How I Made My Baseboard Heat Covers Look Brand New!
I did a previous post where I replaced the baseboard heat covers in my bathroom that were all rusted with a plastic one, but new covers are SO EXPENSIVE! I was really shocked that a room would cost about $200 to do new covers for. So when we got new floors and the existing covers stuck out like a sore thumb, I needed to figure something out.
These were rusting too so I started off by taking them apart and washing the inside and outside really well.
Clean your baseboard heat vents people! I was so disgusted with what I found, we don't have a cat BTW.
I vacuumed what I could then laid towels underneath and sprayed with 1 part white wine vinegar and 1 part hot water and a pump of dawn detergent. Make sure you heat is off for this part and let it dry before turning it back on. For the outside I just used a scrub brush and hot water mixed with bleach and a teaspoon of Tide.
This is what the towel underneath looked like after! So gross.
Now that it was all clean it was time to paint. The part connected with the wall I used the Sherwin Williams Emerald high gloss paint that I use for trim.
The parts that came off I spray painted with Rust-oleum. Since there were areas of rust I used the clean metal primer at first that stops rust, then two coats of white spray paint letting them dry for at least 2 hours in-between.
I then placed a bead of caulking where the top of the cover meets the wall. Devils in the details my friends!
What a freaking difference!!!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Comments
Join the conversation
-
This has been my battle for years... trying to figure out what to do with my baseboards. I clean and vacuum them all the time (thanks 5 cats and 4 dogs!) But they are scratched and rusted. My long term plan was to replace them but I can't justify spending that kind of money. I love how yours came out. I am inspired.
So, as soon as spring comes to us here on the east coast I will be dragging my baseboards outside for some TLC.
Thank you for sharing!
-
That is freakin awesome as you said. Someone in the past painted the baseboard heater in my basement bathroom and then must have turned it on while the paint was still wet and it has these horrible bubbles all over that look rusty as well. So gross. I will be listing my home to sell in the near future and may try this but it is winter right now so may have to suffer without heat for a day. I will google how to take them apart as you don't explain that part. I didn't know you could!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?