Can I paint stainless steel?

[Meanie]

You'll need to sand it real good, then use a primer, then paint.

[hrhofmann]

The outer face on a triple wall chimney should not get past slightly warm t o the touch unless the OP has a roaring fire. The sun sh8ining on it will bring the temperature much higher. I am sure he/she wants to hide the brigh t glare coming from a stainless chimney on a bright sunny day. Almost all the suggestions to date don't take into account that the chimney will be ex posed to a wide variety of temps and weather, and can't be brought into a p aint shop and then reassembled on the roof. A spotted chimney may look eve n worse than a consistently shiny chimney.

It happens that my triple-wall stainless steel chimney was in the category of producing glare. I chose to build/enclose the entire chimney in a wood- based simulated brick housing that from the ground looks like real brick, a nd does not reflect sunshine into any of my neighbors faces. I do have to p aint the trim every 4-5 years, not a big deal.

[HerHusband]

I had to paint the lower part of my chimney that stuck down below the ceiling. Mine is triple wall stainless too. I simply scuffed up the outside of the pipe and sprayed it with the black paint used for repainting woodstoves. It's a high temperature paint designed for that purpose. I bought mine from the same place we bought our woodstove.

After ten years there is no sign of peeling or flaking. It still looks the same as when I first painted it. Of course, that's indoors, I don't know how well it would hold up outdoors.

Anthony Watson

[None]

I don't even have to see it; it does not look like brick. It looks like fake brick.

[Unquestionably Confused]

Ditto. When we installed our wood stove (ca 1985) I used Metalbestos insulated chimney which is stainless steel inside and out. That portion of the insulated chimney below the cathedral ceiling is painted with the same flat black, high temp paint used on the plain metal chimney extending up from the wood stove. It's been painted ONCE and it still looks just as good as the day it was painted.

Above the roof we did the same thing, only with Rustoleum, high temp (for no particular reason), flat black and we've spray painted it about four times during that same period. It really needs a recoat now but it's probably been at least 12 years since I climbed up there (or had the inclination to do so) to paint it. Maybe this year

In any event, the coverage is still about 85%.

I did no special prep on the SS other than to wipe it down with whatever thinner was recommended to remove oils etc.