"Alta47" wrote in message
...
I bought an old house that has a one-pipe steam heat system, and I never
had steam heat before. I'll probably be renting the house out.

I'm painting the house and I want to paint, and possibly insulate, the
vertical pipes that go up through the rooms. I want to paint them so they
will look better, but I am also concerned about how hot they get and would
like to make them safer in terms of tenants' kids grabbing or leaning
against a hot pipe. Any ideas regarding type of paint and or insulation I
should use?

I also want to at least insulate, and possibly paint, the horizontal steam
pipes in the basement. I have a hunch that they used to have asbestos
insulation on them that was taken off at some time in the past. They
appear to be a little rusty or corroded, but I don't know if they were
ever painted before.

For the basement pipes:

1) Would painting them help preserve them by keeping them from rusting or
corroding?

2) What type of paint should I use?

3) What kind of insulation should I put on them?



If you insulate, don't bother with paint. The only insulation that will
take the heat is a fiberglass roll with a paper outer coating that you could
paint. Aside from a typical high heat paint I'm not sure what will last on
the bare pipe. Steam is over 212 degrees so it will be hot. A good
plumbing supply store or specialty insulation place will have the pipe
insulation. Owens Corning is one maker of it. You can also buy a metal
jacket that goes over the paper for better durability.

Paint is no help with corrosion. You have to be more concerned about the
inside of the pipe than the outside.

The boiler and radiators may also be sized to take advantage of the heat
given off by those steam pipes too. If you don't want to heat the basement,
then insulate.

Steam boilers need a little care on a weekly basis. If you rent the house
out, be sure the tenants to that every weeks. The heat is great, but needs
more care than a water boiler.