tips on painting a radiator needed

MissG_2

ScoobieGirl wrote:

Make sure the radiators are cold before you start.

I agree a good quality satinwood is great. I've done mine in it and 5 years down the line they are lovely (no brush marks either). I even did a few in the Dulux mix-in-the-shop type satinwood so they would blend in with the walls.

You shouldn't need an undercoat, but you may need some primer if you can see any bare metal eg chips along the top.

Can you get a 2 in 1, primer and undercoat in one as the is 1 or 2 places it is down to the metal?

ScoobieGirl

Yes you can. You can also get both multi purpose & metal primer & undercoat. I think the multipurpose wasn't quite as opaque as the dedicated one. But I guess it depends what other DIY tasks you've got coming up if it's worth buying

mallymal

Try an aerosol rad paint = but ventilate well as it's horrid to breath in.

Leaves no marks, and is easy to get in the grooves.

Just don't pile it mon too heavy in one place or it will sag & run.

Did my daughter's last year... great result!

Avoriaz

I have painted many radiators with ordinary gloss or satin paint without any problems. In theory white gloss can fade and discolour from the heat but I have never had a problem. I usually use colour matched paint and that has never faded.

I use a normal brush, very lightly loaded and applied very carefully to cold radiators. Most streaking and runs are caused by overloading the brush. I don’t like or use rollers so I can’t comment.

Start at one end of the radiator and paint down in a strip a few inches wide from top to bottom. Then start again at the top a few inches along. Keep a wet vertical edge, never overload the brush and brush well in. Keep checking for runs and smooth them out with an unloaded brush. Two or three very thin coats are better than one thick coat.

Let the paint dry for a few days before using the radiator.

Don’t attempt to use emulsion, it won’t work. (edit, shown73 and others disagree with me.:D . I don’t think it gives as good a finish as gloss or satin oil based paint but, as the yanks say, your mileage may differ)

MissG_2

mallymal wrote:

Try an aerosol rad paint = but ventilate well as it's horrid to breath in.

Leaves no marks, and is easy to get in the grooves.

Just don't pile it mon too heavy in one place or it will sag & run.

Did my daughter's last year... great result!

We couldn't use an aerosol as we have a parrot and not many rooms to move about in.

MissG_2

Avoriaz wrote:

Let the paint dry for a few days before using the radiator.

A few days :eek: , it's freezing in our flat with no heating on, I was going to leave it a day. The other day with the winds our pilot light on the boiler went out and I don't have a clue how to light it so I had to wait for my partner to come home and light it, by then I had a thick dressing gown on as I was freezing.

shown73

All I can say is that over many years I've been painting radiators, to blend in with the decor, and I've never had to use specialist paints. Look at the variety, and price, in the DIY shops now, whatever did we do before? What a rip-off. Don't let anyone say that you can't use emulsion, or anything else. I've sprayed, glossed, satined, emulsioned, you name it. Never had a problem, even painting over one kind with another. Heating on the same day, no problem, helps it to dry quicker, and I've never had a problem with flaking, or anything else. Gloss pongs a bit when heated and drying, but nothing drastic, and anyway, it's a fresh paint smell. Don't listen to the anoraks, go for it, if you don't like it, you can easily change it, and after all, it's not supposed to last for ever, in a few years you will want a change.

Avoriaz

The reason I said “Let the paint dry for a few days before using the radiator.” is to allow the paint to dry slowly and not overpower you with the smell. As Shown73 posts above, "Gloss pongs a bit when heated".

If you can take the smell, turn the heat on after a few hours.:D

You might get a headache from the fumes.

Shown73, maybe you can use emulsion, but I doubt if you can get a decent and lasting finish with it. Oil based gloss is much better and the price difference for a few radiators is negligible.

greyteam1959

Yes I agree with Shown73
I used specialist radiator paint many years ago right load of expensive smelly c**p.
I have used all sorts of paints but if you are worried look on the tins.Its will say if it is suitable for radiators.
If I was MissG I would take the rad paint back for a refund !!

misgrace

MissG, just undercoat the rad with oilbased undercoat, dab a bit on the bare bits first, depending on existing colour, if its quite dark do 2 undercoats then a gloss.

If your going for a satinwood finish, then undercoat once, then do 2 coats of satinwood.

It will pong, all oilbased pongs, but have the radiator off whilst painting it, then just turn it up a bit to dry, do the same with your further coats.

If the smell really annoys you, cut an oinion in half, place ina saucer, one near the rad end, and the other at the other end.
This will evaporate the smell of your paint quite quickly.