Friday, July 25, 2014

Dill House Diary: Radiator Re-do

As a first-time homeowner and first-time DIY-renovator, I've learned that sometimes the best fixes are quick, easy, and affordable. While dropping the big bucks for new cabinetry or counter-tops does make a world of difference (no argument there), a small fix can make a room feel completely different, airier, even larger.

This was certainly true with one of our summer renovation projects. I simply undertook to repaint our radiators.

I wasn't even aware that our radiators were dragging down our rooms. To be honest, I didn't spend much time this winter thinking about my radiators outside of "Are they working?" "What's that tinging sound?" and "Is this thing gonna blow?"

However, this summer, I decided to flex my artsy-crafty muscles and turned my attention to those mongrels. Ideally, I would have liked to unhook them, take them outside, and spray them down with radiator spray paint. (You can buy it here, if you are in need of some high heat paint.) But husband interjected with his usual dose of reality and how-to, handy-man wisdom. He pointed out two things: 1) these radiators likely hadn't been unhooked in who-knows-how-long and 2) they weigh more than Mark, Solo, and I put together. Joy.

So, to Home Depot I went. The surprisingly jolly paint department man suggested I use Rustoleum oil-based paint in white. Trusting that he had superior paint knowledge to mine, I bought one quart-sized container. Yep. One.

Now...drum roll, please....behold my handiwork:



Now, I realize that this may be a bit anticlimactic for some of you. Just attempt to imagine the dirty-gunmetal-grey color that they were before. Now scroll back up and look at those two photos again. Painting them a crisp, clean white was one of the best quick fixes I've done during this entire renovation project. Hands-down. I know that I'm not the only one excited about this, too. You know why? Because the hubby himself commented on it. Ladies, if a man noticed it on his own, you know it made a big difference. And for the cost of one quart of paint? Talk about low cost, high reward.

What's one of your favorite quick fixes? Share in the comments below!

Stay tuned for more renovations! Next on our list : the kitchen and the patio.




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