This week I’m on a radiator painting mission. I’m not looking forward to it and I have been procrastinating (yes I do it too!) but it needs to get done now, before it gets cold outside and they get hot.
Painting these old ones is a bit tricky so I thought I’d show you my technique which I used on the one in the dining area of the living room.
First I use a cleaner/de-glosser which I spray on. I use a scrubbing sponge to remove the dirt and grime and in those hard to reach areas I use an old tooth brush. I keep an old towel underneath to catch the drips so the de-glosser doesn’t also de-gloss the floor.
After scrubbing I wipe. Wiping these narrow spaces is tricky so I use the same tooth brush as before and hang a cloth over it and drag it up and down, rinsing the cloth every once in a while.
When the radiator’s clean and dry I start painting. I use water based paint for trim which works well but there are also special radiator paints available. I use a brush…
… and the narrowest roller available. In this case not narrow enough so there’s kind of a push pull action going on. Really annoying because when you push the paint goes on nicely but when you pull it comes off a little bit. Eventually after a several coats everything gets covered but this is the reason I’m not looking forward to two more of these upstairs.
Neither the brush, nor the roller can really reach into some of those crevices though so again, out comes that tooth brush. I’m telling you, never throw out an old tooth brush!
Two thirds done of the first coat and here’s where you can really tell this was a job that needed doing. The radiators upstairs are even worse off.
Finished. It takes a bit of time and patience because it’s a fiddly job but so rewarding when it’s done.
