Give radiators a new lease of life

Article date : 26/10/2009

Written by Tony Harrison

Britons do not have to feel lumbered with their home's old radiators and spend their time looking for ways to hide them, but could bring them back to life simply by applying a fresh coat of paint.

Julian Cassel, a DIY expert writing for the Guardian, notes that cast-iron radiators which are over 40-years-old and covered in peeling paint could become a job for home improvement enthusiasts to focus on.

He advises that any old paint should first be removed by sanding down the accessible surfaces, before removing any resulting dust using the nozzle attachment of a vacuum.

For an even finish, he recommends applying the fresh paint with an aerosol, rather than a brush, as this allows people to get to any hard-to-reach areas of the appliance.

However, Britons who are keen to save space and bring their rooms up-to-date may instead wish to replace old radiators.

And there is a lot of choice available to them, which may see consumers purchasing vertical radiators to create more wall space, contemporary radiators to add to the look and feel of a room or remote control radiators for ease-of-use.

As winter approaches, another useful DIY job could be to bleed all a property's radiators to remove any trapped air bubbles and increase their efficiency.

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