If you have used your fire pit for a while, you will notice that it is not as shiny as the first time you bought it, and you might be thinking of giving it a coat of paint to renew it.
Finding the right paint for your firepit is not as simple as picking any colour of paint in the market and smearing it on your firepit. A lot of thought goes into it.
The foremost consideration is the type of paint that will stand the great amount of heat that your firepit will be exposed to. Most paint will peel at the slightest increase in heat.
Heat resistant or high heat paints are the only kind of paint you should use on your firepit. Today, we will let you in on the best kind of paint to use on your firepit and how to apply this paint.
Can You Spray Paint On A Gas Firepit?
Of course, you can spray paint on your gas firepit to make it look new again. However, your everyday paint will not cut it because you require a paint formulated to withstand very high heat.
The heat from a gas can get up to 800°F, and ordinary paints will peel at this temperature, heat resistant paints that are readily available in the market is your best option.
What Kind Of Paint Do You Use On A Firepit?
When working with direct flame heat, it’s best to get the highest heat-resistant enamel paint, like a barbecue, fire pit, or woodstove.
A fire pit or wood stove can get as hot as 800℉ to 2000℉, rendering any other paint insanely flammable and useless.
Firepit produces direct flame heat, and so they require the highest heat resistant enamel paint. Some gas-burning Firepit can get as 1200°F in temperature while the wood-burning firepit can get to and high 2000°F, and most paints become flammable and peel at this heat level.
So for a firepit, high heat paints are recommended, which are specially designed to withstand very high heat without becoming flammable; some of these paints do not rust or corrode even when exposed to the elements.
What Paint Is Heat Resistant?
The resistant paints can withstand the heat of more than 200°F and remain the way they are without peeling. They provide deep colour for the firepit even under such high heat and against rain and the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
Some of these paints that are heat resistant include:
- Rust-Oleum Automotive
- KBS Xtreme
- Rutland Black
- Thermo-Tec Cool It
- Rust-Oleum 251591
- Stove Bright
- Krylon Max
- POR-15 44000 Series
- Helix Racing 165-102
How Do You Paint A Fire Pit Outside?
If you want to paint the outside of a firepit, endure that you pick a high heat paint that will work well on the outside of your firepit. The materials you will include:
Materials
- A high heat paint like Krylon High Heat Max– Copper
- All-purpose cleaner or degreaser
- Wire brush or sandpaper
- Drop cloth
- Rag
- Tape ( the one used by painters)
Procedure:
1. Choose a well-ventilated area for this task, and then set up a spray area so that the paint does not spray on surfaces. You should cover the spray area with a drop cloth.
2. Prep the surface of the firepit by sanding the rough areas. The areas that are getting rusty can be cleaned with a wire brush to remove the rust.
3. Then use the all-purpose cleaner or degreaser to clean the firepit thoroughly and then rinse the title with water and leave it to dry.
4. You should then tape off all the parts that do not want to be painted using the painter’s tape.
5. Hold the can of paint about 6 inches away from the surface of the firepit, and then paint using a sweeping side-to-side movement in such a way that they overlap so that you get a clean finish afterwards.
6. Leave the paint to dry for at least a minute; afterwards, apply another coat of paint and leave to dry for a minute too. Give as much coat as you want until you get the appearance you like.
7. You should not touch the surface until at least after 10 minutes of applying the last coat. You can even carry the firepit after one hour, but you can only use it after 24 hours of spraying the paint.
This paint should be used fr the outside the firepit that does not come in direct contact with the flame.
How Do You Fix a Rust Hole in a Fire Pit?
This can be accomplished best using a fibreglass cloth kit purchased at any automotive supply store. It doesn’t matter if the rust hole is large or small; this system will work well.
Fixing a rust hole in a firepit can be dicey because there are no guarantees that the repair will last; however, easy steps can be attempted to fix the rust hole, which is done by providing a strong repair that will not crack. You will need a fibreglass cloth kit for this repair.
The following steps should be followed in fixing the rust hole in your fire pit:
1. Remove any loose debris from the rusted area and cut away any excess trim so that you are left with a giant hole that has no rust around it.
2. Then grind away all the rust left, primer and paint about 5 inches around the edge of the rust hole. You then insert a 24-grit disc into a grinder.
3. Use a 100-grit sanding block to sand the surface so that you end up with a clear and shiny surface. You should tap the edges of the rust hole inwards using a ball-peen hammer
4. Then, cut a piece of release film at least 3 inches larger than the sanded area around the rust hole. This release film comes with a fibreglass cloth kit. Then lay the film over the rust hole and then mark the sanded area with a pencil. Then leave the firepit as it is for some time.
5. Two pieces of fibreglass should be measured that will be used to cover the repair. The first piece of fibreglass should be an inch smaller than the same dedicated area, while the other should be 2 inches smaller than the sanded area. Then lay these pieces of fibreglass on a flat surface.
6. A layer of autobody repair jelly should be spread over the release film. The smaller piece of fiberglass should be placed on top of the film while you spread more repair jelly on the fiberglass cloth. The larger fiberglass cloth should then be placed on the smaller one
7. Place the entire repair material over the rust hole, but you must ensure that the release film is facing outwards. Then use a spreader to smoothen the material outwards so that you can expel air bubbles that might be trapped in the patch.
8. Leave the repair to cure properly for about 24 hours and then remove the released film. Then use an electric drill and a sanding disc for sanding the entire area. You should finish off the job with a block sander to get a perfect finish.
9. Use the filler material found on the kit to fill any low spots, and then allow the filler to dry so that you can file down the filler and soothe it using 80-grit sandpaper.
10. Apply a topcoat and hardener found in the kit using a spreader to get a smoother finish. Then finally, use a 200 and afterwards 400 grit sanding block to smoothen the topcoat.
And there you have it; the rust hole is fixed, you can decide afterwards to prime and paint the firepit if you so wish.
Can You Paint A Cinder Block Firepit?
Yes, you can paint a cinder block fire pit, especially if the colour does not fit into the overall design of your home or if the existing paint is beginning to wear away.
However, you will have to prep the surface properly of the paint to adhere to the cinder block.
The steps below will show you how to paint tour cinder block firepit:
1. Wear protective clothing, including a dust mask, gloves and safety glasses
2. Use a wire bish to scrub away any dust, soot, peeling paint or surface efflorescence on the cinder block fire pit.
3. Use a putty knife to scrape out loose mortar and debris that are inside cracks.
4. Then, make a mixture of half cup of trisodium phosphate powder in a bucket of warm water.
5. Spread this trisodium mixture that you just made on the surface of the cinder block fire pit and then scrub with a wire brush. The mixture will help to remove dirt, efflorescence and grease that are left in the firepit.
6. Use a solution of bleach and water to clean away any stain made by mildew. Dip a clean cloth into the bleach mixture that has 25% bleach and 75% water and use it to wipe the cinder block, especially the areas that have the mildew stain
7. Leave a little of the bleach mixture on the stain for about 20 minutes so that any stubborn stain will vanish.
8. Then rinse the cinder block with clean water and leave it to dry properly. Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand down any rough spots.
9. Use siliconized acrylic caulk to seal any cracking and hole in the cinder block. Use a putty knife to press the caulk into openings and then smoothen the surface. The second coat of caulk should be applied if necessary; if not, the unit should be allowed to dry
10. Use a paint roller to apply a coat of latex block on the cinder. This block filler seals any remaining gap, and this is to ensure that the surface is ready to be primed and painted. If you do not apply this latex block, the cinder block will absorb a lot of the paint when you paint it, which means you will have to spend more time, energy and resources to apply more coats of paint.
11. Apply an exterior latex primer used on masonry surfaces and allow this primer to dry for about 8 hours.
12. Then, apply a coating of exterior acrylic latex masonry paint to the cinder block firepit, ensuring that all the cracking and crevices are properly painted.
13. You should allow the paint to dry for about 12 hours. You can apply a second coat afterwards to ensure that you don’t need to paint the firepit any sooner.
Can You Paint a Wood Burning Firepit?
You can paint a wood-burning firepit in as much as you buy a heat-resistant or high heat paint that can withstand the very high temperature that a wood-burning firepit is subjected to.
The same way paint a gas-burning firepit, so too you will do for a wide burning fire pit; the only difference is that you will need more time to prep the surface and need more coating of paint than usual.
How Do You Paint A Rusted Metal Firepit?
Before you paint a rusted metal firepit, you need to remove the rust and clean the surface properly. To clean the rust and paint the firepit, you will be needing the following :
- Cans of high heat paint like the Rust-Oleum High Heat Ultra Enamel Spray: Black, Aged Copper or Silver
- Sandpaper,
- Stripping pad
- Drop cloth
- Denatured alcohol
- Dish soap
- Gloves
- Washcloth
Procedure:
1. Use a stripping pad and soapy water to wash the rusted fire pit to remove any dirt, ash, or debris collected in the unit. Then rinse the firepit and allow it to dry.
2. Remove any built-up rust and chipping paint by sanding the firepit. Coarse sandpaper should be used as this will make the surface rough and allow the paint to stick.
3. While wearing the gloves, dip a washcloth in the denatured alcohol and then apply it on the surface of the firepit. This will remove any other debris or substance that will keep the paint from sticking to the firepit. Allow it to dry for about half an hour.
4. Then, place the firepit on a cloth and then spray the paint 10 inches away from the firepit surface, in a back-and-forth motion. You can apply more than one coat of paint, depending on how you want your firepit to look.
5. Leave the paint to dry for about an hour or two. And there you have it: your rusted firepit is restored.
Conclusion: What Kind of Paint Do You Use on a Fire Pit
An old-looking or rusted firepit can be an eyesore instead of being a centrepiece in your house. You can remedy this little challenge by applying a coat or two of the right paint to restore your firepit.
Not all paints can be used on firepit because firepits can be exposed to very high heat, and at this high temperature, many paints begin to peel and become flammable.
That is why it is recommended that you use heat-resistant or high heat paint specially formulated to withstand the kind of heat that your firepit generates.
Helpful links:
- 4 Best Fire bowls You Should Choose From
- What Does Mesquite Smoke Taste Like?
- Can You Put A Fire Pit On Trex Composite Decking?
- Can I Make My Own Fire Pit Insert (If Yes, How Simple)
- How To Make a Propane Fire Pit Smell Better
- How To Protect a Wooden Deck from a Fire Pit
- How Do You Make a Square Fire Pit Insert? (12 Easy Steps)
We trust this article helped you know What Kind of Paint Do You Use on a Fire Pit? You may also want to check out How Do You Keep Your Fire Pit from Rusting?
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How Do You Keep Your Fire Pit from Rusting?
