The average cast iron home radiator is an age-old house fixture –some may even call it an antiquity as most homes being constructed these days come with your typical gas-heated duct-based furnaces. For over 100 years, these old radiators have been relied on to heat homes during cool seasons, and in some cases, cool homes during the summer months.

PAINTING YOUR DESIGNER RADIATOR

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to your decision to buy quality radiators online, and sooner or later they all suffer a similar fate; they’re going to need a paint job.

And yet with their advanced lifespan, many go on under-maintained and are allowed to aesthetically fall to rust and ugly flaking paint. However it is this blog author’s guess that the ruin that many cast iron or designer home radiators are left to waste are not because their owners are lazy; instead it is quite the contrary. It is more likely that many have tried and failed to get a paint job to stick.

Painting a radiator can be a wasted effort if not done correctly with materials that are intended to withstand the invariably extreme temperatures that come with their usage, or without taking steps that ensure the paint will adhere properly and cleanly onto the surface of the designer or antique home radiator.

How to Paint a Radiator in Your Home or Business

The purpose of this article is to help you out with painting your radiators, no matter where they are. For information about this and lower level radiator solutions, you may check out companies selling quality radiators like The Radiator Factory.

To get the best radiator paint job, follow the steps we have outlined right below:

  1. Before you begin, ensure that you’ve turned off your radiator and have given it an appropriate amount of time to cool off before you begin the process of painting it. The reason being that a hot radiator during painting will negatively impact the finish –however once painted and dried, all is well and the paint we suggest for your radiator will be able to handle the heat. But more on that in a moment!
  2. Place some drop cloths on the floor below your radiator to protect your flooring from what comes next. Pay extra attention to the areas around pipes which lead to the floor and walls, as paint may drip down the pipes and make it around your drop cloths.
  3. Chip away at old encrusted caulking by filling various cracks with new, fresh caulking before you apply a fresh coat of primer. Be sure to let the caulking dry first.
  4. Now it is time to give the remainder of your home radiator a bit of cleaning; using a soft microfibre cloth and mild detergent, wipe down your radiator and be sure to get into each and every crack with steel wool to also remove any rust. Once complete, rinse it down.
  5. After your radiator dries from its cleaning, rusted areas should be primed with a latex-based rust inhibiting primer; an acrylic metal primer is ideal in this case.
  6. Now it is time to begin painting your radiator with a heat-safe paint such as a “high heat” paint but you might find that your colour selection is a little lacking; keep in mind latex paint can withstand up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and you might be happier with the colour options available!
  7. Begin by painting the top of your radiator and work your way down to the floor; do not paint your radiator’s valves!
  8. You’re finished! Allow for 24 hours to pass before turning your radiator back on.

In Conclusion

That sums it up! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!If you have anything to add, we’d love to hear from you.