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Replacement baseboard heat covers

Patchogue Phil_2
Patchogue Phil_2 Member Posts: 307
in THE MAIN WALL
"While we're at it.... " project drift $$$$$

Since I'll be painting the living room, while we're at it lets replace the hydronic hot water baseboard heat covers too. Standard Slant Fin baseboard, approx 32ft.

Y I K E S !!!!! $$$$$$

Just the enclosures are pricey, with no heating element. And they are PITA to remove just the enclosure while the fin tube pipe is in place. The fin tube is in excellent shape just needs a little vacuuming. The covers have been painted a few times Not bent just don't look pretty anymore. Well as pretty as they look even when brand new.

I've been Googling replacement clip-on overlay covers and they are an even worse higher price.

Anyone find any covers that aren't crazy expensive?

Comments

  • gschallert
    gschallert Member Posts: 170
    I went through the same dilemma several years ago. The original baseboard covers were rusted so first I tried the "dummy" covers but in addition to high cost per/ft it was a massive PITA to have to cut the nails holding the back to the walls behind the fins & piping. After one small section I decided to take the front covers and louvers off completely and power brush/sand them down to bare metal and prime and paint with a good rustoleum metal paint. I wire brushed the narrow top of the back cover with my drill (still attached to the walls) and primed/painted them in place. It took two summers but they all look brand new still and it's been 8 & 9 years since I did them.
  • Patchogue Phil_2
    Patchogue Phil_2 Member Posts: 307
    I'm not finding inexpensive cover options. So it's likely I will paint the current covers. But I'd like to find some reasonably priced covers.
  • gschallert
    gschallert Member Posts: 170
    Patchogue Phil said:

    I'm not finding inexpensive cover options. So it's likely I will paint the current covers. But I'd like to find some reasonably priced covers.

    I searched for several months but found nothing reasonably priced. Since I have just under 200 linear feet of baseboard, paint was the only option and in the end I'm glad I did it because it didn't cost very much except my labor and I don't have to worry about mismatched baseboard covers throughout the house. If yours have already been painted I'd suggest trying to strip the layers then wire brushing or sanding down to the metal before priming and painting (with a metal paint not latex) again, the final result will be worth it.

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