The Best Radiator Paints To Give Tired Radiators A New Lease Of Life

Hammerite Radiator Paint is the brush-on paint in our testing photo, sold in a 500 ml tin of satin white. It's made for water-filled radiators and hot water pipes, and Hammerite says it gives hard-wearing, heat-resistant protection that won't yellow.

The paint also helps stop rust forming, which matters on older radiators with chips where the metal shows through. Hammerite describes it as low odour, though the tin carries a high VOC warning, so keep the room ventilated while it dries. It's touch dry in 4 to 6 hours, slower than the quick-dry options here, and it's the most expensive paint in this roundup.

Rustins Quick Dry is the fastest-drying paint in this list, and Rustins says it's touch dry in 30 minutes. That lets you get a second coat on the same afternoon and have the radiator back in use sooner. It's water based, low in smell and heat resistant, and Rustins says it won't yellow when applied correctly.

It comes in a 250 ml tin that goes further than you'd expect, with enough for several coats on one or two radiators. Brushes wash out in water, and Rustins says it suits white appliances as well as radiators. The paint is quite thin, though, and in our testing it needed plenty of preparation beforehand, so sand and clean the radiator thoroughly.

Ronseal's radiator paint is a premium white that Ronseal guarantees will stay white. The brand says a single coat is enough, which saves a lot of time when you're working through every radiator in a house.

It's touch dry in 1 hour and completely dry within 24 hours, and Ronseal quotes 13 square metres per litre. It's low in odour, so it's comfortable to use in a bedroom you need to sleep in that night. The one-coat claim works best when you're going over an existing white or pale colour. On a dark radiator like our blue one, plan for extra coats. It costs more than most of the other brush-on paints here.

Hammerite's aerosol puts the same heat-resistant protection into a can. Spraying gets paint between the fins and convector panels on the back of a radiator, where a brush can't reach, and gives a smoother finish without brush marks.

Hammerite says it gives a tough enamel finish in smooth satin white that resists yellowing, with low odour during application. It's touch dry in 4 to 6 hours and suits radiators and hot water pipes. Spraying indoors means masking the wall, floor and valves carefully, and it's the most expensive radiator spray in this roundup.

Rust-Oleum's Radiator Enamel is the aerosol we sprayed in our testing, and our photo shows two cans of the textured Cast Iron finish, which suits traditional column radiators. Rust-Oleum also makes it in satin white and describes it as ultra-tough, quick drying and heat resistant.

It's washable and moisture resistant, which helps on towel rails and bathroom radiators, and it stops rust. Rust-Oleum says it's touch dry within an hour, and one 400 ml can covers about 2 square metres. It works on other metal around the house too. The drawback is the smell, which was stronger than the other radiator paints in our testing, so open windows and keep people out of the room until it's dry.

Plasti-Kote's radiator enamel is one of the cheapest radiator sprays that's still worth buying. Plasti-Kote says it's heat resistant up to 100°C, which covers a normal central heating system, and offers it in gloss or satin.

The nozzle has a twist-and-lock mechanism that stops it spraying by accident in the toolbox, and the formula is non-yellowing. Plasti-Kote says it'll protect for up to 5 years when applied correctly. It's quick and easy to spray, but in our testing the smell was very strong during application, so this is one to use with the windows wide open or on a radiator taken outside.