# Painting Concrete Board Behind Wood Stove?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686 "2009-10-05T16:03:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686/1 "2009-10-05T16:03:51Z")

</div>

We recently replaced an older pellet stove with a wood burning stove and had to install concrete board directly behind the stove.  
My question is if the concrete board can be painted with heat resistant paint? I have seen lots of info about painting it in other applications, but not this close (10 inches) from a radiant heat source.  
We plan on putting rock on the wall next year, but I don’t want to have the ugly gray concrete board back there all winter.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686/2 "2009-10-05T16:18:08Z")

</div>

while heat resistant paint may not flake off as quickly when exposed to heat it can still burn. if it can burn it can spread fire to the wall at its top and sides. for safety you want a nonflamable surface that close and you should keep it unpainted.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686/3 "2009-10-05T16:26:28Z")

</div>

The choice is an ugly gray board until you install rock, or the risk of painting it and buring down your house.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-concrete-board-behind-wood-stove/512686/4 "2009-10-05T16:49:17Z")

</div>

Thanks…ugly gray it is.

The wood stove is so much better then the pellet stove that it is worth it.