Learning how to paint your baseboard heaters will allow you to change the color to compliment your room. A baseboard heater that has been damaged by water and is now rusting can also be refinished. Even if you have little experience refinishing metal, painting your baseboard heaters is a manageable task for most homeowners.
When painting a baseboard heater, paint and primer choice is crucial. You must choose a metal etching primer, which will bond with the underlying surface. Then, choose a paint that will withstand fluctuating and high temperatures. If you do not use the appropriate paint, the baseboard heater’s paint will peel over time, making it necessary for you to repeat painting your baseboard heaters, find more info.
Step 1: Make sure the baseboard heater is off and has cooled completely. If the baseboard cover can be removed, you may want to remove the cover to make it easier to paint.
Step 2: Clean the areas on the electric baseboard heater that you intend to paint with your choice of a degreasing household cleaner. Dry the baseboard with a dry rag.
Step 3: Sand away any rust using a sanding sponge. Rough up the rest of the baseboard heater surface lightly. Remove the dust from the surface of the baseboard heater with a tack cloth.
Step 4: Protect any adjacent surfaces by covering them with a line of painter’s tape. Use newspaper or a drop cloth to protect the surrounding flooring as necessary.
Step 5: Apply a galvanized metal etching primer with a paintbrush to any surface on the electric baseboard heater you wish to paint. Allow the primer to dry completely: plan on waiting about 6 hours before proceeding.
TIP: Make sure that you paint so all the brushstrokes are in one direction. Also, use a high quality paintbrush to minimize brush strokes. If you would like, you can also use a narrow roller to apply the paint and primer.
Step 6: Apply a coat of high temperature resistant paint over the dried primer. Let the paint dry, then apply a second coat to the electric baseboard heater.
Step 7: If you removed the electric baseboard heater cover during the first step, now is the time to reinstall the baseboard cover over the heater.