Paint for Steam Radiators

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Despite the ratings, nearly any common paint seems to hold up fine on radiators--water or steam. Just don't ever paint bare iron with latex paint!

ed broderick_3

Painting of Steam Radiators

I understand that Krylon makes a paint for hi-heat applications that is suitable for steam radiators. Anyone have experience with this or other hi-heat paint that will hold up over time. I only have a few to do, but they are located in very visible locations. Appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Mark Adams

IAQ Nightmare

Last fall I responded to an IAQ complaint due to this issue. The architect had called the paint co. and they recommended a particular coating. It was on the print correctly but the project manager did not clearly relay that to the painter who bought the right color of paint, but the wrong base. A week after painting, facilities turned on the steam. An hour after this, I arrived on site to find smoke so thick in the hallway that it was difficult breathing. It took about 1 week for the office area to get totally cleared of the odor and smoke. After 2 days of gathering info, talking to staff, calming down an expectant mother who breathed the stuff, running air samples, yada yada, I was ready to strangle the PM and the painter.

My advise? Check the product info sheet for the paint to ensure it will handle the temps.

In case you're wondering, I'm an engineer working for an EH&S department at a major university.

Mark

BC

Steam Radiator Paint?

I've refinished 2 of my steam radiators so far, and I can say with authority that you should NOT use Rustoleum industrial enamel! It has been curing for 2 years and it still gets soft and smells terrible when hot. Fortunately it is in a room with 2 radiators that are oversized so I can leave it off, otherwise I'd be looking at stripping it again and starting over. I don't remember why I chose it in the first place, I think I found a datasheet somewhere saying it was good to 250F.

On the second one I used a high-heat paint (Krylon, I think) and it works fine. However, the high heat paint finish is very flat, so be aware of that. Also, the colors you can get seem to be very limited.

thfurnitureguy_2

Rustololum Industrial is a urithane and it will not handle the temp it is only rated up to 140* I believe. Standard (non urathane) oil base (Alkid) is fine and I hear good old laytex works also Acrylic enamal car paint and engine enamel ( they all stink for a week or so ) lacquer will peal and flake off. Metalic oil look cool but limit the radiation of the rad. I here glossy also has that effect. Best of luck and prep is everything.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

By "common" paint, was referring to brushed paint--not canned spray paint. Nightmarish overspray and dripping if you try to do a nice job of spray painting a radiator in place.

Radiator brushes for column radiators are available through good paint stores and on the web. For thin-fin-tube radiators get a 1" flat synthetic artist's brush with a hollow ferrule and bend to about 30 degrees with long-nose vice grips or a bench vice.

After generations, iron radiators probably deserve a VERY good cleaning. Remove to the outdoors and use a pressure washer with a zero-degree nozzle.

t. tekushan

second that

I'll second that on the rustoleum. I'm glad I painted only one radiator with it. It took ONLY one year to stop out-gassing! Oh. And it hasn't held up well. Just an added "benefit" I guess.

Steve Garson

I sand blasted my steam thin tube rads to remove 70 years of paint and then painted them with Benjamin Moore Alkyd enamel. It dried just fine and there was no smell or outgassing...but I painted in the summer.

It is also remarkably affordable to electrostatically paint the rads so the paint is drawn to the iron to prevent overspray.

Dave Stroman

After I sand blast mine, I prime them with auto primer. Then I have the home owner paint them the color they want with latex. Latex will not yellow like oil paint will.

Dave in Denver