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Old 01-01-2017, 14:29
Tellystar
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What is the best solution for painting behind radiators that are too close to the wall to use even the smallest roller
Those special curved brushes wouldn't reach far enough
Don't want to remove radiators or leave the space behind unpainted.
I 've heard of a piece of foam attached to a long handle, but never seen it in Diy stores
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Old 01-01-2017, 14:46
Chris Frost
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You can make your own: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/How-to-paint-behind-a-radiator-or-into-tight-gaps-Make-your-own-free-tool-to-paint-behind-pipes

Alternatively a rag attached to the end of an opened-out wire coat hanger.
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Old 01-01-2017, 14:47
EvieJ
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The radiator is hanging on brackets. It might take 2 of you but simply lift it off and hold away from the wall (being careful not to strain the pipes) while you paint then immediately rehang.
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Old 01-01-2017, 14:53
Tellystar
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The radiator is hanging on brackets. It might take 2 of you but simply lift it off and hold away from the wall (being careful not to strain the pipes) while you paint then immediately rehang.
I really want to avoid taking radiators off!
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Old 01-01-2017, 15:10
EvieJ
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I really want to avoid taking radiators off!
You're not actually removing them, the pipes will still be connected.
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Old 01-01-2017, 15:25
Tellystar
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It's a new house so I don't want to mess about with the radiators
I guess it's the sponge on a stick method
Surprising there doesn't seem to be a specific tool for this purpose, as many radiators are so close to the wall that even a tiny roller is too big.
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Old 01-01-2017, 15:47
howardl
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The radiator is hanging on brackets. It might take 2 of you but simply lift it off and hold away from the wall (being careful not to strain the pipes) while you paint then immediately rehang.
Not a good idea...
just undo the nuts both sides of rad.. a turn ..enough turn so you can lift the rad off the bracket and tilt/swivel the rad to the floor. and do nuts up again...you may get a bit of leakage until the nuts are tightened...then do you stuff and undo nuts and return rad to bracket and tighten nuts again...then ...if a combi...bring back up to pressure
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Old 01-01-2017, 15:51
Tellystar
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Not a good idea...
just undo the nuts both sides of rad.. a turn ..enough turn so you can lift the rad off the bracket and tilt/swivel the rad to the floor. and do nuts up again...you may get a bit of leakage until the nuts are tightened...then do you stuff and undo nuts and return rad to bracket and tighten nuts again...then ...if a combi...bring back up to pressure
Not going to happen in my house!
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Old 01-01-2017, 15:52
EvieJ
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Not a good idea...
just undo the nuts both sides of rad.. a turn ..enough turn so you can lift the rad off the bracket and tilt/swivel the rad to the floor. and do nuts up again...you may get a bit of leakage until the nuts are tightened...then do you stuff and undo nuts and return rad to bracket and tighten nuts again...then ...if a combi...bring back up to pressure
Even better
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Old 01-01-2017, 17:41
davidmcn
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Surprising there doesn't seem to be a specific tool for this purpose, as many radiators are so close to the wall that even a tiny roller is too big.
Just checking - you have actually looked at the paint rollers which are specific tools for this purpose?
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:10
barbeler
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Just what I was thinking. You can find them in just about any DIY store.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:14
Galaxy266
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Not going to happen in my house!
Then you're not going to be able to do a decent job, I'm very sorry to have to say.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:15
dollymarie
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If you're never going to remove the radiators, why bother painting down any further than you can reach anyway? Not like you or anyone will see it. The next people to move in can worry about it if they want to change the room colour.

Just saying.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:18
albertd
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Just how close is the radiator to the wall? A radiator roller like this is probably not much more than 1" in diameter. You might get some paint on the back of the radiator, but does it really matter?
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:23
Trulytrue
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Not going to happen in my house!
If the gap is to small for the smallest roller or the small brush on a long stick, then no point painting as no one will see its not painted anyway.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:23
David_Flett1
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Not going to happen in my house!
I felt the same way as you did obviously but my brotherin-law (not a plumber) guided me through it and never looked back especially fiddling around with thin paint rollers etc. It is far more worrying in the mind than actually doing it.

Just close your radiator off, put a paint tray under the locking nut, slightly open the top nut followed by loosening the bottom nut and the water should flow easily into your tray. Tighten up the top nut then loosen the opposite bottom nut and then tilt the radiator to empty any residue water remaining, remove radiator and bobs your uncle.
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:23
EvieJ
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Not going to happen in my house!
Why not Tellystar? Whats so different about your house from anyone elses?
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Old 01-01-2017, 18:28
Tellystar
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Why not Tellystar? Whats so different about your house from anyone elses?
Nothing, but don't want the hassle or possible mess!
If I had a plumber relative, possibly
People may not be able to see its not painted behind, bit I would know , and it would niggle me
Why do the builders put them so close to the wall? It seems only to be like this in new houses
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Old 01-01-2017, 21:27
jaycee331
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People may not be able to see its not painted behind, bit I would know , and it would niggle me
Haha, I totally get where you're coming from even if others don't. I redecorated from top to bottom a couple of years ago (the sort of job I wished I'd never started half way through!) and am very much a "either do the job properly, or don't do it all" kind of guy. Which is a nice way of me saying I'm OCD and a stickler for detail!

Fortunately I had room behind them all to get use a paint roller designed to get down the back of radiators - a small thin roller fixed to a long bendy rod to get into those hard to reach places.

A guest wouldn't have to look too hard at all to spot the colour change behind my radiators. And being a perfectionist it would bug me to death too. A friend recently painted his kids bedroom, and I couldn't help but take the piss that his walls were orange but pink behind the radiator. And he had plenty of room to paint behind it, it just wasn't important to him, even though he could have done it with a £5 radiator roller.

So where does that leave you, well stuck really!
Accept that it just can't be done, I probably would have if they were so close to the wall it would be literally invisible.

Try and botch a tool together from the idea's mentioned if viable.

If not, wait until the weather is warmer, book a plumber to take them off for you then return a couple of days later after you've painted behind, to refit them. If money is a barrier, is there any burning rush? You could always do everything else and come back to them later...?

Just close your radiator off, put a paint tray under the locking nut, slightly open the top nut followed by loosening the bottom nut and the water should flow easily into your tray. Tighten up the top nut then loosen the opposite bottom nut and then tilt the radiator to empty any residue water remaining, remove radiator and bobs your uncle.
You make it sound so easy And I guess it is with some guidance and confidence on DIY. I lack both and maybe the OP does too.

I would be worried about things like a) a nut could be seized and need blow torching off or cutting off, b) when tightening up after, in inexperienced hands it's possible to over-tighten and crush the pipe, or under-tighten and leak - it's a fine margin that professionals have the feel for.
c) the joint might not reseal afterwards without taking it off completely and applying some fresh PTFE tape and d) could air get in and airlock the system?
In my world, however unlikely, if it can go wrong, it will for me!
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Old 01-01-2017, 21:34
acoolwelshbloke
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I always remove the radiators when painting as it only takes five minutes, unless it's the living room one, that takes ten.

Make sure you have some plumbers tape to hand though, just in case.
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Old 01-01-2017, 21:45
mickmars
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Just get a rad roller, its easy peasy
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Old 01-01-2017, 21:49
Tellystar
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Just get a rad roller, its easy peasy
No- as I explained earlier, the radiator is too close to the wall
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Old 02-01-2017, 00:38
Toby LaRhone
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Seriously, who the F squints down the back of your rads to see if you've bothered to crack the issue that's bothering you?
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Old 02-01-2017, 05:13
evil c
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Seriously, who the F squints down the back of your rads to see if you've bothered to crack the issue that's bothering you?
Exactamundo.
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Old 02-01-2017, 10:08
David_Flett1
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Haha, I totally get where you're coming from even if others don't. I redecorated from top to bottom a couple of years ago (the sort of job I wished I'd never started half way through!) and am very much a "either do the job properly, or don't do it all" kind of guy. Which is a nice way of me saying I'm OCD and a stickler for detail!

Fortunately I had room behind them all to get use a paint roller designed to get down the back of radiators - a small thin roller fixed to a long bendy rod to get into those hard to reach places.

A guest wouldn't have to look too hard at all to spot the colour change behind my radiators. And being a perfectionist it would bug me to death too. A friend recently painted his kids bedroom, and I couldn't help but take the piss that his walls were orange but pink behind the radiator. And he had plenty of room to paint behind it, it just wasn't important to him, even though he could have done it with a £5 radiator roller.

So where does that leave you, well stuck really!
Accept that it just can't be done, I probably would have if they were so close to the wall it would be literally invisible.

Try and botch a tool together from the idea's mentioned if viable.

If not, wait until the weather is warmer, book a plumber to take them off for you then return a couple of days later after you've painted behind, to refit them. If money is a barrier, is there any burning rush? You could always do everything else and come back to them later...?



You make it sound so easy And I guess it is with some guidance and confidence on DIY. I lack both and maybe the OP does too.

I would be worried about things like a) a nut could be seized and need blow torching off or cutting off, b) when tightening up after, in inexperienced hands it's possible to over-tighten and crush the pipe, or under-tighten and leak - it's a fine margin that professionals have the feel for.
c) the joint might not reseal afterwards without taking it off completely and applying some fresh PTFE tape and d) could air get in and airlock the system?
In my world, however unlikely, if it can go wrong, it will for me!
I've been in the same position as the O/P and didn't want to tackle removing a radiator but providing the radiators aren't old and the connectors and nuts aren't able to be loosened easily then it shouldn't present a problem. I did have a problem with one very old radiator in the hall and I couldn't shift the nut and I did have to get somone in, luckily my son's friend who was a plumber, he was able to sort it out.

Going on from that I had a quote for replacing my radiators because they really need upgrading and I had two quotes for replacing 5 radiators and was shocked at both of them one being £90 per radiator and the other being £130 adding the cost on top at an average of £110. I asked my son's friend and he said that was on par around this area, he apologised and said he couldn't help because he was extremely busy but gave me details of the radiators I should buy at screwfix which averaged £65, the largest being £76. He told me to drain the system and follow what I did with removing the lounge radiators, the hall one would be no problem as it has new fittings..

I understand that I make it sound easy and yes you can encounter a problem as I did and I agree you have to get someone to deal with it but if you can slacken the nut easily then there is no real difficulty in going ahead. Personally the rates charged by some trades are ridiculous especially here in the south. When my boiler stopped working we had our usual boiler man who carries out the servicing look at it but he said I needed an electrician to see where the problem lay. He said it was likely to be the circuit board controlling the thermostat, timer and pump. The electrician came and yes it was a fault in the circuit board and sent an quote by email. Board £76.75 Valve £32.30, Labour £225 Vat £66.81. Total £400.86. I priced the parts in Screwfix. Board £29.25 Valve £11.83 Total including Vat £49.30. Luckily I was an audio engineer and knew how to replace the circuit board, in total 21 wires and the valve had a plug in socket. It took around 45 minutes and saved £350. If however the quote had been say around £180 - £200 I would probably not have quibbled and gone ahead with it, the electrician would have made a tidy profit.

I do appreciate I was lucky being able to replace the circuit board but the point is that many people are being grossly overcharged for carrying out repairs or for something as basic as replacing radiators.
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