Help Choosing a Color!

mcvetyty

Hello - I am getting my steam radiators sandblasted and powder coated next week, but need some help deciding on a color! I'm planning to change the wall colors in the future, so I'm looking for something that: a) Will work with varying wall colors over the years and b) Will stand out as the radiators are ornate and want them to pop!

Any suggestions, recommendations, thoughts?!

ChrisJ

Well,
I'm weird, but I want all of mine flat black.

If I ever get the money to have them done, they will without a doubt be either flat black, or clear coated as natural cast iron.

Jamie Hall

Just avoid any metallic colours. After that, it's your choice (or your significant other's...)

nicholas bonham-carter

In spite of recommendations to avoid metallic colors,most radiators I have seen have been painted silver, by the dead men, and they heat the space properly. There may be some loss due to thermal emission inefficiency.--NBC

New England SteamWorks

When radiators come back after being properly sandblasted and powder coated they are so gorgeous that I think any color would be beautiful. The trick to making them "pop" is how the color you choose interacts with the other colors in the room(s). While some colors are prettier than others, a color by itself is still just a color. But in the right combinations, colors become beautiful.

ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Black also will produce more IR output than most other colors I believe.

ChrisJ

Hatterasguy said:

They stand out like a sore thumb.

You're never getting black. I guarantee it.

What do you want to bet, on that guarantee?

Charlie from wmass

@Hatterasguy what's the stakes?

Charlie from wmass

Espresso

Charlie from wmass

Choose the color you like. I avoid powder coating as does my radiator supplier.

Charlie from wmass

Pay the man @Hatterasguy

Charlie from wmass

The bottom photo is in @ChrisJ house. His wife confirms he can paint them all that color. Robert OB and Brad White can confirm

Charlie from wmass

He painted one black. Now he gets to paint the rest.

Charlie from wmass

My mistake. The bottom one is the one he showed his wife to get her to agree to paint them black.

ChrisJ

If I had the money they'd all be blasted and painted black. The wife OK d it years ago and she just RE okd it on FB

Charlie from wmass

He will. I do solemnly swear Mrs.J has said Mr.J can paint. Their radiators black.

ChrisJ

Oh but me having an 83 year old monitor top in the kitchen is normal. You lost and many guys on this forum saw her comment. It takes a special woman to live with me and I just got lucky

Bob Bona_4

I believe it. Chris is king of his castle.

Gordy

Hot rod red with flames for the man cave.

ChrisJ

Bob Bona said:

I believe it. Chris is king of his castle.

Bob, you saw her say it.

JUGHNE

Every man is King of the Castle......until the Queen gets home!

ChrisJ

JUGHNE said:

Every man is King of the Castle......until the Queen gets home!

And then that queen says "I don't care if it's 95 out side, it better be 70 in here!"

Bob Bona_4

A common theme particularly with women of a certain age. Don't even try to mess with that. They'll tell you where you can stick your 74 design

Steamhead

One of our customers had us get one of her rads painted black.

JUGHNE

So this is what you could all eventually experience if you have T-stats in most rooms: I go to bed in the winter, the windows are open, the T-stat for the BB is off it shows 58 in the room...however go into the bathroom that is set at 74 with heated floor & walls. My office end might be heated to 74.

For AC that end of the house might be set at 73, my office end set at 76.....with me wearing light sweat pants and socks.
And we are only on the upside of 65 years old....what will the future bring? There are only 2 temperatures in life....too hot and too cold, and those set points are constantly changing.

Charlie from wmass

I also have a customer just north of Hartford with black radiators in her dining room and living room.

SWEI

Charlie from wmass said:

I avoid powder coating as does my radiator supplier.

OK, you piqued my curiosity. Is there something I need to know about powder coating?

ChrisJ

I see a red radiator and I want it painted black.
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black.
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Charlie from wmass

@SWEI powder coating heats radiators to a temperature above normal operating range. If the cast iron is heated excessively and not cooled properly you have pretty sprinklers not radiators. I use enamel paint.

SWEI

I've sure been impressed with the powder coated ones I've seen. Hadn't thought about the old, thin, just making it case.

Charlie from wmass

I have also seen a whole house where it rusted through the powder coating after one heating season.

ChrisJ

Charlie from wmass said:

I have also seen a whole house where it rusted through the powder coating after one heating season.

Sounds like bad prep work to me.
Powder coating is no different than any other kind of painting or plating for that matter, the prep is where it's all at. Done wrong, and it will fail.

As far as I know, the only difference between powder coating and normal painting is how the paint is applied. Powder coating it's applied as dry powder and attracted to the metal via an electric charge and then baked on in an oven. The coating, ends up the same in the end.

Steamhead

ChrisJ said:

I see a red radiator and I want it painted black.
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black.
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

(sitting by a radiator in an overheated building)
And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes pass me by...............

We all know your quote came from the Stones, but does anyone know where mine came from?

ChrisJ

Steamhead said:

ChrisJ said:

I see a red radiator and I want it painted black.
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black.
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

(sitting by a radiator in an overheated building)
And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes pass me by...............

We all know your quote came from the Stones, but does anyone know where mine came from?

UGH..........

New England SteamWorks

"And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes pass me by..............."

-The Boss

ChrisJ

RI_SteamWorks said:

"And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes pass me by..............."

-The Boss

Yeah,
@Steamhead know's my "UGH" means The Boss.