4 Precautions to Take When Painting Stainless Steel

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Hello, my name is Gary. When I went into business, I didn't have a great deal of money. The lack of funds meant that I had to buy commercial premises which had seen better days. The roof was leaking, the plumbing was causing problems in the bathrooms and the interior walls were in need of repair. Thankfully, my brother loaned me some money so I could call in some contractors to work on the building before I opened it to my customers. The workmen were great, they carried out a quick but professional repair and I was able to open for business. My business is doing really well and I couldn't be happier with the building. I decided to start this blog to offer advice to others who are considering hiring construction contractors.

4 Precautions to Take When Painting Stainless Steel

23 February 2017
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog

Stainless steel products, such as railings, can last for long without any surface coating. However, you may need to paint them for a variety of reasons, such as matching their colour to the surrounding colour theme. This article discusses some precautions that you should take if you want to paint stainless steel products after they have been delivered by the fabricator.

Roughen the Surface

Fabricators of stainless steel products usually ensure that the surface is smooth in order to avoid crevices that can trap corrosive agents. Such smooth surfaces may not provide the best conditions for paint to adhere fully on the substrate. You should therefore roughen the surface using an abrasive, such as sandpaper, so that the paint will have a higher chance of adhering properly.

Select Your Tools Carefully

Avoid using any tool, such as a wire brush, that contains iron as you prepare the stainless steel surfaces for applying the paint coating. Iron particles can cause rust spots if they are embedded within stainless steel surfaces. You can also take the added precaution of asking the steel fabricator to apply the primer in the controlled environment of the fabrication shop so that contaminants don't get into the stainless steel. The topcoat can then be applied at the site of installation.

Avoid Metallic Zinc Paints

You should avoid buying paint that contains metallic zinc in its formulation. This is because such paint may cause the stainless steel to become brittle and unstable in case a major fire breaks out at your premises. The zinc in the paint will cause heat to be trapped within the stainless steel until the stainless steel becomes brittle and less strong. You should therefore check the ingredients of the paint that you wish to buy so that you select the variety that doesn't have metallic zinc in it.

Select the Colours Carefully

It is advisable to select primer coats that contrast with the topcoat that you wish to apply on the stainless steel product. Those contrasting colours will help to guide you so that you apply the paint evenly throughout the surfaces of the stainless steel. Uniformity and adequate protection will then be assured once you see that the topcoat doesn't have segments where the contrasting primer coat is visible. The paint coating that you apply will serve its intended purpose, such as displaying your company logo, for a long time without having any detrimental effect on the integrity of the stainless steel. Ask a steel fabrication expert for help in case you lack the experience to paint your stainless steel products on your own.