What To Know Before Painting a Baseboard Heater Cover
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What To Know Before Painting a Baseboard Heater Cover

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.



Measure Your Baseboard Heaters

How to measure baseboard heaters:

Step 1
HOW TO MEASURE

Always measure left to right, and twice for accuracy

Step 2 
DETERMINE IF BRACKETS ARE NECESSARY

Always measure left to right, and twice for accuracy

Step 3

HOW TO MEASURE LENGTH

Based on how your heater is configured,

choose an option below to expand and view

specific hot water baseboard heater measurement templates.

 
[+] Option 1: Straight Heater Configuration
[+] Option 2: L-Shape and U-Shape Configuration
[+] Option 3: 45 Degrees, Z-Shape Configuration
 

Congratulations!

Now that you’ve learned how to measure baseboard heaters,

you’re ready to order.

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YOUR ORDER NOW?