How can I paint a radiator?

Question

I'm painting a few rooms for a relative and they want a radiator in one of the rooms repainted. They're not sure what type of paint it was originally done with (white paint) and I don't know if there are any stipulations as to what I could or couldn't use.

Would it be alright to use a latex paint that I'm using for the walls, or does the heating of the radiator do any thing weird to that?

Answer 1

yuh

you have to get paint made for metal and high temperatures.

you can get it anywhere.

paint doesnt stick to metal well so you should sand it with a high gritt sand paper, like 420 (eh eh eh), to make it smooth, primer it, sand it again with an even finer paper, and then paint it. you can also add a clear coat when all thats done.

that step should cost under 20 bucks and its a nice clean look.

if you like rustic stuff just do a s**+tty job and skip a few of those steps. that could look cool too.

Answer 2

You can paint a radiator but make sure that you use a paint that can go on hot metal normally its spray paint Good Luck

Answer 3

Go to the auto parts store and get you some engine paint,it can handle the heat best,i'm pretty sure you can even find antique white,high heat range paint there,call around,check out Lowe's and Home Depot and what not also.

Answer 4

Actually steam radiators do not get that hot (about 215°F max if boiler controls are properly set less than 2 psi) compared with things around combustibles.  So it does "not" need high temperature stove paint.  Hydronic (water) radiators are lower temperature than boiling.

Ideally it should be an oil based paint (better moisture resistance), but I don't know how that would hold up if existing paint is unknown, without removing the radiator, stripping the old paint and starting with primer.  My steam radiators that do not have covers, appear to have been painted with white latex wall paint by a previous owner.