How to paint steam riser pipes?
Bringing up a topic that seems to have lots of opinions- how to properly paint steam riser pipes. I see people who say you need special high heat paint and then people who say regular old wall paint will work fine. The guy at Leopoldi’s says to just use regular Ben Moore paint and that the need for high heat paint is a myth. Anyone with knowledge of this want to chime in? Thank you!

Guest User | 6 years and 2 months ago
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deanbh | 6 years and 2 months ago
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I’ve used Rustoleum hi temp why spray on our Burnham radiators.
Worked great.

Guest User | 6 years and 2 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "197981"
Look into natural linseed oil paints (Ottosson, Allback, Viking brands). Works like a charm on iron. Long lasting protection and NATURAL – no plastic, no nasty chemicals.

Guest User | 6 years and 2 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "197981"
Look into natural linseed oil paints (Ottosson, Allback, Viking brands). Works like a charm on iron. Long lasting protection and NATURAL – no plastic, no nasty chemicals.

stevecym | 6 years and 2 months ago
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I saw this post the other day and sat on it while I tried to think what I did in my own house 13 years ago as it has held up really well. i know i sprayed them and i think i used rustoleum high temperature paint (white). no issues. i cannot recall if i primed them though and if i did i would have used whatever was recommended on the paint can (because as a contractor i am supposed to say that when I am using something I am not familiar with I follow the manufacturer’s directions be it in my own house or yours but especially with adhesives and finishes as we want them to last a long time). go with the rustoleam and read the directions. also, i would not used latex paint as it may not level out like the sprayed finish (mine look like a pro did them and spraying was part of the reason;; i have seen radiators done with latex and they look like they were, well, done with latex) and latex is not easy to sand out if you choose to do so. it i were to brush, i would use the Ben Moore DTM Oil finishes. they brush on nice. add a little penetrol and they smooth out ni ce. and if you screw it up you can lightly sand it and put another coat on.
also, i am speaking about doing finer work on pipes. i radiators that are rough cast with imperfections from the process, i would not worry so much as nothing you do will make them look better. would still stay away from latex.
in so far as radiator output, i cannot speak to that.
steve
www.thetinkerswagon.com

ellenlourie | 6 years and 2 months ago
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There better option to control radiator output, not only by paint color.

ellenlourie | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Silver and bronze paint are used to reduce radiator output, these radiators used to be oversized due some regulations decades ago.

stickerhappy | 6 years and 2 months ago
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So if silver paint reduces heat output, why do so many do it?
And what is better option?
I thought about bare metal with clear coat finish.

ellenlourie | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Color of the paint affects amount of heat coming from radiator. Silver or bronze color reduce heat output.

nope | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Also as for the durability question, does it matter if the riser is primed or prepared in some way before painting?

nope | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Also as for the durability question, does it matter if the riser is primed or prepared in some way before painting?

nope | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Another question besides durability might be whether the tyoe of paint used affects the amount of heat transmitted to the surrounding air, both for risers and for steam radiators. Do some types of paint actually serve to block this heat transmission a bit more than others? Is it enough to matter?

nope | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Another question besides durability might be whether the tyoe of paint used affects the amount of heat transmitted to the surrounding air, both for risers and for steam radiators. Do some types of paint actually serve to block this heat transmission a bit more than others? Is it enough to matter?

ellenlourie | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Steam temperature at atmospheric pressure is 212F, with pressure rise temperature goes up as well, up to 240F at 5 PSI. Judge accordingly.

stickerhappy | 6 years and 2 months ago
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So is the concern with all this how well the paint stays put on the pipe or the potential off gassing of heat on paint?

yudashasom | 6 years and 2 months ago
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Regular paint is fine. I prefer oil based for metal, but I’m sure people will say that’s bad to use indoors.

slopefarm | 6 years and 2 months ago
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This is totally anecdotal. We found a real difference based on how close to the boiler the painted riser is. So regular paint peeled when applied to our parlor floor risers but did just fine on the upper floors. I suspect that it because the pipes get just that much hotter closer to the source, but I don’t know. On the parlor floor, we had success with spray-on enamel paint, but that give you few color choices.