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What is the best type of paint for a steam radiator

acl10
acl10 Member Posts: 349
in Strictly Steam
What is the best type of paint for a steam radiator. My radiators are cracking paint. Some were painted with oil.

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,993
    I have had excellent long term results with Benjamin Moore's top of the line acrylics -- same colours and paints I use on the walls.

    However -- the real secret is in the preparation. Get all the old flaking paint off. Wire brush to get as much of the rust off as you can (be aggressive!). Theoretically the wall paints are self priming, but B-M sells a matching primer which isn't such a bad idea...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Mark Eatherton
    Mark Eatherton Member Posts: 5,858
    Do not use any metallic colors (copper, silver, gold, etc). They will suppress the radiators output.

    ME

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  • KiwiFella
    KiwiFella Member Posts: 7
    Im not an expert but a chap who knows a whole heap more about radiators & their design and maintenance has told me several times NOT to powder-coat them, as they will not then give off as much heat as with enamel paints.

    He reckons that powder-coating is a form of plastic which will insulate the heated surface from the air.

    It does make sense to me 'cause to stop loosing heat from a room when it comes to joinery & windows, to isolate the inside of an aluminum window frame with the inside reveal of a window frame, the better windows have a section of a plastic type material separating the inside ali from the inside ali.

    I'd be interested in the comments regarding the radiator cleaning & coatings myself as I am wanting to install some 'tidied up', cast iron radiators (heated with water rather than steam)
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,050
    Most of the systems are far oversized , so maybe it's an good thing .. Why so many were painted silver ...

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  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    Reducing output can be beneficial as it would allow you to heat up more of the metal mass without the same increase in convective and radiation output. Placing a small plate under the sections would probably work as well. But you’d need to downsize the boiler eventually as well.

    Most of mine were a semi metallic bronze. I think they wanted the mass for the coal fired system when it first fired, but didn’t want too much peak output. Hot water systems have a big advantage this way. Tons of stored energy. But you need bigger radiators for the same capacity.
  • Todd_33
    Todd_33 Member Posts: 68
    Don't use rustoleum - I did a couple and they give off vapors for a full heating season - After that they seem ok though. Nice finish when done. - The paint seems like it may soften when hot as well.
    the_donut

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