Painting behind a radiator

[vkurup]

Finally moved into the new home yesterday. The place needs a lot of redecorating and TLC. It hasnt been updated in a about 10 years (so expect a lot of DIY questions on the forum soon) To kick off

1) How do you paint behind a radiator. No plans to be perfect, but dont like the look of a different coloured patch behind a radiator.

2) The bathrooms dont have an extractor. We will need to redo the bathrooms to get rid of the avocado suite - but that will need to wait another year or so. In the meanwhile is there an easier way to put an extractor in?

 

[Stuey01]

The best answer is to take it off. But if you can't be bothered you can get a skinny roller on a long handle that will get a good way down behind.

 

[Foxholer]

Finally moved into the new home yesterday. The place needs a lot of redecorating and TLC. It hasnt been updated in a about 10 years (so expect a lot of DIY questions on the forum soon) To kick off

1) How do you paint behind a radiator. No plans to be perfect, but dont like the look of a different coloured patch behind a radiator.

2) The bathrooms dont have an extractor. We will need to redo the bathrooms to get rid of the avocado suite - but that will need to wait another year or so. In the meanwhile is there an easier way to put an extractor in?

If there's an avocado bathroom suite, then it might have been more like 40 years!

There are specialist rollers for painting behind rads. But better way is indeed to take it off temporarily. Even better is to hide the entire rad with a radiator cover but, as that can be expensive, perhaps best left for stage 2!

Survey should have indicated whether venting bathrooms was a problem. There should be an air-brick at least - which can be pretty effective. IR lighting can also make steam dissipate. I'd bet the bathroom doesn't last a year though - that and kitchen are normally the 1st big changes!

 

[CMAC]

The best answer is to take it off. But if you can't be bothered you can get a skinny roller on a long handle that will get a good way down behind.

taking off is the perfect way, but B&Q sell long handles 'crooked' paint brushes for just such a thing, you get most of the area covered but not all- however its enough that you dont see past it-

 

[TopOfTheFlop]

Easy enough, took ours off in the hall, loosened the two screws to the piping and the rad comes off the hooks which are on the wall. Gave it a respray as well as doing the wall and put it back on, looks the business.
Small bucket under pipes for water in pipes - don't forget

 

[la_lucha]

With the extractor I've recently fitted one to the ceiling in ours. I put a hole in the ceiling, wired it up to the permanent live feed to the lights, added a secondary switch and vented through the roof tiles. Simples.

 

[CMAC]

With the extractor I've recently fitted one to the ceiling in ours. I put a hole in the ceiling, wired it up to the permanent live feed to the lights, added a secondary switch and vented through the roof tiles. Simples.

radiator on ceiling

 

[la_lucha]

radiator on ceiling

See question two.

Finally moved into the new home yesterday. The place needs a lot of redecorating and TLC. It hasnt been updated in a about 10 years (so expect a lot of DIY questions on the forum soon) To kick off

1) How do you paint behind a radiator. No plans to be perfect, but dont like the look of a different coloured patch behind a radiator.

2) The bathrooms dont have an extractor. We will need to redo the bathrooms to get rid of the avocado suite - but that will need to wait another year or so. In the meanwhile is there an easier way to put an extractor in?

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Or just skip painting it and insulate behind it with aluminium card.....

 

[vkurup]

The lovely avacado/limegreen suite.. there is even a ceiling rose in the bathroom.

Luckily the kitchen was redone in 2009, so it is fully functional though on the smaller side

This is the type of rads around the place.


i could take it down, but how do I isolate it? Does the two screws also shut down the water? Also, as it is closed loop, I am assuming if I took a rad off, it will stop off all the heating as it can circulate the water. finally, the house has a conventional boiler (though not sure if that makes any difference) - but has the smallest cylinder that I have ever seen..

 

[CMAC]

Or just skip painting it and insulate behind it with aluminium card.....

ahh that lovely 1980's look

 

[JustOne]

i could take it down, but how do I isolate it? Does the two screws also shut down the water? Also, as it is closed loop, I am assuming if I took a rad off, it will stop off all the heating as it can circulate the water. finally, the house has a conventional boiler (though not sure if that makes any difference) - but has the smallest cylinder that I have ever seen..

It's not a loop, that rad should have it's own a feed off the main supply pipe. You can close the two bottom valves on that rad and if they close properly you can now undo them and take the rad off the wall, the rad however will still be full of water and will make a mess if you don't have a paint tray or similar handy to catch the 5 pints (or so) of water that'll come gushing out of it when you undo it. You will also need a radiator bleed key for when you put it back on the wall.

Something like this might help for 'learning'.... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=remove+full+radiator+off+wall

 

[SocketRocket]

The lovely avacado/limegreen suite.. there is even a ceiling rose in the bathroom.
View attachment 13248
Luckily the kitchen was redone in 2009, so it is fully functional though on the smaller side

This is the type of rads around the place.
View attachment 13249

i could take it down, but how do I isolate it? Does the two screws also shut down the water? Also, as it is closed loop, I am assuming if I took a rad off, it will stop off all the heating as it can circulate the water. finally, the house has a conventional boiler (though not sure if that makes any difference) - but has the smallest cylinder that I have ever seen..

Avacado may come back! Well it might

 

[vkurup]

Avacado may come back! Well it might

Can i put this in the 'For Sale' section?

 

[Andy808]

Sorted!

 

[vkurup]

Looks like loads of ideas for painting behind the Rad....

Had a look on the Interweb on the Extractor fan options, looks like I will need an electrician rather than DIY it - even though it will be a temporary solution

 

[Deleted member 1740]

The only way you'll be able to paint behind the radiator is to remove it.

It "should" be a straight forward diy job so long as the valves turn off fully.

Good luck

 

[la_lucha]

Looks like loads of ideas for painting behind the Rad....

Had a look on the Interweb on the Extractor fan options, looks like I will need an electrician rather than DIY it - even though it will be a temporary solution

It really is simple to wire in as it's just the live and Neutral, but if you're not confident then you should definitely call in a qualified sparky.

 

[Rooter]

It really is simple to wire in as it's just the live and Neutral, but if you're not confident then you should definitely call in a qualified sparky.

even if he is confident, if he does it and messes it up, it causes a fire, his house insurance will not pay out. Bathroom and kitchen electrics are covered under special zones with partP and "should" be certified.

 

[la_lucha]

even if he is confident, if he does it and messes it up, it causes a fire, his house insurance will not pay out. Bathroom and kitchen electrics are covered under special zones with partP and "should" be certified.

Yup, does it come under Bathroom electrics though as there is no electrical equipment being installed in the bathroom. The extractor is actually positioned within the loft space. I'd have thought it would need to be in the room to come under those special zone requirements. I.e. Spot lights, shaver sockets, electric showers etc.