As you can see in the photos, the building next door provides a stark contrast between our work and what has not been touched for 50 years. The cast iron balcony has a great story. It actually is owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art . Apparently, during the Civil War, part of the balcony was buried in the backyard since the metal itself was to be used to make munitions! 

Instead of just painting directly over somewhat rusty metal, we used a grinder and sander to remove any loose paint, then applied a special oil-based rust-inhibitive primer, then a full coat of oil gloss paint. Over time, the paint will wear down: it’s doing its job, functioning as the outermost architectural layer of the house, rebuffing the wind and rain, preventing oxidation. 10 years from now, instead of having to do a lots of prep work, a coat of paint will do the job.