Painting radiators: How to paint correctly
Whether on walls, furniture or even radiators - white paint turns grey, yellows, flakes off or gets scratched over time. While the wall is getting a new coat of paint and the furniture is being repainted, the question often arises as to what to do with the radiator. In fact, you can quickly remedy the problem yourself. Just like the wall, you can also paint the radiator. With heat-resistant and colour-stable radiator paint, you can ensure a beautiful look in any room. With classic satin finish paint, BAUFIX also offers a radiator spray paint that you don't have to laboriously brush onto the radiator, but can spray on particularly easily.
What to paint radiators with: classic paint vs. spray paint
Whether you want to paint your radiator with traditional paint or spray paint is a matter of taste and is up to you. In addition to the different methods of application, there are other distinguishing features that may influence your decision: the difficulty of applying the paint, the temperature of the pipes to be painted and the drying time.
Using spray paint seems easier at first glance, but it is not. In fact, the paint is applied over a larger area and care must be taken to ensure it is even. When spraying, you should always wear a breathing mask to protect yourself from the fine spray mist. If you want to paint pipes that get hotter than 80 degrees, you should use spray paint. For cooler pipes, a classic paint is sufficient.
A clear advantage of spray paint is that it dries faster and several coats can be applied at intervals of around 20 minutes. With classic heating paint, there must be at least 24 hours between two coats.
Step-by-step instructions for painting radiators
In order to be able to paint the radiator properly, you should do a little preparatory work before you start painting. Because if you want to paint your radiator, you will probably only do so if there are clear signs of age. Below we explain in a short guide how to paint radiators correctly.
Step 1: Preparing to paint the radiator
First, use masking tape to cover all the areas you don't want to paint or spray - e.g. the thermostat and the back wall. Also cover the floor with foil. Before you can start painting the radiator, take a closer look at the radiator you want to paint and remove rust and loose paint, e.g. with a wire brush. To make the new paint stick better, you can use a flexible sanding fleece to roughen the surfaces slightly afterwards.
This is followed by a thorough cleaning. Remove dust and all dirt from the radiator, paying attention to hard-to-reach areas. If your radiator has a surface made of iron, steel or cast iron, you must first pre-treat it with a rust-protection primer before painting it.
Note: Before painting a radiator, the heater must be turned off and completely cooled down.
Step 2: Painting radiators: How to use spray paint
The radiator paint spray can withstand temperatures of up to 140 degrees and is therefore also suitable for extremely hot pipes. The application works a little differently here. Make sure that the area around the radiator is well covered over a large area so that the resulting spray mist does not stain the floor, wall or other neighboring furniture or components. Before use, you must first "spray" the can for three seconds to activate the paint. Now spray the radiator evenly and crosswise from a distance of 25-30 cm. Allow the paint to dry and then apply several thin coats, each at intervals of around 15 to 20 minutes. When you're done, turn the can upside down and spray the nozzle again for three seconds. The paint is dust-dry after around 10 minutes, touch-dry after 30-60 minutes and completely dry after around 24 hours.
Note: Keep the windows closed during the spraying process to avoid spreading the spray mist. Only ventilate afterwards!
When you should paint the radiator
The best time to paint radiators is summer. Radiators and pipes should always be cold when painting!
Our radiator paint: BAUFIX radiator paint satin finish
- heat and yellowing resistant up to 80° C
- high coverage
- white-satin matt
- acrylic paint