Painting radiators: the choice of material and features of

In this article we will talk about how to prepare and how to paint the heating battery using available paintwork materials. Despite the fact that the market offers a wide range of paints and varnishes, not all of these solutions are equally suitable for the treatment of heating radiators. Consider what criteria should guide the choice of paint.

Note! Modern radiators can be made of different metals and alloys, they all share one property: during operation they heat up.

From the school course of physics it is known that the metal, when heated, expands. Consequently, the wrong selection of paintwork materials is fraught with the fact that the coating, when heated, will be covered with a grid of microcracks, which will increase as they are used. That is why, when selecting a coating, it is necessary to make sure that it withstands thermal effects and will not become unusable after several years of use.

Important: Traditionally, the coloring of radiators is done in white. But, as modern design solutions show, the use of white is not compulsory. For example, elements of the heating system, painted with silver, look stylish, but if they do not use white, they need to paint not only the batteries, but also the pipes.

So, how to paint a radiator? Consider the various methods on the example of products made from different materials.

Preparing batteries for staining

We will tell about the painting instructions using the example of cast iron products, since they have traditionally been used for a long time and it is they that most need to be restored.

Before painting the radiators, they must be properly prepared.

Of course, the new paint can be applied to the old one.

But the result of such work will be short-lived, so we proceed as follows:

• We drain all the water from the heating system.
• We unscrew the battery from the pipes and remove them from the mounting mounts. If the threaded pipe joints are attached, you can use the grinder, but in this case the pipes will have to be changed. Again, a soured threaded joint can be gently reheated with a blowtorch. Several cycles of heating and cooling the metal allow you to gradually disassemble the problem node.
• After the battery is dismantled, we take it to the place where the removed paint will be easier to remove..
• We plug the holes with a rag or newspaper, and on the entire painted surface we apply a wash for the old paint with a thick layer.. Apply the wash with a brush, avoiding contact with this product on the skin of the hands.
• We notice 15 minutes, after which we take a wire brush for metal and begin to remove the discarded paint.. If the coating was applied in several layers, it will be necessary to apply the remover and peel off the paint several times.
• The small remnants of paintwork materials can be removed with a wire nozzle installed on an electric drill..
• Completely cleaned product is wiped with a cloth moistened with solvent and in this way we remove contaminants; grease and flush residues.
• Prepared surface coated with heat-resistant primer. After the primer has dried, it can be treated with fine sandpaper to remove minor irregularities.
• After the battery is prepared, you can start painting.

Getting Started

Today, powder coating of metal is becoming increasingly popular. And it is not surprising, since such a coating is characterized by reliability, durability, increased resistance to mechanical damage and excellent appearance.

But, unfortunately, the price of powder coating is high (an average of $ 2 per section). Considering the fact that several radiators are used in the house, the color ordered in specialized organizations will have a negative impact on the cost of updating the heating system as a whole. To save money without compromising the quality of the finished result, we will try to cope with the task ourselves.

Important: On the question of whether it is possible to paint hot radiators, the answer will be negative. Surface temperature should be room temperature.

Manual painting radiators do the following:

• Turn the battery upside down and paint the bottom and sidewalls;
• We are waiting for the time indicated on the package with paint to dry to a touch;
• We turn over the radiator to the normal position and paint the upper part and sidewalls;
• After drying, inspect the condition of the coating and, if necessary, apply another layer of paint;
• After installing the batteries in place and after installing the pipes, we inspect the painted product for scratches and, if any, paint over.

The paint selection requirements are as follows:

• Do not use quick-drying paints in cans, as they do not form a high-quality and durable coating and are easily scraped off with a knife.
• The best option for cost savings is the use of enamel type PF-115 or the use of foreign analogues. The only drawback of such paints is that they eventually turn yellow.
• Do not purchase paint products of lesser-known manufacturers or products of popular brands at very low prices. Counterfeit paint will dry for weeks and still remain soft.

Important: There are no special requirements for choosing a tool, as you can paint with an ordinary flat paint brush. But, the brush does not allow to qualitatively paint over the internal volume of the radiators and this threatens the beginning of the corrosive process. That is why it is correct to apply the sprayer.

So, we looked at how and what to paint the heating batteries made of cast iron. Working with types of radiators made of other materials can be done in the same way, but you should pay attention to the type of primer used. For example, for the coloring of aluminum, a special primer is used, intended to cover this metal.

Conclusion

Now that we know how and what to paint the radiators, it’s time to get the necessary materials and tools and start painting.

Do you have any questions requiring additional explanations? In this case, more useful information can be found by watching the video in this article.