Painting a Radiator

tim smith_2

Latex paint, i have never seen it hold up well to high temps. I still remember a painter who painted all these rads in a sorority and they all fumed off at first and then peeled. I have alway recommended a oil base primer, preferably high temp and then a good automotive engine paint if you can find the correct color. Quite a few colors available.

Marcus Mead

Painting a Radiator

I refinished 2 old steam radiators by sandblasting them down to bare metal, priming them with a regular off the shelf hardware store primer, and then finished with a standard latex finish paint.

They have been in use for two weeks. Every time that the things heat up, the whole room smells TERRIBLE.

It looks like other radiators in the house were painted with latex paint over the years, and they don't smell. Is this going to stop???

Thanks,

Marcus

Earthfire

rad paint

Check out Hot Tech Topics. there are some informative articles on rads and paint in there that may help answer your questions.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Steam can be a bit high in temperature for some paints. Hopefully the primer you used was OIL BASED! Latex paint on bare cast iron = immediate rust.

The smell should subside in a relatively short period of time.

Grey high-temp automotive engine primer is a good choice for priming a steam radiator; flat alkyd paint is a bit hard to find but makes a very good primer for water radiators and can be tinted to the approximate final color.

Marcus Mead

oil primer

I'll check the can, I don't think it was specifically automotive primer, but it was white (meaning those hard to brush centers would have white primer sprayed into them, and not look grey after I brushed white paint on everythign I can reach.) NO rust with the primer, so it must have been oil.

Even with two coats of primer, when i used the latex paint, I did get some rust. After three coats though, the rust was gone.

I won't do it this way again, believe me, but when you say relatively short, do you mean more than two weeks? We're still getting smells...

Marcus

Mike T., Swampeast MO

With five coats of paint it might be a while, but it should abate. The rust you saw coming through was NOT a good sign as it may well continue.

The traditional coating for iron radiators was "bronzing". The photo below shows one using traditional technique but more modern and less hazardous (powdered bronze is VERY hazardous) materials.

Write me if you want instructions and sources for materials.

gehring

painting radiators


I've always had good luck with Rustoleum brand "high heat" oil based paint. The freshly painted radiator will smell for a few days when first heated, but the odor will soon dissipate and the finish will be long lasting.