painting MDF radiator covers - spray them?

[dmc]

SWMBO has decreed that we will have a radiator cover on the rad in the hallway (I know, I know).

Anyway, due to the annoying size the ones that are available ready finished in white satin aren't going to be any good (short of a custom order one for over 100 quid!) so I'm looking at painting it myself.

Given the ones that fit are basically an mdf frame with a bit of mdf mesh in (

sort of thing) a roller isn't gonna work well and I'm not fancying the idea of a painting the thing with a brush...hence spraying sounds appealing.

We want the thing finished in white satin - skirting etc is done with the dulux waterbased realife stuff so that would be ideal but I've no idea if it can be sprayed or what sort of sprayer I'm looking for.

Any advice? A quick look around B&Q suggests electric sprayers from 20 quid up. Screwfix list a 60 quid one as being able to spray emulsion which sounds more like the thing. Any ideas? ( and no, she doesn't like the mdf look despite my efforts to convince her ;-))

Darren

[Peter Lynch]

...

My advice would be a fair division of labour. Your job would be to make/buy/install the radiator cover, her job would be the arty stuff which means painting it.

2 benefits: first of all, the problem has become someone-else's (in management terms, we call this a "solution" :-). Secondly, once she's had to paint all the nooks and crannies, it's very unlikely she'll decide that you need another one anywhere else.

Pete

[Andy Hall]

Excellent. I think that she should go and buy said item as well. That should at least delay it for a bit.

[Jason]

So you wouldn't mention the spray gun to her then?

[Andy Hall]

Actually it could be a reason to buy a compressor (of course it comes bundled with a full set of air tools and nailers) and a spray gun.

[The Medway Handyman]

Pete - you are a genius!

[Andy Hall]

I think we should have a poll on this as to whether any contributor to the group actually likes the idea of radiator covers.

For those who don't, reasons why.

I'll kick it off:

- I think that they are in the same ilik of (lack of) taste as phone cosies.

- They are dirt traps

- They reduce radiator outputs by up to 30%.

I can't think of any benefits.

[Owain]

For one radiator cover, some aerosols of car spray paint probbaly won't be prohibitively expensive and would give a good finish.

Owain

[John Rumm]

They reduce scalding risk when used near vulnerable people, and they can be used to make a really ugly radiator just ugly instead ;-)

Can't say I am a fan of them... although I like radiator shelves.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Cans of car spray paint will work..use grey or white primer to start and sand it.

[Steven Campbell]

I think they are just horrible looking. Every time we pass one in B&Q my wife continually looks at the price and says "It is great value, I think we'll just buy it" The words "No way" just do the trick and we move on.

Steven.

[dmc]

So I have to have one of these things, I still have to paint it yet I don't even get a new power tool????

Doesn't seem fair :-( Normal car primer would be ok on plain mdf then yes?

I also have a couple of shelf units to paint so a spray gun if any good would be used elsewhere (and SWMBO was measuring up the dining room rad yesterday...)

I forgot to say in the original post, I do have (access to) a good compressor although I suspect that's not a lot of use for spraying this sort of paint?

As for why do people have then? Well, I'm not a huge fan I admit but they don't all look quite so awful...and some rads are ugly :)

Mainly though it isn't my decision ;-)

Darren

[Owain]

Life isn't fair, especially for the married man.

That changes the economics considerably. If you already have a compressor then a spray-gun should be affordable from saving up your pocket-money / tools allowance.

Anyfink furra quiet life, innit.

Owain

[The Medway Handyman]

I still can't work this one out. Where does the heat go?

[The Medway Handyman]

You can earn a good margin making non standard size ones for people? That's a benefit :-)

[Steve Firth]

It doesn't, hence the heat output is reduced by 30%. Think of what would happen if you wrapped the radiator in insulation.

[Owain]

They make an additional shelf that can be used to display the SWMBO's collection of objets d'art with handpainted periwinkles.

Owain

[Frank Erskine]

Straight back to the boiler, as hot (or less cool) water!

[Andy Hall]

The radiator releases heat into the room by radiation and more so by convection. The SWMBO fashion accessory impedes both, reducing output and the return temperture will be higher than without the uglybox.

[Doctor Drivel]

Not so. More by convection.