do i need special paint to paint a radiator?

[ImNotBloody14]

i have white gloss and an undercoat. can I use those to paint the radiator or will it crack with the heat?

quite probably. You are supposed to use radiator paint. It is almost impossible to make a decent job of it, and replacement radiators are not as expensive as you might think.

ah is it really a horrible job? i'm in a rented house and the radiator is a horrible nicotine yellowy colour- I just wanted to freshen it up. i'll ask down at the paint shop if they have the right stuff. thank you.

I did mine with radiator paint, and used a roller i think, it came out good!

You can use any oil or water borne paint that specifies it's suitable for radiators. That means most interior gloss or satin paints. Make sure you sand the surface first to remove the glossiness of the existing paint. Withgloss you'll pprobably nneed to undercoat first. With some satins yyou ddon't nneed to. ChCheck the instructions on the tin.

I've always used oil-based gloss paint, with no problems. And I've painted a lot of radiators.

oh that's good to hear. i'll check the cans and see what they say. I have sanding paper/blocks here anyway.

is your landlord happy for you to do it? Or would he do it as part of the lease?

Satinwood paints are fine for radiators (I'm sure it says so on the tin) but IME they do discolour slightly with the heat.

well i haven't asked specifically about the radiator but he has said i can paint and decorate. he wont do it himself. it's taken me 1 year to get him just to agree to fix the hole in the back door that was supposed to have been done for me moving in.