Working/studying/teaching/ doing pretty much everything from home? It is quite crazy to think that we are coming up on one year of things being so different. As someone who always thought they wanted nothing more than getting to spend time at home, there are days where I can’t stand the sight of the same four walls when sitting in front of my laptop, and don’t even get me started on Zoom etiquette.
Everyone has become a little DIY obsessed too. You only have to go on Instagram to see everyone’s living rooms and bedrooms looking spick and span. In this tiny room I now use as an office, there was one piece of furniture that drove me mad for the longest time. I found concentration waning on conference calls because I would stare at this tiny off-white (it used to be white) radiator which has seen better days.
I am not a plumber by any stretch of the imagination, and yet staring at this radiator so much, I felt something had to be done. That’s when I started researching ways to give this tired-looking thing a new lease of life, and let me tell you, the information out there is overwhelming. Now that I’ve gone through it, and have a funky looking radiator staring right back at me, here are my tips for how to funk up any radiator.
Let’s start with the most important factor, colour. Most of us have white radiators, and I would bet that most of us don’t take the time to clean them when we should. You might have a radiator which is starting to yellow. If you think that getting your best household cleaner will help, I have bad news. When a radiator starts yellowing, you can’t revive it because the pigment has leached out from the paint. No matter how much you scrub and wipe, it won’t get whiter.
When this happens, you might think that getting some leftover white paint you used in your living room will do the job. Don’t even think about reaching for it. Most interior paints will take to radiators, but they will end up giving you so many problems. You aren’t just looking at paint which will dry in rough, but it will also bubble under the heat and split quickly. If you have to paint, get a dedicated radiator paint which is breathable and heat-resistant.
Of course, you could avoid all that by getting a new radiator at a good price. Personally, Trade Radiators didn’t let me down, letting me order a radiator to get delivered directly to my door. At a time when we’re advised not to go out shopping, it’s a great idea. But what about those who can’t get this store to deliver to their doors? What else will help you funk up a radiator?
Accessories galore, my friend. Take a look at the valves connecting the radiator, the condition of the pipes from the floor, and what’s going on at the back of the radiator (oh, the satisfaction you will get hoovering all that dust up). If you can, and only if it is safe to do so, take the radiator off the wall and get it flushed through. It might not make the outside look any different, but it will get that thing working 110% in no time at all.
And if you’re now frantically looking around your room wondering what else you can do, get amazing tips and advice in our home section. Recent articles have looked at topics including how to make an outdoor entertainment space in your garden and creating an essential maintenance checklist.
