Paint recommendations for galvanised steel?

[Astrokev]

Hi all,

I'd like to paint the pier in my soon to be completed observatory. It is made from galvanised air-conditioning duct tubing. 

Please could anyone recommend a suitable paint? I believe you can get Hamerite especially for galvanised, but I've never used it. Does anyone have experience of using this, or are there better alternatives?

many thanks. 

[upahill]

I would have thought a decent etch primer would be used, which would then allow the use of pretty much any spray paint.

However this site recommends a product called T-Wash as a pre-treatment
https://www.galvanizing.org.uk/painting-galvanized-steel/

[fozzybear]

at work any galvanised pieces to be painted (water based paint) has a horrible smelling primer applied first probably etch primer 

[Davey-T]

You used to be able to get nice acid based etching primer but no doubt it has gone the way of other solvent based paints thanks to elf & safety now everything has gone water based, tried it on some galvanised sheet a while ago and it started peeling after a few months outside.

Inside I'd be inclined to just give it a coat of Hammerite.

Dave

[RayD]

Galvafroid is what we used to use on galv conduits and trunking where cuts and threads were made.

https://www.edwardes.co.uk/en/products/norslo-gp400-galvafroid-paint-400ml-tin-zinc-rich?utm_medium=google_shopping&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhc6AwuiV3wIV65ztCh2ZOguaEAQYASABEgLNvfD_BwE

[fozzybear]

you could just leave it galvanised no harm in that and then spray paint or paint glavafroid  as RayD explained if you have made any cut's/ holes

we used these by the case load every week at 10 euros a pop

https://www.mabeo-direct.com/A-261595-jelt-galvanisation-a-froid-galva-mat?utm_source=twenga&utm_param=eyJlcyI6Mjk5MDczLCJzIjo5NTg4MjM3LCJjaSI6IjAxM2E4ZWFhMmQ1MjRlZTNiZDk1ZTk2OGQ1MGMxZTNmIiwiaSI6IjAiLCJ0cyI6MTU0NDQ2NDI2NSwidiI6Mywic28iOjEyMDAsInAiOjEsImNhIjoxOTU3M30=&utm_campaign=twenga&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAurjgBRCqARIsAD09sg_SYKuFCODa7iYe38X19UFuALMH4wldiaxrnj1UCoeEomUx4AqP5RkaAsxPEALw_wcB

[zacrobmer]

An etching primer will be needed, but should be available in any hardware store. Make sure you give your pillar a good cleaning prior to painting, even if you just installed it. 

I know Rustoleum makes a specific primer for galvanized steel, but I am not sure if it is available on this side of the pond. 

[Astrokev]

Thanks everyone.

I note some of these products are designed to be used on new galvanised. In case it helps, just some extra information - the ducting I used is over 12 years old. The first 5 years of its life were spent in a factory roof space as part of an air-con system. Following decommissioning, the next 5 years or so were spent in the corner of my shed, and then a couple of years in my garden (mostly covered by my observatory).

So, it's definitely not new!. There are a few shinier bits still on the surface, but most of it has dulled down now, with quite a few splashes of concrete which I'll have to scrape off.

[JamesF]

I think you should wallpaper it

James

[fozzybear]

care to post a picture of it,

Any work we do on pre galvanised material get a going over with a flap disk on an angle grinder then gets a good spray of the galvafroid. as long as their is no pitting and colour changes ie to rust colour  as per where the concrete spillage just grind back with a flap disk then respray.

untitled.bmp

[Astrokev]

Damn, just lost the internet on my main PC (posting this on my iPhone). Both running off the same wireless router. Curious ?

[Astrokev]

Interesting, looking at the hammerite "direct to galvanised paint" leaflet I've got here, it says no primer is needed. 

Too good to be true?

[fozzybear]

the air conditioning ducting will either be hot dipped or electrogalvanized and should last a long time I added "pre galvanised" I meant to type galvanised

[Astrokev]

26 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

care to post a picture of it,

 

Not the best pictures, but this is it

[fozzybear]

that funny colour is called "spangle" I think that it's called that in English it is the grains when hot dipped galvanisation process is used nothing to worry about that

[Gina]

Personally, I wouldn't bother to paint it.  Unless, of course, you're going to invite lots of people on tours of your observatory and want it to look posh ?  I left mine as plain concrete...  It had a job to do and didn't need to look particularly nice.

[fozzybear]

BTW are you planning on filling the duct with a concrete mix with fixing bolts in place? you could then cut the ducting away but I would leave it in place and you could also Flock it with wilco flock and stick fuzzy stars and planets on it just a thought....?

[Astrokev]

18 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

BTW are you planning on filling the duct with a concrete mix with fixing bolts in place? you could then cut the ducting away but I would leave it in place and you could also Flock it with wilco flock and stick fuzzy stars and planets on it just a thought....?

The pictures don't show the top of the ducting, but it is already filled wit concrete (I did that bit about a year ago!).

Actually, you can see a patch which looks a flat blue/grey colour about half way down. This is where I sanded a load of concrete off. If I can get paint to stick as well as the concrete did, I won't have any problems ?. EDIT - maybe I should render it with coloured concrete ?

Interesting idea about flocking etc. Maybe paint is not the only coating worth considering ?

[Astrokev]

19 minutes ago, Gina said:

Personally, I wouldn't bother to paint it.  Unless, of course, you're going to invite lots of people on tours of your observatory and want it to look posh ?  I left mine as plain concrete...  It had a job to do and didn't need to look particularly nice.

Well that's a thought I suppose. I don't particularly want it to look posh, but it looks pretty awful at the moment. Maybe a should clean it up and see what it looks like then. Exposed concrete and galvanised steel is very in-vogue these days in interior design circles I think  

[JamesF]

16 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Well that's a thought I suppose. I don't particularly want it to look posh, but it looks pretty awful at the moment. Maybe a should clean it up and see what it looks like then. Exposed concrete and galvanised steel is very in-vogue these days in interior design circles I think  

I've seen polished concrete floors that look very sharp.  My wife was telling me recently that she'd seen a programme in which a chap built a house from concrete and just left the surfaces as they were when the formwork was removed.  I think that's taking it a bit too far :)

James

[Gina]

I saw that programme too.  Didn't like all that rough concrete.  Rough concrete is alright for a pier or a birdbath but not indoors IMO.

[Hawksmoor]

In my architect days of old, did a bit of polished concrete comes up like marble but very dependant on choice of aggregate. Made for nice posh worktops and much loved by 'dinkies'. Towards the end of my career we were specifying rammed earth for some internal walls to provide increased thermal mass in an environmentally friendly way. There is a rather nice memorial chapel on the line of the DDR wall in Berlin where they have used rammed aggregate walls made from recycled crushed concrete from 'the Wall' together with simple timber screens and roofing. Works really well in a quiet and thoughtful way - rough common materials combined carefully to create an intimate and sensitive place - surprising!

George currently not in Lowestoft

[Davey-T]

1 hour ago, Hawksmoor said:

Made for nice posh worktops and much loved by 'dinkies'.

Ah yes the concrete worktop fad, thank the lord it didn't last long then we had the glass worktops with matching glass splash backs another fad, thankfully most sensible folk have granite nowadays, much easier to work with 

Dave