DIY Matters - Painting copper pipe work

[pmanson]

Evening All,

Returned from our honeymoon late on Monday night and spent Tuesday decorating the kitchen (Builders/plasterers were in while we were away have basically replastered both room downstairs.

I need to paint some copper pipe work to match the walls and box another set of pipes in.

What paint should I use copper pipe and/or do I need to use a primer etc. I'll need to paint some of the pipework red and the other bits in the standard magnolia.

Cheers in advance!

Phill

[xllifts]

Firstly wire wool the pipes to remove any old flux left over, undercoat and then Gloss as normal.

[Neil_Sc]

Phil, you'll need an oil based paint.

I tend to go for Dulux, they have a metal primer and then a top coat, it's quite clear as it says on the bottom of the tin, for metal.

Any DIY store should be able to point you in the right direction.

[pmanson]

Neil_Sc said:

Phil, you'll need an oil based paint.

I tend to go for Dulux, they have a metal primer and then a top coat, it's quite clear as it says on the bottom of the tin, for metal.

Any DIY store should be able to point you in the right direction.

So I don't need anything 'heat proof' then?

Excellent back to the DIY store at the weekend then!

[xllifts]

pmanson said:

Neil_Sc said:

Phil, you'll need an oil based paint.

I tend to go for Dulux, they have a metal primer and then a top coat, it's quite clear as it says on the bottom of the tin, for metal.

Any DIY store should be able to point you in the right direction.

So I don't need anything 'heat proof' then?

Excellent back to the DIY store at the weekend then!

No nothing heat proof and if you wire wool the pipes down you won't need a primer

[Mars]

Blimey, I just paint the pipes with the same emulsion I do the walls with. Needs a few coats but seems to work fine.

[pmanson]

xllifts said:

pmanson said:

Neil_Sc said:

Phil, you'll need an oil based paint.

I tend to go for Dulux, they have a metal primer and then a top coat, it's quite clear as it says on the bottom of the tin, for metal.

Any DIY store should be able to point you in the right direction.

So I don't need anything 'heat proof' then?

Excellent back to the DIY store at the weekend then!

No nothing heat proof and if you wire wool the pipes down you won't need a primer

Lovely job! Cheers guys

[Autonotiv]

As said, oil based undercoat and top coat.

[Globulator]

Mars said:

Blimey, I just paint the pipes with the same emulsion I do the walls with. Needs a few coats but seems to work fine.

+1

Use two coats, job done.

[Viper_Larry]

Can you not use Radsnap Pipe Sleeves? Plastic white sleeves that cover the pipe - looks very neat, but I guess it depends how much pipe you have to cover. Just clips over the pipe to make it look like white plastic pipe.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=d...

[pmanson]

Viper_Larry said:

Can you not use Radsnap Pipe Sleeves? Plastic white sleeves that cover the pipe - looks very neat, but I guess it depends how much pipe you have to cover. Just clips over the pipe to make it look like white plastic pipe.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=d...

One set of pipes runs all the way down one wall (ceiling to floor) and about 7ft across to the middle of the wall. The other set of pipes again runs floor to ceiling (this part to be boxed in) then through the wall and another 7ft along into the middle of the wall in the other room.

[VxDuncan]

pmanson said:

Viper_Larry said:

Can you not use Radsnap Pipe Sleeves? Plastic white sleeves that cover the pipe - looks very neat, but I guess it depends how much pipe you have to cover. Just clips over the pipe to make it look like white plastic pipe.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=d...

One set of pipes runs all the way down one wall (ceiling to floor) and about 7ft across to the middle of the wall. The other set of pipes again runs floor to ceiling (this part to be boxed in) then through the wall and another 7ft along into the middle of the wall in the other room.

Sounds like it would all benefit from boxing in, plus you could insulate it as well if required. Take it you can't replace with chrome pipe?

[King Herald]

Get some Solvol Autosol on the job and have mirror polished copper piping exposed hither and you. Go for the renaissance engineering look.

[AntwerpMan]

Globulator said:

Mars said:

Blimey, I just paint the pipes with the same emulsion I do the walls with. Needs a few coats but seems to work fine.

+1

Use two coats, job done.

+2

This works fine and ensures you have the same colour as your walls so the pipes dont stand out. It may not be as durable as some of the other solutions but unless you are planning on handcuffing yourself (or the Mrs) to the pipes it will be good enough

[M400 NBL]

I'll be doing the same soon. I just had a new boiler fitted...and it turns out that the original pipe needed to be increased from 15mm to 22mm. Rather than lift the floor in the lounge and kitchen, they went from the meter outside, into the lounge and along the top of the wall. A bit of an eyesaw, being 22mm, but I really didn't want to be taking out part of the kitchen to get the floor up.

I'll try emulsion while i'm decorating the lounge....but use an undercoat first.

[davido140]

Globulator said:

Mars said:

Blimey, I just paint the pipes with the same emulsion I do the walls with. Needs a few coats but seems to work fine.

+1

Use two coats, job done.

+1 me too, 2 coats of emulsion and never had any problems, they match the walls better this way rather than shiny shiny gloss pipes!

[Globulator]

King Herald said:

Get some Solvol Autosol on the job and have mirror polished copper piping exposed hither and you. Go for the renaissance engineering look.

Just don't invite any pikeys round to tea