an open backside (into the workshop area). The extra cable that is normally left in the wall to future-proof connections is neatly coiled and placed in a manner to minimize unsightliness. Project background: A whole-home re-wire. DemNET Technologies was brought in to remove and recycle old, outdated wiring, and re-wire this home with modern, high speed cable. DemNET also installed a structured wiring center and telecom rack, ran new wires to the outdoor service boxes, installed a HDTV antenna in the attic, and installed 7.1 surround sound in the family room, with a Zone 2 setup in the basement. Photo: DemNET Technologies