# paint chipping and flaking



## tamburch (Jan 21, 2015)

We have a heatilator fireplace installed by our builder less than a year ago.  The paint on the inside of the box is flaking and peeling all over the place.  You can see the stainless steel where it has chipped.  Has anyone had this happen before?  What is the solution?  In my opinion, my builder should warranty this with our one year warranty, but I just wanted to see if anyone else had this happen too.


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## DAKSY (Jan 21, 2015)

That's a common occurrence in gas fireplaces. The environment in the fire box is pretty harsh & even the heat rated paint doesn't hold up.
That's why a LOT of gas fireplaces offer optional fire brick (vermiculite) inserts.
Those surfaces can be scraped & re-painted, but more often than not, it'll flake off again.


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## tamburch (Jan 21, 2015)

Awesome.  If it's just going to keep doing it, I'll let it all chip off and have the stainless look inside.  At our old house, we used the fireplace all the time.  It was the same brand and it never peeled or flaked.  We lived there for about seven years with no problem with the paint.  It's very frustrating!


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## DAKSY (Jan 21, 2015)

Unfortunately, I don't think it IS stainless steel, but simple sheet steel.
There is a gallon of water vapor given off for every 100K BTU of gas you burn.
If you let the paint flake, the firebox will rust.


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## Cyberpuddy (Dec 17, 2015)

I also have a Heatilator (model GCDC 60 (or 80)) and just noticed that my black paint is also peeling, exposing the bright, shiny metal underneath.  I live in Houston where the humidity is quite high, so the previous comment about potential for rust concerns me.  But, my more immediate concern is whether this is a fire hazard.  Any thoughts?


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## DAKSY (Dec 18, 2015)

Not a fire hazard. Get some Stove Bright 1990, Satin Black & spray it on to cover the metal soon, tho, BEFORE it starts to rust.


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