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Best Radiator Paint in 2022 Comprehensive Review

Written by :
Heating Wise
Last updated: December 14, 2021
Table of Contents
  • 1 1. Ronseal One Coat Radiator Paint
  • 2 2. Hammerite Radiator Paint
  • 3 3. Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood Paint
  • 4 4. Rust-Oleum Radiator Enamel
  • 5 5. Rustins Quick Dry Radiator Paint
  • 6 6. Rust-Oleum Universal Paint
  • 7 7. Johnstone’s Quick Dry Satin
  • 8 8. Hammerite Radiator Enamel Aerosol

Sometimes you don’t need to do a major DIY project to revamp your home as there are smaller but effective ways to refresh a room. And this includes your radiators, which work hard to keep us warm but can fade and weather over time. Instead of replacing tired looking radiators, a lick of paint can actually work wonders. With a choice of specialist paints, spray paints and general paints designed for metal and wood, choosing the right paint will depend on the current condition of your radiator, the colour you want and the time and budget you have available. We take a look at some of the best radiator paints that will work wonders when it comes to breathing new life into your radiators.

1. Ronseal One Coat Radiator Paint

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Key Features
  • One coat formula
  • No need for primer
  • Heat and fade resistant
  • Durable scuff protection

Quick to use, this one coat radiator paint from Ronseal ticks all the key best radiator paint boxes. It’s a lovely glossy white formulated to stay exactly that, so it shouldn’t fade or yellow over time. And the other bonus is that it’s a one-coat formula that doesn’t take an age to dry. Simply paint on with a brush, leave for an hour and you should be good to go.  Ronseal have developed this heat resistant white radiator paint to be used with no need for a primer, but you do need to ensure the surface is clean and grit free for a smooth, neat finish.

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2. Hammerite Radiator Paint

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Key Features
  • Heat resistant white gloss
  • Stops fading and yellowing
  • Prevents rust forming
  • Touch dry in six hours

Keep your radiators looking brilliant for longer with this heat resistant white radiator paint from Hammerite. Formulated to resist yellowing as well as rust, this is a good choice for water-filled radiators as it’s also heat resistant and goes on smoothly.

The consistency is not as thick as some other radiator paints, so you may need a couple of coats, but if you finish with a small gloss roller, you will get a smooth finish. Without the need to use a primer, it’s also low odour so not irritating to use. It does take up to six hours to be touch dry, but you do get a lovely gloss shine to make your radiators really pop.

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3. Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood Paint

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Key Features
  • Formulated for wood and metal
  • One coat with no need for radiator primer
  • Non yellowing and low odour
  • Six hours drying time

If full on gloss is not your radiator thing, then check out the mid-sheen of Dulux’s Quick Dry Satinwood. Formulated for both wood and metal, this is a quality paint that works well on radiators and, as it’s self-undercoating, there’s no need to prime. It is at the top end of our best radiator paint budget, but it’s a generous 2.5 litre tin which covers 30m². Use a brush or roller to apply to your radiator then leave for around six hours to touch dry – it may need more for full dryness. You also get a choice of colours, so if you don’t want white, you can make more of a colour feature of your radiators.

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4. Rust-Oleum Radiator Enamel

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Key Features
  • Easy to use aerosol spray
  • Brilliant white gloss shine
  • Fade, water and rust resistant
  • Heats up to 80 °

For running touch ups as well as re-paint, Rust-Oleum’s Radiator Enamel leaves your white radiators with a super-glossy finish. The aerosol action is pretty smooth and gives a controllable mist, but you do need to either remove your radiator or cover up your flooring and walls to avoid any mess. However, it’s quick to use, water resistant and won’t yellow or fade, drying to a hard enamel that resists temperatures up to 80 degrees C. And it provides rust protection too. One to have in your DIY collection to keep your white radiators looking pristine.

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5. Rustins Quick Dry Radiator Paint

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Key Features
  • Touch dry in 30 minutes
  • Water-based, easy clean formula
  • Heat resistant and low odour
  • Doesn’t yellow or fade

For when you don’t want to wait, Rustins radiator enamel paint is touch dry in 30 minutes. Meaning you can do your radiator touch ups or full repaint and be back to heating your home in a few hours. In a white satin formula that’s heat resistant, this water-based enamel radiator paint won’t yellow but you do need to use a separate radiator primer to get the best results. Rustins Quick Drying Radiator Paint can be used on all radiators, except oil radiators, and is a handy touch up for the outer of fridges and freezers too. What we also like about this enamel radiator paint is it’s pretty much mess free, and you only need water to clean your brushes when you have finished.

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6. Rust-Oleum Universal Paint

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Key Features
  • All-purpose paint, including metal
  • One coat plus primer formula
  • Can also cover rust
  • Eight hour drying time

The ultimate multi-tasker, Rust-Oleum’s all surface paint is also a paint and primer in one. Suitable for wood, metal (including radiators), plastic and ceramic, this rich formula also works well to cover rust, leaving you with a smooth and colour-perfect surface. And, if you are looking to move away from traditional glossy white, then check out the colours – we like the cool slate grey.

It is a small tin, but applied with a roller, you can get it to go further with a lovely smooth and even finish. It does take a little longer than others to dry – can be handled after eight hours, although won’t be fully hard for up to a week. And, when using on galvanised metal, Rust-Oleum do recommend a metal specific primer so if in doubt, don’t skip on the prime and prep.

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7. Johnstone’s Quick Dry Satin

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Key Features
  • Suitable for wood and metal
  • Low odour and water-based
  • Non-yellowing formula
  • Dries within two hours

At a good value price, this Quick Dry Satin wood and metal paint from Johnstone’s is a good one to have in the cupboard for when you need to do those running repairs. And, as it’s a decent 1.25 litre capacity, it can also cover several full radiators, depending on their size. Non-yellowing and in a brilliant white, it’s worth preparing with a radiator primer first to get the very best results. And as it is water-based, it dries in under two hours, leaving very little odour as it dries. For a smooth finish, we suggest one to two coats, finished with a roller to blend away any brush marks.

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8. Hammerite Radiator Enamel Aerosol

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Key Features
  • Heat resistant enamel spray
  • Low odour with rust protection
  • Non-yellowing formula
  • Touch dry in 4-6 hours

Creating a lovely satin white finish that’s long-lasting, this spray radiator paint goes on smooth. Heat resistant, the colour looks fresh too, with no yellowing or fading, although you may need a couple of applications to get the look you want.

The spray is keen so cover up the radiator controls and protect your surfaces but it’s quick, coating a decent area in no time. What we also like about Hammerite’s Radiator Enamel is that it helps to prevent rust forming. The surface takes a little while to set, but it should be touch dry within 4-6 hours although it’s advisable to leave it 24 hours before you switch your heating back on. And the result is a smart refresh of your radiators that also helps to keep them protected thanks to the durable and tough finish.

Related Post: How to Measure a Radiator

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Best Radiator Paint Buying Guide

Here's what you need to know!
Factors to Consider When Buying Radiator Paint

When buying radiator paint, there are some key factors you need to take into account:

Heat Resistant – as the paint will be layered onto a device that will get hot, it needs to have a high resistance to heat otherwise it can crack and flake due to prolonged exposure to heat. As many of today’s radiators can reach a temperature of around 80 degrees C, you need to ensure the paint you buy can withstand such heat. 

Durable – with radiators a key feature in most rooms, they are exposed to the comings and goings of a busy home and so need to be protected from everyday bumps, scrapes and spills. When painting radiators, the paint you choose needs to be durable and hardwearing to help protect the radiator as well as easy to wipe clean.

Colour & Finish – as radiator paints are available in a choice of colours, including silvers, greys, brights and black, you should be able to match your paint to your décor style. Alternatively, the classic white radiator or an off-white look is easy to obtain. When choosing the colour of your radiator paint you also need to consider the finish you want to achieve. The finish choices in radiator paint include gloss (for a high shine look), satin (for a luminous lustre) or matt.

Application – paint for radiators can come in brush on or spray on and both have their pros and cons. Brush on radiator paint gives you more precision control and a little goes a long way, but it can leave brush marks in the final finish. A spray paint for radiators is a fast way to get an even coverage and won’t leave brush marks, but it can be messy, especially when you try to get into those tricky areas.

Preparation – some radiator paint products require no prep before application, while others need a radiator primer to be applied first so do check the instructions before you buy. Whichever type of paint you choose, the radiator will need to be prepped and cleaned to ensure the surface is free from dirt, rust and grit before you start painting.

Non-yellowing Formula – radiator paint, especially if it’s white, is prone to fading and yellowing over time, as the radiator’s heat slowly breaks down the coating. Many products are formulated to prevent or help delay this fading so if this is a concern, look for a non-yellowing formula.

Types Of Radiator Paint

Once you know the size and number of radiators to paint and the colour you want them to be, you need to choose the best radiator paint for the job at hand. The types of radiator paints currently available include:

Specialist Radiator Paint

Especially if you want to paint your radiators white, then a specialist paint formulated specifically for radiators is a good idea.  And this is because a specialist radiator paint has been formulated to not discolour or yellow over time. It is also heat resistant. However, with specialist radiator paint, you will be a little limited on the colour choices available.

Paint for wood and metal

These can either be water or solvent-based paint that has a range of applications in the home, including painting radiators and come in a wider choice of colours as well as finishes, including satinwood and are mostly non-drip in formulation.

Spray Paints

Instead of using paint and a brush, you can also opt for a spray paint that is specifically for radiators. They are quick and pretty easy to use and come in a selection of colours and leave a smooth, glossy finish, without any brush marks.

Clear Radiator Paint

This type of radiator paint is a good idea if you have decided to use ordinary emulsion paint on your radiator as it provides a protective overcoat to the radiator’s surface. Clear radiator paint is similar to varnish and is heat resistant, dries quickly and can protect your radiator from scuffs.

Our Top Pick

For a no-nonsense, one coat white radiator paint, you can’t beat Ronseal One Coat Radiator Paint. With a lovely glossy finish, a little of this paint goes a long way and it quick dries in around one hour. With a fade and yellow resistant formula, it also protects against scuffs and knocks, keeping your white radiators looking brilliant for longer. Our best radiator paint review’s top choice.

Related Post: Aluminium Radiators

FAQ

Q:Do I need to prime a radiator before painting?

A:

It’s strongly advised to prime your radiator before painting, as it will ensure the surface is properly prepared and helps the radiator paint bond with the radiator surface. At the very least, primer is needed on a new or unpainted radiator, while many radiator paint products recommend you also prime before you paint any radiator.

It is a good idea to use a primer designed specifically for radiators as you can be sure of its heat resistance. You will need to ensure the primer base is fully dry – waiting 24 hours is ideal – before you paint your radiator.

Q:Can I put on heating after painting the radiator?

A:

No. You will need to wait for the radiator paint to thoroughly dry and settle into place before you run heating through it. That means waiting at least 24 hours before you put the heating back on completely.

Q:How much does radiator paint cost?

A:

With a choice of products, brands and types of radiator paint to choose from, the cost can vary. The price will also depend on how many radiators you are painting and the amount of paint you need to cover them. For standard amounts (eg. 500ml – 2.5 litres), you should expect to pay between £8 and £20.

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