Handyman Guide > Radiators and Concrete

Special pains should be taken when painting a radiator to avoid having the paint crack and peel off within a few months. With the proper procedure, you can usually avoid this condition.



Do not paint a radiator when it is hot. If you paint it during the summer, you avoid turning it off when it is needed to heat a room and you allow yourself sufficient time to do lasting work. If this is inconvenient, you can paint a radiator when it is warm.

If the old paint has chipped and is cracked, it should be removed before a new finish is applied. Use a stiff wire brush, coarse sandpaper, and steel wool for this task. It may be necessary to chip off some of the paint with a cold chisel or an old screwdriver. Remove all traces of rust and wipe off the grease with benzine. Apply a coat of red lead or some equally good metal primer.

Use a special radiator brush for this work. These brushes are long and thin so that they can be worked into difficult places with a minimum amount of effort to coat with paint places otherwise inaccessible.

After the priming coat is dry, use a flat wall paint for the finish coat. Add a small amount of linseed oil to the paint to prevent it from cracking.

CONCRETE

Cement, and Portland cement stucco, can be painted with nearly any kind of paint, provided that certain conditions are observed.

Cement Paints. Cement paints are special water paints intended for use on concrete. They are mixed with water and are obtainable in several colors. No special preparation of the surface is necessary when these paints are used, but do not put them over another finish. They must be applied directly to the concrete.

Water Paints. Water paints, such as calcimine, can also be applied directly to a new concrete surface; as these are water soluble paints, however, th~y can only be used for interior work. Apply the paint with a brush or a spray gun.

Oil Paint. Oil paint can be used on cement if the cement does not contain any moisture. Do not paint cement for several days after a rain, as its porous texture holds a good deal of moisture.

Do not put oil paint on new concrete until a solution is applied to neutralize the lime. Lime has the same destructive effect on oil paints as on new plaster.

You can make a solution for neutralizing lime by dissolving 3 Ibs. of zinc sulphate crystals in 1 gal. of water. Apply this solution freely to the surface and allow about a week to soak into the concrete and dry. After this has been done, you may apply the oil paint. Any white crust on the concrete must be removed before painting (see EFFLORESCENCE).

Concrete that has been standing a year or more can be painted with oil paints, and it is not necessary to use a neutralizing solution. Brush the concrete to remove any dirt or loose bits of cement. Use any good exterior paint for the finish, but use a varnish base paint for the first coat, because of the rough, porous nature of concrete. This will seal off the pores so that the following coats of paint can be easily applied and produce an even finish.

Cement Floors. Cement floors can he painted only if there is no moisture present. A good test is to put a strip of waterproof paper on the floor and leave it there for several days. If at the end of this time there is no moisture under the paper, the floor can be painted. Use a tough floor enamel on cement floors, as other kinds of paint will not stand up very long.

Continue to Painting Wood Shingles



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