Done it many times. They used to come with a dipped primer surface for
painting over, but now most are powder coated which is so smooth and glossy
that they won't take paint. No matter what, go over all of it with some 120
or 180 sandpaper to scratch the surface, it is tedious to sand the louvers,
but that is what you need to do, do all of the visible surface. Once this
part is done, take a 1" brush and gently dab, daub and brush the paint onto
the grill, remember to do the edges and insides as they will show when
installed. It will take at least 2 coats depending on your painting skill
and how good you sanded it. Don't use too much paint on a coat as it will
create drips all over the other side.

I would not use latex wall paint, as it is not intended for use on metal, it
will actually cause any bare metal spots (from sanding) to immediately rust
and discolour the paint. Use semi-gloss oil paint mixed to match your wall
or other background colour. They will look great if done properly.


wrote in message
ups.com...
We had a new heat register/vent installed as part of a remodel. It is
white (painted) and I'd like to paint it to match the wall color. Do I
need to prepare it in any way (sand, prime, etc) to take the latex wall
paint?
Georgia