Using the best chrome spray paint gives you the opportunity to totally transform interior projects.
Whether you want to spruce up photo frames or give your old radiator a new lease of life, chrome spray paint offers you a unique and hassle free alternative to simply painting.
It can be used on a variety of surfaces including metal, plastic and wood making it ideal for use on any interior and in some cases exterior surfaces.
But what happens if you choose the wrong product? In this case, you might end up with something that fails to inhibit corrosion, gives you an awful, uneven coverage or simply just doesn’t look that great.
Fortunately, we’ve tried and tested some of the best (and not to mention worst) chrome spray paints currently available in the UK. The result is the handy guide below. Enjoy.
Best Chrome Spray Paint Overall: Rust-Oleum
If you’re looking for the best chrome spray paint overall, you don’t need to look much further than Rust Oleum. Their Metallic spray paint is perfect for adding a special touch to any interior projects.
Due to its suitability for application across surfaces such as wood, plastic and metal, spraying objects and surfaces such as picture frames, radiators, plant pots and even bathroom taps are within scope. This versatility offers you the option to pursue a coordinated interior decor style.
The paint is very easy to apply, just vigorously shake the can and you’re good to go. The finish is perhaps the most impressive feature, giving you a smooth, level surface in an attractive chrome finish. It’s also quick drying (touch dry in about an hour) meaning you can complete projects with minimal fuss and hassle.
We also liked how durable the paint is, especially for interior projects. Rust Oleum Chrome Spray Paint has been formulated to be water as well as corrosion resistant, giving you something that is long lasting. It also avoids flaking and chipping while having impressive colour retention. If you do plan on using it outside, we’d recommend giving it and overcoat using Rust-Oleum Crystal Clear Topcoat for added protection.
The spray can offers very good coverage and is estimated to cover up to 50% more than the majority of other spray paints on the market.
- Coverage: 1m²/L
- Touch dry: 1 hour
- Second coat: 4 hours (if necessary)
Pros
- Is durable and can be cleaned
- Excellent resistance to corrosion and water
- Has great colour retention
- Looks beautiful on any surface
Cons
- The chrome finish can only really be achieved on metallic surfaces
Final Verdict
Rust Oleum comes out top in a variety of categories and is overall our best chrome spray paint.
Best Chrome Paint for Metal: Polar
Polar’s gloss silver spray paint is the perfect choice if you’re looking to breathe new life into tired, rusted metal.
Formulated specifically for use on exterior metal, this hard wearing paint can be applied to any metal substrates including doors, gates, railings, furniture or ornaments regardless of their condition.
The spray paint is very easy to use and gives a nice, even coverage with no drips. Perhaps more impressively, the cans empty completely without splutters, allowing you to get that perfectly smooth metallic finish.
In terms of durability, the special formula ensures long lasting protection as it serves as a primer, undercoat and topcoat in one. It gives excellent resistance to corrosion, colour fade as well as protecting against UV.
The metallic paint also comes in gloss white, gloss black and satin black as well as gloss silver.
- Coverage: 2m²/400ml can
- Touch dry: 15 mins
- Second coat: 20 mins (and a further 20 mins if using a third coat)
Pros
- Can be applied directly to ferrous and non-ferrous metal substrates
- Is recoatable after just 20 minutes
- Has excellent colour retention
- Decent coverage helps your money go further
Cons
- None
Final Verdict
Polar’s metallic spray paint is the perfect paint for any exterior metal surfaces, allowing you to finish the job in under an hour in some cases.
Best Mirror Chrome Paint: Deco Color
If you’re looking at experimenting with a mirror effect chrome paint, it might be worth checking out Deco Color. Traditionally speaking, the mirror effect is something that’s difficult to achieve with paint but Deco Color might’ve just about managed it.
This chrome effect paint is suitable for use on most smooth surfaces including metal, wood, glass, ceramics and some plastics. This gives you the opportunity to bring fresh life to anything from fireplaces, vases, bed frames and other decorative items.
It’s easy to apply and has great covering power at around 2m²/L. The quick drying formula means you can rattle off multiple coats in a short period of time. It’s also available in 3 trendy colours with all three drying to a stunning chrome effect.
- Coverage: 2m²/L
- Touch dry: 20 mins
- Second coat: 10 mins
Pros
- Produces a wonderful chrome effect
- Incredibly quick drying means you can finish projects in a shorter amount of time
- Can be used on a variety of surfaces
Cons
- Weak resistance to abrasion – it performs better as a decorative paint
- Limited water resistance
Final Verdict
Mirror finish paints are never the best in our opinion but if you’re set on buying one, this is probably the best available in the UK.
Best for Radiators: Rust-Oleum Radiator Enamel
If you’re looking for the best spray paint for radiators, we’d highly recommend Rust Oleum’s Radiator Enamel. This paint has been specifically formulated for use on radiators and is washable as well as moisture resistant.
When looking for a paint for your radiators, there’s some key things to bear in mind. The paint needs to be heat resistant, prevent moisture build up and of course look great. Rust Oleum’s Radiator Enamel ticks all the boxes here and it’s difficult to find any spray paint that is comparable.
The hard wearing paint can withstand temperatures of up to 80 degrees celcius, doesn’t flake or chip easily and should last you a decent length of time. It’s easy to apply with the nozzle being resistant to blocking and spitting unlike some other spray paints on the market. The quick drying formula sets to a chic bright metallic finish – perfect for the modern home.
- Coverage: 1m²/L
- Touch dry: 1 hour
- Second coat: 4 hours (if necessary)
Pros
- Is highly durable and can also be cleaned thousands of times
- Is heat resistant up to 80 degrees celcius making it perfect for radiators
- Sets to a beautiful chic finish, brightening up boring looking radiators
- The colour doesn’t fade over time
Cons
- Strong odour means you’ll need to apply in a well ventilated room and take other safety precautions such as using a protective face mask
Final Verdict
Specific paints for specifics items or surfaces are usually going to win out over generic paints and this is the case here. If you want a chrome finish for your radiators, go with Rust Oleum.
Great Waterproof Option: Jenolite
If you’re looking for a chrome spray that is suitable for both interior and exterior and is, by extension, waterpoof, it might be worth checking out Jenolite.
Jenolite’s original chrome spray is suitable for use on multiple surfaces such as metal, wood, hard plastics, stone and glass making it a very useful all-rounder. It’s lustrous and hard wearing finish makes it ideal to decorate things like shower doors, interior items and garden furniture.
It’s easy to apply and once set produces a hard-wearing chrome effect that’s highly resistant to corrosion, abrasion and water. In addition to this, it can withstand temperatures of up to 90 degrees celcius and thus is suitable for use on radiators.
- Coverage: 1m²/L
- Touch dry: 45 mins
- Second coat: 1 hour
Pros
- Is waterproof
- Highly durable product that might just be the hardest wearing chrome paint
- Easy to apply in smooth strokes
- Has decent coverage
- Suitable for use on interior items as well as exterior
Cons
- None
Final Verdict
Jenolite’s chrome spray is one of the best on the market in the UK and is an ideal alternative to throwing away old shower doors and worn out items that simply need a lick of paint.
Best Chrome Paint for Plastic Items: Simply
Moving onto the best chrome paint for plastic category, we’ve chosen Simply’s Chrome Spray. This high quality spray paint is most renowned for its excellent adhesive properties making it the perfect choice for plastic surfaces.
While we’ve chosen this as our best chrome spray for plastic, it’s perfectly suitable for use on a variety of other surfaces including wood, metal, stone and even glass.
The durability is a bit so so and we’d only recommend this for use on interior decorative items that don’t get touched often. The finish however, looks fantastic.
- Coverage: 1m²/L
- Touch dry: 15 mins
- Second coat: 20 mins
Pros
- A great, decorative chrome finish
- Easy to apply
- Excellent coverage and adhesion
- Suitable for use on a variety of surfaces
Cons
- Only suitable for decorative items
Final Verdict
If you’re looking to refresh some of your plastic decorative items, this chrome spray paint is perfect.
What is Chrome Spray Paint?
Chrome spray paint is a type of finish that’s inspired by the metal element chromium. The spray paint is applied to a surface to give off a chrome effect while of course still being made up of the same material.
You can achieve a chrome finish on surfaces such as metal, plastic, wood, ceramics and glass if using a high quality chrome spray paint. Furthermore, there are different types of chrome finishes to consider too. You could choose a metallic finish or a mirror finish with differing results and it even extends to colours too.
Why Choose Chrome Paint?
There’s a number of reasons why one should choose a chrome paint including:
- It will save you time, money and effort when used as an alternative to replacing metal surfaces.
- Most chrome paints have strong anti-corrosion properties.
- It gives surfaces and objects a totally unique look.
- It’s incredibly easy to apply. All it takes is some vigorous shaking for a couple of minutes followed by steady spray patterns.
- You can finish projects within a few hours. Chrome spray paint is usually quick drying and often times you’ll be able to apply two or three coats in the space of just a couple of hours.
How Long Does Chrome Spray Last?
Like most disappointing answers in life: it depends. Poor quality chrome sprays might last mere weeks while hard-wearing, waterproof chrome sprays could last you a good few years.
The most important variable when it comes to chrome sprays is choosing the right one for the job. You don’t want to pick something that is meant to be purely decorative and then end up spraying your shower doors with it only to find it’s running all over your bathroom.
A bit of knowledge (which hopefully this article has provided) with a bit of common sense will go a long way.
Summary
Choosing to paint your interior or exterior with chrome will give your surfaces a unique look. However, get your choice wrong and your paint job can quickly turn into a bit of a nightmare.
As mentioned above, our advice would be to choose the paint based on what it’s been formulated for. Painting a radiator chrome? Use a radiator enamel. Sprucing up rusted, metal gates? Get yourself a chrome spray that’s intended for rusted, metal surfaces.
By following our helpful guide, hopefully you’ll be able to find something suitable for your own paint job – whatever it is.
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Want to learn more about different paints? Feel free to take a look at our recent “best chalk paint” article!