As we all know, a wood burning stove can deteriorate after many years of being heated to high temperatures and then cooling down. The surface often develops scratches, chipping paint or even rust. Everything has a significant impact on the appearance of the stove, which does not impress and is not a nice decoration in your home. Therefore, if you want to take proper care of it and restore its former look, it needs to be painted and well protected. Are you unsure how to do that? Don’t worry, in this article you will find out the best way to paint your stove and enjoy it.
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Step-by-step stove painting
The primary action you can carry out quickly and effortlessly yourself is to conserve your wood stove with heat-resistant spray paint. Without any doubt, this is one of the best ways to keep your stove eye-pleasing and good-looking as new. There are several basic steps that should be followed when using a high temp stove paint.
Painting wood stoves with high temp paint is not such a simple matter. At first, the paints must be specially formulated for use in a particular way. Before painting, it is advisable to contact the manufacturers of the stove to make sure that a certain brand of stove can be coated with this paint. As you can see, it’s not just spraying paint, but many other things that need to be carefully considered. Now it’s time to get down to work, so find out how to do it.
Disconnection of the stove
The wood stove has to be taken outside and painted there because the generated fumes would be harmful to the health of the householders. Before detaching it from the chimney, it is a good idea to clean the chimney to get rid of any dirt that might fall out. Now remove the vertical and horizontal flue pipe from the stove and all remaining accessories. The opening must be covered with a cap or any cloth. The fireplace inserts also required painting and ought to be removed. Don’t forget to clean the stove and remove the ash pan. Now it is high time to find a suitable space where the wood burner can be painted. It must be a neat place with little air movement. Then read the instructions on the paint thoroughly regarding the ambient temperature.
Choice of the appropriate paint
There are many stove paint manufacturers on the market. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the quality of the paint plays a key role and has a significant impact on the final result after painting. Stove paint can be applied either in spray or paint form, although spray-painting may be more straightforward, as well as quicker solution. You are highly advised to paint the stove in the same colour as it was originally produced. A large number of stoves are painted black. Since the steel is dark in colour, the black colour fits in perfectly and gives the stove a shine. However, regardless of which colour you pick, you should be sure that the peak temperature is in line with the peak burn temperature. In addition, in order to avoid a nasty smell from the stove, you need to find out whether the paint you have chosen can be used for domestic use.
Old paint stripping
The previous layer on the stove surface does not necessarily have to be completely removed. Sandpaper can be used to smooth out paint chips and flakes. Whereas, if you want to remove rust stains, this can be done with a wire brush. The spray paint layer is not thick, so the oven must be perfectly smooth before painting. It is also necessary to remove all parts that would prevent a thorough painting process. Those parts that are difficult to remove can be covered with a layer of paper.
Safety is paramount
When painting, skin and eye protection is of the utmost importance, as paint mist can very easily get into them and beyond. Therefore, you have to hide your eyes, as well as your hands. For full protection you can use latex gloves, whereas for the eyes a disposable mask or glasses will suffice. With this equipment, you can start working.
Painting process
Now it’s time for the most relevant part. When holding the can in your hand, always move from left to right. Keep an appropriate distance from the surface, which should be about 10 cm. It is worth covering the stove with three layers because it will present itself even better. Then leave the stove until it is completely dry (at least 2 days). When the last layer of paint is completely dried, reassemble the stove to reheat and harden the paint.
First burning
New paint emits an unpleasant and noxious smell, so the first burning should be done outside the house. The stove is to be leaded up to the normal operating temperature, which must be maintained for approximately 8 hours. Thanks to that, the paint will be perfectly cured.
Reassembly of the stove
Place the stove where it needs to be. Make sure the flue pipe is securely fastened. Incorrect placement of the pipe could lead to smoke entering the house. The other parts of the stove must also be properly installed. To check that everything is working as it should, you can test the operation of the stove.
Summary
There’s no point buying a new stove if you can refurbish your old one and make it shine like it came out of the shop. Now you know the ropes about what should be done step by step. Don’t worry, the process of painting is not so tough, and you will certainly do everything to all intents and purposes. Without any doubt, the final effects will be breathtaking. Good luck!
