PAINTING & DECORATING

Wallpaper behind a radiator

Take the radiator off the wall safely, paper behind it neatly, then reconnect everything without leaks.

WR-01Turn off the heating and clear the areaTurn off the central heating and let the radiator cool for at least an hour before you touch it — hot water under pressure can scald. Move furniture away from the wall and lay dust sheets over the floor and skirting below the radiator. Keep a bucket and old towels nearby for any drips.
1 each · Dust sheet
2 each · Old towels
WR-02Close both radiator valvesTurn off the valve at each end of the radiator — the wheel-head valve (or TRV) and the lockshield valve. Before closing the lockshield, count and note how many turns it takes to shut fully, so you can set it back the same way later. This keeps the rest of the heating system full while the radiator is off.
1 each · Adjustable spanner
WR-03Disconnect and drain the radiatorSlide a tray or bowl under the union nut at the lower end of the radiator and pack towels around it. Loosen the nut with a radiator spanner while holding the valve body still with an adjustable spanner, and let the trapped water drain out. If you're removing the radiator fully, do the same at the other end.
1 each · Radiator spanner
1 each · Drain tray or bowl
3 each · Old towels
WR-04Lift the radiator off its bracketsRadiators hang on hooks fixed to wall brackets — grip both ends and lift straight up to free it, then swing the bottom away from the wall. Rest it on a padded support, or lay it on towels well clear of the wall. If pipework won't stretch far enough to fully remove it, cap the open pipe ends with tape to stop drips and dirt getting in.
1 roll · PTFE tape
WR-05Check the brackets, and refix if loose — fixing depends on the wallWiggle each bracket. If either is loose, it needs refixing before the radiator goes back up, and the right fixing depends on what's behind the plaster. Before drilling anywhere, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, and use a cable/pipe detector — then still treat the wall as if something is there, since detectors miss cables in metal conduit or outside the usual safe zones. If in any real doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit first. On solid brick or block, drill 6-8mm and fit a wall plug with a matching screw. On plasterboard over timber studs, find the stud with a magnet or detector (tap for the solid sound, and a pilot hole will bring out timber dust) and drive a wood screw into its centre. On plasterboard over metal studs (common in flats and newer builds — a pilot hole brings out fine steel swarf, not dust) never use a wood screw or plain wall plug, as they strip straight through 0.5mm steel; use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing instead, and if the bracket takes real pulling force, fix through to the timber noggin or the masonry behind. On dot-and-dab, use a fixing long enough to pass through the dabs and bite into the solid masonry behind — a standard plug in the plasterboard alone will pull straight out. On lath and plaster, drill carefully to avoid cracking the old plaster, and fix into the timber lath or the stud behind it, not just the skim.
1 pack · Wall plugs and screws (masonry)
1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings
1 each · Cable and pipe detector
1 each · Drill and bits
WR-06Strip the old paper and check the wall behind itScore the old paper lightly, soak it with warm water and washing-up liquid, and scrape it off with a stripping knife. On solid brick or block and plasterboard on timber or metal studs, this is straightforward — just work steadily and don't gouge the surface. On dot-and-dab, don't over-soak; too much water softens the plasterboard skim and can loosen the adhesive dabs behind it. On lath and plaster, go gently — the old plaster is often loose or crumbly, and heavy scraping can bring lumps away from the laths.
1 each · Stripping knife
1 each · Wallpaper steamer (optional)
WR-07Repair and prime the wallFill any holes, cracks or damaged skim with filler and sand smooth once dry. This spot behind the radiator often shows old damp staining or slight rust marks — treat any staining with a stain-blocking primer before you paper over it, so it doesn't bleed through. Let everything dry fully before moving on.
1 tub · Filler
1 tin · Stain-blocking primer
1 pack · Sandpaper
WR-08Cut and paste the wallpaper stripMeasure the gap and cut a strip of matching wallpaper, allowing extra at top and bottom for trimming. Paste it in the usual way and let it soak for the time stated on the roll's instructions, so it hangs flat.
1 roll · Matching wallpaper
1 pack · Wallpaper paste
WR-09Hang the paper behind the radiatorFeed the pasted strip down behind the pipes using a radiator paint roller or a thin batten to reach the awkward space, and line it up with the pattern on the rest of the wall. Smooth it with your hands or the roller as far as you can reach, working out any air bubbles. Trim off the surplus at top and bottom with a sharp blade against a straight edge.
1 each · Radiator paint roller
1 each · Craft knife
WR-10Let the paper dry fullyLeave the paper to dry for the time stated on the roll — usually a few hours — before putting any weight or fittings back near it. Don't rehang the radiator while the paper is still damp, or you'll mark it.
WR-11Rehang the radiator and reconnectLift the radiator back onto its brackets, checking it sits square and level. Reconnect the union nut with a new fibre washer and fresh PTFE tape, and tighten it firmly with the radiator spanner and adjustable spanner — snug, not overtightened.
1 pack · Fibre washers
1 roll · PTFE tape
WR-12Reopen the valves and bleed the radiatorOpen the wheel-head valve fully, then open the lockshield back to the exact number of turns you noted earlier. Turn the heating on, then bleed the radiator with a bleed key to release trapped air, catching drips in a cloth. Check the union nut for leaks once the system is up to temperature, and retighten gently if needed.
1 each · Radiator bleed key
WR-13Tidy up and do a final checkWipe down skirting and flooring, and dispose of old paper and dirty water down an outside drain, not the sink. Check the union joint again after a few hours once the system has been through a full heating cycle, since small leaks often show up once everything's fully hot.

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides