Rust on Powder Coated Steel

Q. I recently had 100 new, hammered balusters sent out to be powder coated. These were forged steel balusters, single basket, 45 ¼ × 2 ¾ inches, weighing 3.83 lbs.

They each have a basket with a ring above it. I set a couple outside and noticed a slight orange color in the basket after one night of exposure to moisture.

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Is there a remedy at this point that can be used to repair the rusty look? Can the powder coater redo the affected area? I asked an employee from the supplier and he said it was necessary to do a pre-treatment on the balusters with Simple Green or soap to remove any oils or film. He said that maybe the powder coater could remedy it. What is my best solution? Start over, meaning get all new balusters (expensive) and powder coat properly, or use alum L.K.

A. This is a complex question. Is there rust break-out due to a void or a light area in the coating? Is rust bleeding up through the film? You need to know the origin to know the solution. If it is a void or light spot, you could blast clean it and recoat the entire part and it should work as long as you get rid of all the rust. Be sure that all visible rust is gone and recoat the entire part. If the surface is rusted under the coating, you have to strip it off and recoat or make new balusters. If the surface is rusted under the coating, it will continue to spread and break down the coating.