What To Know Before Painting a Baseboard Heater Cover

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What To Know Before Painting a Baseboard Heater Cover

Tired of your old, rusty baseboard heaters? Thankfully, there's a few easy ways to give them a facelift. Painting is one of those ways. Here’s what to know before painting a baseboard heater cover, so you can determine if painting is the best fit for you and your baseboard heater covers.

Reasons To Paint Your Covers

The main reason most people have for painting their baseboard covers is rust. Rusty, old baseboard heaters are unsightly, so it's no wonder you'd be looking to cover them up. Hiding rust and other imperfections with paint is an easy solution to improving the appearance of your baseboard heaters. Keep in mind, you cannot just paint over the rust, as rust never stops unless you stop it and seal the steel.

What You'll Need

Painting your cover is a bit more complicated than you might think. You'll need cleaning items, tools for application, and special rust-inhibiting paint and primer. Here's a list of items you'll need on hand:

Wire brush
Fine-grit sandpaper
Clean cloths
Degreasing cleaner
Painter's tape
Rust-inhibiting metal primer
Foam paint brushes
Rust-inhibiting metal paint
Paint thinner

How To Prepare for Painting

You'll want to start by removing the end caps and face plate. With the parts placed on a flat, sturdy surface, take a wire brush and remove any rust or flaking from its exterior. Sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper, and then remove any sanding dust using a clean cloth and degreasing cleaner. Before you start painting, you'll need to let the cover dry.

Next, you'll want to mask the wall and around the baseboard's heating element with painter's tape. Using the wire brush, remove any rust from the back plate. Sand it like you did with the cover, and then clean off any excess dirt and dust.

It's finally time to paint. Apply a layer of rust-inhibiting primer to your cover and leave it to dry before applying a second coat. Once your primer is dry, you can finally paint your baseboard cover. Just like the primer, you should apply two full coats of paint.

Are There Other Ways To Hide Rust?

Another thing to know before painting a baseboard heater cover is the alternatives. If your current cover is damaged beyond repair or prone to rusting, replacing it is better than masking its imperfections with paint. Covers made from galvanized steel are sturdy, long-lasting, and resistant to rust. Furthermore, they're not only functional but fashionable, too. They can give your outdated heater a modern, stylish appearance that’ll blend in seamlessly with the rest of your interior design. Painting your covers take time, but brand-new covers can be installed in 5-10 minutes. If you're pressed for time, a replacement baseboard radiator cover is the way to go.

EZSnap™ Covers makes a 5 minute solution for replacement baseboard heater covers made from sturdy, modern-looking galvanized steel. Check out or inventory, or feel free to contact us with any questions.

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How to measure baseboard heaters:

Step 1
HOW TO MEASURE

Always measure left to right, and twice for accuracy

Floor to top of Fintube | EZ Snap™ Baseboard Heater Covers

Step 1: Floor to top of Wall plate

Measure the height from the floor to the top of the metal wall plate.

Follow our guide for baseboard heater cover measurement:

Any baseboard larger than 7 3/8" (188 mm) will be compatible with our standard cover.

Any measurement greater than 9 3/8" (238 mm) will fit our tall cover.

Fin Tube Height | EZ Snap™ Baseboard Heater Covers

Step 2: Bottom of Fintube to Top of Wall Plate

Measure from the bottom of the finned tube heating element to the top of the metal wall plate,

A measurement of 5 1/2" to 6 3/4" (140 mm – 172 mm) will fit our standard cover.

A measurement of 7 1/2" to 8 3/4" (191 mm – 222 mm) will fit our tall cover.

Depth | Measure | EZ Snap™ Baseboard Heater Cover

Step 3: Back Wall to Front of Fintube

Measure the distance from the wall or the metal wall plate attached to the wall, to the outside of the finned tube heating element.

Any measurement of less than 3 1/8" (76 mm) inches from the wall will fit our

standard cover.

Any measurement of less than 3 1/8" (76 mm) inches from the wall will fit our tall cover.

Step 2
DETERMINE IF BRACKETS ARE NECESSARY

Always measure left to right, and twice for accuracy

Wall Widget

EZ Snap™ Wall Widgets are used when your old or existing wall back plate has been removed or if you have to hang your new cover 1 inch or higher to bring them up to a height that will fit our installation guidelines. Just measure your overall desired height, subtract 1", drill a hole, preferably in a stud and attach it to the wall with the included screw.

Floor Fidgets

EZ Snap™ Floor Fidgets easily raise your new covers ¾ inch to compensate for any ¾ inch floor (wood, tile, or other) that has been installed any time since your baseboard heater was originally installed. May be used for any reason when the overall height has been shortened and the total height is less than 7-½ inches for standard height or 9-½ inches for the TALL height EZ Snap™ BaseBoard Covers. Just use the self-tapping screws to secure them to the top of your existing wallplate.

Wall Contraptions

EZ Snap™ Wall Contraptions are used when your wall back plate has been completely removed. EZ Snap™ Wall Contraptions receives your EZ Snap™ BaseBoard Cover and keeps your aluminum fin tube from sagging. These completely replace your wall back plate. To install, slide up from the bottom and make sure the top is at your desired height. Screw to the wall, then bend the front finger up to hold the fin tube in place.