How to Paint a Radiator

Those old and heavy cast iron radiators can be a thorn in the side of any decent room decorator. Once you accept the fact that the radiator is there to stay, there's no reason you can't give it a fresh coat of paint to bring it up to date with the room's decor. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paint scraper
• Sander
• Paint brush
• Primer with zinc
• Oil-based paint

1. Clean the current surface to remove any dust, dirt or old chipped paint.

2. Cover the old painted surface with a primer if it is degraded with a lot of chipped areas. Use a primer with zinc or zinc chromate to cover the radiator.

3. Brush any oil-based paint you like on top of the primer once it has dried. If you plan on using an aerosal spray paint, use a high-temperature paint.

4. Let the paint dry completely before running the radiator. Once it is dry, open all windows in your home and run the radiator a few times. Get that initial paint smell out of your home before you use the raditor for winter.

Tips & Warnings

• You can get a special radiator paint brush with edges to make painting the angles of the radiator easier.
• Paint radiators when you can open windows to air out the smell.
• Be careful removing old paint. A lot of old radiators have lead based paint which can be dangerous if inhaled or injested. Don't sand old painted surfaces that may be lead.
• Avoid using metalic paints or bronzed top coats of any kind. They are proven to reduce the heat transmission.