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---------------INTERIOR--------------- ADHESION FAILURE AMOUNT OF PAINT BARE WOOD STAINING BASEMENT WALLS BATHROOM BATHROOM STAINING BEST FLOW BLOCKING BOILED LINSEED OIL CABINETS CALCIMINE CALCULATE CAULK CEILING CERAMIC TILE CINDERBLOCK COLOR SELECTION: DOOR EDGES COLOR SELECTION: WALLS; TRIM COLOR: CHANGING TO A NEW COLOR COLOR: COMPLEMENTING GRAYS AND BROWNS COLOR: DECORATING IN CRANBERRY COLOR: ENLIVEN WHITE & BEIGE CONCRETE FLOOR CRACKS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAINT AND STAIN DOORS DRIERS DUCTS, AIR CONDITIONING EDGING TOOLS ENAMEL EPOXY EXTERIOR LATEX PAINT INDOORS FIBERGLASS FILM THICKNESS FIREPROOF FLEXIBLE FLOORS FORMICA FROZEN FURNITURE GARAGE FLOORS GEL STAINS GETTING THE BEST FLOW GRAIN RAISING GYPSUM HOLLOW CORE DOORS INORGANIC KALSOMINE KITCHEN KITCHEN CABINETS LATEX LATEX GLOVES LATEX PAINTS OVER OIL-BASED LEAD LINSEED OIL MAHOGANY MAPLE MASKING TAPE METAL DOORS MIRROR MIXING PAINTS TO GET A LIGHTER COLOR MUDCRACKING NAIL POPS OAK OCHRE ODOR - BLOCKING ODOR FROM PLYWOOD OIL BASED OIL OR LATEX OPAQUE OPEN-GRAIN ORGANIC PAINT PAINT FROZE PAINT THINNER PAINTERS TAPE PANELING PEEL PLASTER POLYURETHANE PRIMING PVA PRIMER QUALITY PAINT: WHICH IS BEST? RADIATORS RAW LINSEED OIL REJUVENATING PAINT REMOVING PAINT FROM DRYWALL REMOVING OLD PAINT ROLLER ROLLER MARKS SEMI-TRANSPARENT STAIN SEPARATED SERIOUS ALERGIC REACTIONS SKINNING: AVOIDING SOLID COLOR STAIN SOLVENT SOUTHWESTERN COLORS SPACKLING SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION SPRAYING SPREAD RATE SQUARE FEET PER GALLON STAIN STICKING STORING PAINT STRAIGHT LINES STRESS CRACKS SURFACTANT LEACHING TEXTURE CEILING THAWED TILE TITANIUM TRIM UMBER URETHANE VOC WALLBOARD WALLPAPER WALNUT WASHING THE WALLS WET BASEMENT WOOD FILLER WOOD FURNITURE, UNFINISHED     

RADIATORS

Question
I have a home circa 1930. We have water-heated radiators that are painted white- I think it is an enamel. Can I paint the radiators with a regular interior latex (to match the walls) or do I need a special one?

Answer
The odds are that yes, you can be successful using a latex paint on the radiators. Here are some suggestions and precautions:

1.) The biggest area of possible problem is that the latex paint will tend to lift the old enamel from the metal radiator, particularly if there is a time it happens to get cold in your house (e.g., the furnace fails); but if the enamel seems to be in sound shape with no appreciable cracking or peeling, you'll probably be OK.

2.) First, clean the enamel with a household cleaner, and rinse.

3.) Choose a top of the line interior eggshell or satin finish latex paint (some are called "enamels"; eggshell is best); don't use a flat, or semigloss or gloss paint.

4.) Apply the paint when the radiators are just warm, not hot or stone cold. Don't run the furnace for 2-3 hours immediately following application of the paint. Avoid dark color paint. Normally, you would want to first sand the old enamel lightly, to dull the gloss and enhance adhesion of the new paint, but with a house of this age, odds are at least some of the paint on the radiators contains lead, so you do not want to sand it, because this may put lead-containing paint into the air.