Painting the radiator so that it looks like a new one. Tips and Tricks

Find a person who has never held a brush in his hand is very difficult. Therefore, many do not think about how to paint the battery, believing that in this process there is nothing special. In fact, without some attention the radiator will be the same as before the repair: rusty, with peeling and bloated paint. That's why many are forced to almost annually update the appearance of the heating elements, instead of learning how to paint the battery correctly. But then we can return to this task no more often than once every five years and even a decade.

Which batteries can and should be painted

Traditionally, any painted radiators, especially cast-iron ones, need to be updated, as the paint on them eventually breaks off, and rust appears in open spaces. She not only spoils the curtains, but also destroys the equipment.

Aluminum or factory-enamelled steel batteries of a new design usually do not paint, especially on the grounds that you do not like the color or want to change it. Otherwise, their appearance will be spoiled, and the heat transfer from them will significantly decrease. Therefore, it is better to disguise them with a suitable decorative screen.

Overview of paints for radiators

The most common options are enamel paints .They can be acrylic or alkyd. The first are created on organic solvents. They allow you to create a beautiful, glossy finish. The second - very durable, easy to clean, practically not erased. Alkyd enamels also have a huge advantage - a wide range of colors. Their drawback - they include White Spirit, which has a sharp odor.

Traditional paint and varnish materials containing harmful substances gradually move aside. Although they are quite effective - they give a stable color, are applied evenly and have resistance. In addition, the cost of such materials is notable for availability.

However, they can be replaced with more environmentally friendly materials - the same water-soluble paints .They are absolutely safe, quickly dry, evenly applied and do not secrete carcinogens. However, when buying, you should be careful - not all such products are suitable for use, as water causes corrosion of the metal. It is better to choose paints on an acrylic basis, taking into account that radiators will still require careful preparation of the surface. The drawback of these materials is also that they are not resistant to erasure and can dirty the curtains.

Alternatively, you can use enamel in spray cans with , designed for radiators. Although it is not completely safe, but with it you can do the job in a matter of minutes. True, it will allow only to refresh the surface without penetrating into hard-to-reach places.

Tools and materials required:

• small brushes with soft bristles or foam rubber;
• for hard-to-reach places you need to take brushes with a curved handle;
• drill with a nozzle in the form of an iron brush;
• sandpaper;
• film;
• spatula;
• paint, primer, solvent.

Fast surface preparation

When choosing which paint to paint batteries, you should consider that their preparation in each case will be different. Also much depends on what result you want to get as a result: refresh the surface or give the radiator the look of a new factory product.

First you need to clean all surfaces from dust, dirt, cobwebs. If the time is short and you want to perform the procedure faster, then it is enough to clean off the lagging paint with a spatula, to smooth the irregularities and to remove the rust with sandpaper. Further, all formed grooves should be treated with a primer, which protects the metal from corrosion, and putty. All these steps are done for painting with enamel.

Thorough surface preparation

In this case, the remaining paint is removed completely. It is done this way:

• heats the radiator with a gas burner;
• then large chunks of paint are removed with a spatula;
• the surface is carefully sanded with sandpaper, and better: a drill with a nozzle made of iron brushes.

After these procedures, the radiator is wiped with a damp cloth, in order to degrease and remove dust. If you correctly paint it after such a procedure, it will definitely look like a new one.

By the way, in order for it to work as if it had just been brought from the plant, an additional procedure should be performed. Namely: it is necessary to remove it, drain the water, heat it up, let it cool down, then disassemble and clean it from accumulated debris and rust inside. Then, gently collect it back, using as a gasket rubber, cut from ordinary tires.

Painting

Now let's look at how to paint the battery. First of all, it is necessary to dilute the paint to the state of 1% kefir. That is very liquid, but not watery, but so that it stretches with a brush no less than 30-40 cm at a time. Next, it is necessary to carefully apply the first layer, starting from the inside of the battery.

After this, you need to wait a day or in some cases 7-8 hours, depending on the quality of the products. Then you need to paint the radiator again in the same way. By the way, the second layer of acrylic paint( if you use it) can be applied immediately, without waiting for drying.

Can I paint hot batteries

Many professionals do not recommend staining radiators in the heat of the heating season. However, using alkyd enamel, resistant to high temperatures, or nebulizers, it is quite possible to paint hot batteries. Only do this carefully, neatly and quickly, so as not to burn yourself and that the paint is laid flat. The latter is difficult to do, since it dries almost instantly on a hot surface of 50 ° C.

If you doubt that you can perform the procedure quickly and accurately, it is better to wait until the end of the heating season. Or, if time is running out, do not immediately paint hot batteries, and pre-screw the supply of warm water in them. And if it does not work out on its own, you can contact the Housing and Communal Services.

Useful tips

In order not to get dirty flooring, skirting boards and wallpaper on the walls during work, it is necessary to carefully isolate the areas with a film, which is desirable to be pinpointed with a sticky tape so that it does not move. Newspapers in this respect are worse - they are torn in the process, when they get paint.

If you need to paint the battery more carefully, it's better to remove it, otherwise it will not work. If there is no way to do this, then you need to start painting from the inside, where access is difficult, so the likelihood of getting dirty decreases.

If you have never used paint, remember that at first you will do this very slowly, you will be uncomfortable, everything will interfere. This is the specificity of this case. Therefore, newcomers do not need to paint hot batteries, since with a 90% probability the result will not be very good: there may be stains, stains, enamel lying unevenly.