[Useful tips!] How to paint a barbecue grill properly

Spring is the start of the barbecue season. While planning a cookout, many people discover that the grill has gone rusty over the winter and now looks unappealing. The wish to freshen it up comes at once, and with it the question: which paint can stand up to an open flame?

The range of aerosol coatings from KUDO^® includes heat-resistant paints, both a paint made specially for grills and barbecues and a general-purpose one. The grill paint comes in black only and withstands heating up to 800 °C (1472 °F). If you want a brighter color, you can pick one of the seven colors offered in the general-purpose heat-resistant paint. Note, though, that the colored heat-resistant paints withstand from 800 to 400 °C and lower, depending on the color.

Neutralizing the rust

Thorough surface preparation is what makes a paint finish last. Preparation takes most of the time, which can be unexpected for someone who is painting for the first time. Before painting, treat the surface with a phosphoric acid rust converter, for example the liquid KERRY^® KR‑540 or the gel KERRY^® KR‑240. The rust converter has to work for about 30-40 minutes; after that wash it off with water, dry the surface immediately and apply a primer or a paint. A surface treated with a rust converter must not be left without a protective coating: the metal will start rusting again.

Applying the heat-resistant paint

Many people believe that applying a heat-resistant paint is no different from applying any other paint. And indeed, to apply a heat-resistant paint you have to clean the surface of dust, dirt and rust, degrease it and then apply 2-3 thin coats of the heat-resistant paint. Thick coats are not recommended: the greater the total film thickness, the more brittle the coating becomes.

Heat curing the coating

For a heat-resistant paint to gain its resistance to high temperatures, it has to be heat cured once it has dried. Cure the item only after the coating has dried completely, ideally 24 hours after painting. If curing starts on a coating that is not fully dry, the solvent left in the paint can boil and blister the film. To cure it, heat the item painted with the heat-resistant paint to 250 °C (482 °F) and hold it at that temperature for 15-20 minutes. It can be heated either in an oven or with an open flame, for example with a blowtorch or a gas burner. How do you tell that the item has reached the right temperature? Very simply: at 250 °C the coating starts to smoke slightly. The smoke is nothing to be afraid of — it is normal, and it is exactly what shows that the heat curing is under way. Do not heat the item above 250 °C during curing, as the paint can be ruined. How correctly the heat-resistant paint has been cured directly determines its resistance to high temperatures and to aggressive media.

You can find the nearest store on our website. And heat-resistant paints from KUDO^® are already at work in the videos on our YouTube channel.

Attention! The word “heat-resistant” in the name of a paint does not mean at all that hot surfaces can be painted with it! The solvent in the paint is flammable, and spraying it onto a hot surface can start a fire! The paint becomes heat resistant only after it has dried and been heat cured!