Paint for radiators (batteries) heating

During the repair, one of the tasks is to paint the batteries. In order for the result to be pleasing later, the paint for heating radiators must be chosen correctly. It's not as easy as it sounds - there are a few pitfalls worth knowing about.

The main thing is the right paint for heating radiators.

What paints are suitable for heating radiators

Our heating systems are unpredictable - the battery can be cold, or it can reach high temperatures. And while most systems today operate at low temperatures, it's best to play it safe. Therefore, paint for heating radiators must be heat-resistant - it must withstand heating up to 90 ° C. It should also be designed for metal painting.

There are universal compositions that meet these requirements, there are special ones on which it is written: "Paint for pipes and radiators." If there is no large inscription, look for a similar line on the paint you like in the section describing the scope. If there is nothing similar, you better look for another option.

It must be indicated that the paint is suitable for painting pipes and heating radiators

What else you need to pay attention to is the presence of the manufacturer's address and the name of the company. There are many fakes on the market today. The label is very similar to some famous brand, but there is no address information. If so, it is better not to risk it - it is not known what is in this bank.

Types and differences

In addition to the above requirements, it is desirable that the paint for heating radiators does not smell much, but it is better that it be odorless at all. Another wish is the durability of the coating. The normal appearance of the surface should be maintained for several years. Well, for sure - the color should not change over time. Not so many compositions meet all these requirements and wishes.

Paints for heating radiators are made on a different basis.

Alkyd enamel

Alkyd enamel forms a durable shiny film on the painted surface. If the surface has been properly prepared (cleaned, degreased and primed), a double layer of alkyd enamel will last for at least 4 years. These paints are made on a different basis, which is why they have different properties:

• Based on organic solvents. This group has a characteristic odor. They have a wide range of applications, but you need to look for a temperature of use not lower than + 70 ° C. The base color is white, a coloring pigment is added to add colors and shades. A well-known representative is PF-115.
• Water-based acrylic alkyd enamel. The advantage of this type of paint is that there is almost no smell. With a choice in this group, you must carefully read the scope. There are compositions that are not suitable for heating radiators, therefore, the description should indicate what can be used for metal. Do not forget also about the temperature regime of operation. If you choose white paint, read the composition carefully - there should be no chalk. It is a cheap pigment, but it turns yellow very quickly when heated. Titanium white is added to paints for heating radiators, which do not change color, but this pigment is expensive, and therefore ready-made compositions are almost twice as expensive.
  

  Alkyd enamels are a good choice, but they have a persistent smell

• The organic silicon base is used for heat-resistant paints for applications up to + 600 ° C. They can be used not only for pipes and radiators, but also for painting ovens.

The release form of this type of paint is buckets or metal cans of different capacities. Packing is usually from 0.5 kg to 3 kg in cans, in buckets up to 25 kg, then it is packed in barrels. This paint is applied with a brush, roller, some types can be applied with a paint spray.

In the group of alkyd enamels there is a very interesting option - hammer. It contains special coloring pigments that create various visual effects. The surface they painted looks like it has been hammered (hence the name). This texture perfectly hides the imperfections of the painted surface. A very interesting volumetric coating is obtained.

Hammer enamelled metal

If you need to paint old cast iron radiators or pipes with imperfect surfaces, this is your chance to do without putty and sanding. It will not be possible to find a pure white color in this group, but there are light tones, although not in such an amount as saturated ones - the surface looks more interesting if the color is bright or deep.

Acrylic enamel

These are water-based formulations with polyacrylates as a film-forming component. They practically do not smell, and even that disappears in a matter of hours. They are usually called "odorless radiator paints". Despite this, when working indoors, after work it must be ventilated - this is still chemistry, so that harmful fumes are present, although not on the same scale as in solvent-based enamels.

These paints are used for painting facades or interior walls, there are also acrylic paints for painting. Naturally, they are not suitable for painting radiators. Look for acrylic paint for metal, and with a temperature range of at least + 70 ° C.

What makes them convenient is that they are diluted with plain water, but after drying, they do not wash off, do not get soaked. The created film is very similar to a plastic surface, remains elastic, does not crack, and washes well. It is usually semi-gloss or matte.

Acrylic paint for heating radiators can be sold packaged in buckets or paints, at authorized sales points you can order any color from the RAL palette. They are tinted with special pigments.

What is the disadvantage of these paints? Like all water-based formulations, it requires careful surface preparation. First you need to remove all rust, then treat the surface with a rust converter, degrease, if necessary, fill in irregularities, then prime. Only then can radiators or heating pipes be painted. If this is not done, rust will appear through the paint layer very soon.

Acrylic enamels are made on a water basis and they are almost odorless (This is PROFI VD-AK-1179)

There are acrylic enamels that do not need a primer, but all other preparation should be carried out in full. For example, an acrylic water-based primer-paint Aquametallic (the cost for 1 kg is about 250-350 rkb, depending on the packaging). It is suitable for painting cast iron and ferrous metal, not for painting non-ferrous metals or galvanized surfaces.

A good option is acrylic enamel PROFI VD-AK-1179. This option is glossy, has good hiding power and adhesion. A primer is needed for this coating. In general, the assortment of these paints is wide, there are a lot of them in stores.

Powder coating

This type, perhaps, at the moment is the most durable and resistant to damage, but its application requires the creation of certain conditions. A special powder spray gun, a low-voltage power source, and the ability to heat the surface to high temperatures are required.

The coloring composition of these paints is powder. They need to evenly cover the surface to be painted. To do this, a positive charge is given to the powder, a negative charge to the painted part (this is what a current source is needed for).After that, the paint is heated, as a result of which the powder polymerizes (cakes), forming a strong film.

The process of applying powder paint to a part, and then firing until polymerization

Powder paints are available with different polymerization temperatures - from + 200 ° C to + 350 ° C. As you can imagine, it is not at all easy to heat up a cast-iron battery to 200 degrees. This requires a camera. Therefore, this type of coloring is practically not found at home. If you really want this particular paint for your heating radiators, you can contact a service station that is engaged in painting cars. They do it using this technology. You may be able to negotiate with them.

Oil paints

Most of the old batteries are painted with oil paints, but today it is already completely unpopular - there are too many drawbacks. Firstly, the smell is very strong and does not disappear for a long time, and secondly, the paint cracks and, over time, changes color. With the availability of special paints for heating radiators of equal price, this choice becomes quite rare. The only thing that presents difficulties is cleaning the already painted old batteries, since the surface is usually cracked and applying another coating on top, even if it is compatible, does not make sense - it will still be ugly.

After a few years, the oil paint starts to crack and fly off.

Spray paint

In recent years, many paints have appeared in aerosol containers - spray cans. There are such paints for heating radiators. The selection principle is similar here: you need to pay attention to the temperature regime.

The process of applying such paint is somewhat difficult without experience. In fact, everything is simple here: it is necessary to spray from a distance of at least 20 cm from the surface to be painted, to conduct the jet quickly, evenly, without stopping for a long time in one place.

You also need to be able to paint heating radiators with enamel in cans

Paint is applied from spray cans in several passes. You may need two, three, or maybe more layers, depending on the complexity of the relief. To obtain a uniform color, the direction of the jet is reversed. If in the first passage we moved from top to bottom and from bottom to top, then in the second - from right to left and back.

Another point: cover the place where you will work with paper or newspapers, and a rather large area. It is difficult to control movement at first.

Glossy or matte

When choosing a paint for heating radiators, you need to choose what type of surface you want to get - matte or glossy. You need to choose based on the type of surface. The fact is that glossy paint emphasizes surface irregularities. Most often they paint cast iron batteries, and their surface is far from ideal. Covering it with a glossy composition, you will only emphasize its imperfection.

Matte compositions are better in this regard - they visually hide many irregularities. So this is not a bad option. But there is also a drawback: the matte white paint quickly takes on a grayish tint. This happens due to the fact that dust and dirt are clogged into the pores, and they are wide in matte paint. This dirt is not washed out from there. The way out is a fresh coat of paint or coloring in a color other than white. A smart choice is to match the paint to the wall color. From a design point of view, this is a better solution than white radiators.

If there is a pattern on the cast iron radiator, the gloss will accentuate it and make it stand out

There is another way out - to close up the irregularities of the radiator. This is done with a putty for metal, you can use an automobile one. First, old paint, rust and other contaminants are removed, then the surface is degreased and then all irregularities are sealed with putty. After it dries with medium, then fine-grain sandpaper, the surface is sanded to a smooth state. Then it is dedusted, primed and painted.In this case, you can safely use glossy enamels for heating radiators. If the surface is leveled carefully, the result will please you.

The procedure for painting heating radiators

Just a few phrases about the order in which it is more convenient to paint heating radiators. To make it easier to work, the inner surface is painted first. If you are right-handed, move from right to left, if left-handed - vice versa. This is less likely to get dirty. Then the outer surface is painted over in the same direction.

Do not forget to cover everything around with newspapers or paper (and on the floor too)

The composition is applied from above, rubbed with up and down movements. Rub the paint thoroughly, not trying to immediately achieve a perfectly painted surface. After the first coat, slightly less colored spots are acceptable. This is much better than drips. They will close when the second layer is applied, and the drips will have to be cleaned off with sandpaper after they are completely dry.