What Paint

Visited a friend yesterday who due to his disability had some handrails fitted from his front door to his car, they are finished in a smooth bright galvanize his wife wishes to paint them but I suggested for her to hold off saying 'you can't just use any old paint' so any suggestion how best to paint them and with what ? My first though was Hammerite but then thought maybe needing to be etched first.

H

Hi Harry,

When painting galvanised steel proper cleaning/degreasing with for instance an alkaline cleaner is the first step. Make sure the rail is dry before the next step. Next a primer for zinc coated steel, then paint using for instance an acrylic-latex exterior paint or an oil-based paint. You may want to let it dry and apply a second coat.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 12/08/2023 16:30:50

I'm not sure if "T-Wash" is the correct name, but it turns the bright galvanized finish a sort of black colour ready for painting.

If I remember correctly, Hammerite have such a product.

On the other hand, the cheap way, and if you're not in a hurry, would be to wait and let it naturally oxidize for about 6 months before painting.

I'm with Bosun, let nature do the weathering it will do it far better but leave it much longer than 6 months. Why paint galvanised finish ? I have seen properly etched and primed galv just flake off. It will weather to a light grey. Noel

Thanks for suggestions so far Noel you ask Why paint galvanised finish ? Well as I said it's a friend of mine if it were me I would just leave it as is but at the moment it's very bright and really stands out

H

Hi Harry,

My suggestion is powder coat.

Peter.

+1 for leavig it to weather naturally - it's a bit like painting brickwork, once you start, you have to keep on maintaining it.

Rob

As suggested. Leave gal finish to weather naturally and the bright shine will disappear and will allow for a better bond with paint if you still want to go that way. Any painted surface will chip. How do you powder coat an already installed handrail without pulling it apart ?

Paul Lousick To powder coat gal wouldn't you have to clean first with some degreaser type product , as you and others have pointed out weathering is really the best.

The correct primer for painting a galvanized surface is "Calcium Plumbate". It's available at some DIY outlets as I have seen it.

I live near Droitwich and the DIY place "Wigleys" near Stourport used to have it on their shelves.

How do I know about this primer??

Well, I used to work at a steel fabricators/ erectors and Dave , the boss, would take on anything.

The Severn bridge taking the M50 over the river was galvanized steel and when first erected it was just painted over.

The paint came off "in sheets" he said. So he took on the job of stripping and repainting said bridge.

Calcium plumbate was the primer specified for the job.

The old rule with galvanised corrugated sheet was to allow the galvanise to "weather" for a year before applying a paint finish, though nowadays there may be suitable primer paints,could they be powder coated?

Hi and thanks for all the replies Stephen "Calcium Plumbate". rings a bell with me but I can't think why, Peter can't powder coat the handrail is concreted into the pathway

H

Bedec MSP (Multi Surface Paint) is a paint I use on external joinery. It can be painted directly onto pretty much anything but in the details it states it can be painted onto galvanised steel after it has been left to weather