Tricks to Paint Metal Plumbing Pipes
Exposed metal pipes may become a problem in interior and exterior decoration. Several designers try to paint them to decrease their negative impact. Sometimes, seepage and peeling paint can make the situation worse. Fortunately, you can paint every pipe, such as cast iron, black iron, galvanized metal, or copper.
Make sure to pay attention to adhesion and sealing before painting. Apply primer and let it dry before applying your favorite paint. You may get appealing results with spray paint. If you wonder How To Paint Your Plumbing Pipes, see these instructions:
Prepare Pipes for Painting
New pipes often come with a surface coating. You have to remove this coating before using the primer. You may not find this coating in old pipes, but there will be a fine film of oily residue or rust. Make sure to remove this residue to avoid flaking and peeling. Before preparation, you have to consider the metal. If you are unable to determine metal, call professionals like Las Vegas plumbing.
Galvanized Ducts and Pipes
The new galvanized pipes come with an oily coating that dries off gradually with the age of metal. Under this coating, you will find a passivator. The purpose of this passivator is to inhibit the white rust formation. See these steps for cleaning:
Use a degreasing soap to wash the surface of the duct or pipe. Put one-ounce dish detergent or household cleaner in one gallon of lukewarm water.
Wait for a few minutes until the surface dry and use a rag to rub the grease down. Make sure to soak a rag in vinegar. It is necessary to scratches the passivator.
Old galvanized pipes may have a layer of white rust. You can wash off this layer with a soaked rag in vinegar. Feel free to use 120-grit to clean a rusted metal.
Cast Iron and Black Pipes
New cast iron and black pipes may not have passivators. They may come with an oily coating to hinder rust formation. In this situation, the paint may not adhere and easily come off. Use acetone or mineral spirits to rub down the pipe. If you are noticing rust on pipes, use sandpaper to remove rust. You will need a rust inhibitor to treat metal before painting.
Copper Pipes
You may not find any passivator or oily coating on copper pipes. These may not need treatment before priming. Still, you can rub these pipes down with mineral spirit or acetone before painting. It is a good way to clean any oily deposit.
Old pipes of copper may have a blue-green coating. You have to scrub this coating off with a wire brush or wool. Feel free to use a paste of vinegar or lemon juice and salt. Moreover, there is no need to remove old paint from plumbing pipes before recoating. If you want to strip this pain, use one stripper to handle this job easily.
After cleaning pipes, you can apply a coat of priming and then painting. Carefully follow the instructions of manufacturing when using priming and painting.