Collection: Radiator Paint

How to Paint a Radiator?

Painting a radiator has never been so easy with our variety of professional radiator paints. Below we talk through the easy and simple steps required to totally transform your tired-looking radiators—

• Make sure your radiator is turned off and has fully cooled down; if not, the paint will begin to blister. 
• Give it a good clean to get rid of all grease, muck, and any finger marks (we recommend using Zinsser Universal Degreaser.) Once applied, give it another wash with a spray cleaner to remove any degreaser left behind.
• Give your radiator a quick sand (nothing too strenuous). Sanding your radiator beforehand creates some texture for your paint to bond to. After completing the process, quickly wipe it with a tack cloth to eliminate any remaining dust.
• Time to start painting! Resist the urge to apply too much. Instead, use a thin coat. Let it completely dry.
• Lightly sand it. Wipe it with your cloth. After that, start applying a second coat. Three light coats of paint should hopefully do the trick!

For a more detailed overview, check out our guide on How to Paint a Radiator.

What tools do I need to paint a radiator?

Painting your radiator doesn't require a toolbox of tools. To make this task a quick and easy transformation, shop our radiator paint bundle. Featuring all the tools you need to paint your radiator, our bundle includes:

• DCO Colour Match of Zinsser AllCoat
• 2" Paint Brush
• Sanding Pad
• Tack Cloth
• Tape & Drape Dust Sheet

What paint to use on radiators?

Knowing what the best radiator paint to use can be a tough one, as there are so many different options out there. To help, we narrowed down your search by selecting only the metal paints that work best on radiators. Our top picks include: 

Zinsser AllCoat - Not only do these paints come in ready-mixed colours, including white, anthracite grey (RAL 7016), and black radiator paint. You can match their colour to any designer shade. Use our 5-star colour match paint service on the Zinsser Allcoat Colour Match Page.

Zinsser Allcoat is a water-based paint that is scrubbable and self-priming, meaning that you won't have to prime separately beforehand. This high-quality paint does all the work for you in one coat. 

Hammerite Radiator Paint— If you need a good white radiator paint, this metal paint is a great option. Solvent-based and hardwearing, this gloss paint has been specially formulated to resist yellowing.

If you're searching for a radiator spray paint, then we recommend trying out the Rust-Oleum Radiator Enamel Spray Paint, which is easy to apply and available in white and in a satin/gloss finish.

How to paint behind a radiator?

Step one: Turn off the water supply—be sure to let your radiators cool down.

Step two: drain your radiator; this will remove any excess water or air trapped in your radiator.

Step three: remove the radiator—once the radiator has fully drained, lift the radiator up to remove it from the wall brackets and place it in a safe area.

For more options, shop our full range of heat-resistant paint.