radiator painting advice.

[arknor]

Don't do what I did and buy water based paint for radiators...

water consistency...
Goes on in the crappiest thinnest possible layers...
looks more blue than white.....
tons of brush strokes no matter how gentle and slow you try and be...

looks worse than when I started!

not the brand I chose but these reviews about sum it up
http://www.diy.com/rooms/ronseal-brilliant-white-gloss-radiator-paint-750ml/127945_BQ.prd
hopefully you can still get gloopy honey like oil based paint that smoothed itself out into an awesome professional finish as it dries or did the hippies win!?!?!!?

 

[Maccapacca]

In my view the cost of painting old rads vs the cost of new rads and trvs, with the potential saving in time, paint and increased efficiency I'd just sling them in a skip and fit new.

 

[Mark A]

I used Hammerite quick drying radiator enamel and they look almost as good as new. i actually prefer the look of the painted rads to the new one I bought for another room as the paint is more of a satin sheen than the shiny new rad.

The paint is water based I think, but it has a strong ammonia smell. Dries in an hour and the smell goes. I sanded the rads with some 320g paper to key the surface, so that will offset any gain in paint thickness. Plus this paint goes on nice and thin, its not like thick oil based paints.

 

[rossk26]

I used the hammerite spray paint for radiators. Just be careful it's not windy outside and don't cry when a fly lands on your just finished final coat

 

[pitchfork]

You can't use oil based on radiators anyway, you couldn't even before VOC 2010. The additional heat made it yellow much faster.

Anyway i've always just keyed it, coat of bridging primer then undercoat and gloss as normal with acrylic undercoat and gloss. Working those paints is harder than oil based for your average DIYer but with a bit of know how and skill it's no bother getting a mirror finish.