Hide Your Ugly Heating Tank

This winter’s unseasonably warm days have us thinking about spring. Before you know it, flowers buds will be sprouting, and rabbits will be noshing on freshly mown grass. Ah, springtime! But then there’s that jarring, stark-white fuel tank next to the house. Sigh.

There is no escaping the utilitarian, almost industrial look of your home’s heating oil or propane tank. While the tank is a necessity, it is not an aesthetically pleasing part of your home’s landscape. You can accept it as is, or you can cleverly make it “disappear.”

The most common way to make an outdoor fuel tank disappear is to hide it. One option is to surround it with lattice screens. (This also works for other outdoor eyesores such as air conditioners). Make sure that your landscaping and fencing allow easy tank access for technicians coming to replenish fuel or service equipment. Remember to leave plenty of space between the screen and the equipment to avoid a fire hazard. In fact, PVC/plastic or metal screening might be a safer choice.

Garden design tips for camouflaging your heating oil tank from Lisa’s Notebook.

Since your fuel tank is already part of the landscape, you might choose to make it blend in with natural screening. By strategically planting greenery around your tank, incorporating the plantings into a larger landscape plan, you can effectively hide the tank from view. Leave plenty of air around the tank, and leave an opening in a logical place so that the tank is accessible for refilling or servicing.

Plant and Protect
For me, flowers are the most attractive and natural-looking of options to climb, crawl and cover your heating oil tank. Think roses, wisteria, clematis, jasmine, and honeysuckle, which will all scramble over fences, trees and unsightly features (like a great steel or plastic tank!). Plants with thorns can also double up as protection to deter thieves looking to steal your supplies. And if you’re careful, you can grow plants together that will flower at different times or are evergreen, so you’ll end up with year-round colour as well as coverage.

Gravel
Using gravel, crushed stone and other rocks to enhance the look of your garden is a modern landscaping trend. While grass is the usual favourite, it’s extremely high maintenance to retain its green appearance (as my husband can testify). If you go for gravel* around your heating oil tank, not only is it easy to care for, but the crunching underfoot will alert you when trespassers are near too.

Fencing
Fencing is the quickest and easiest solution to disguising and hiding your oil tank. A clearly defined boundary should protect your container and act as a theft deterrent. But you need to choose your fencing carefully to enhance your garden space. For example, trellis fences* provide a stable platform for plants and flowers to climb – but do bear in mind that your heating oil supplier will still need to be able to reach the opening valve!

Hedging
If fencing isn’t what you’re looking for, why not consider hedging* as a more natural alternative? The drawback is that it will take time to grow to fully cover your container and it will need annual maintenance (clipping and trimming), but the right hedge can be a beautiful addition to your

If those ideas do not appeal to you, consider hiding your tank in plain sight by artfully disguising it. Paint the tank a color that coordinates with your home, or pick a color you find “fun.” Check out these Pinterest solutions for creative inspiration.

How to Paint a Heating Oil Tank*

from eHow

Heating oil tanks are pressurized storage units. Commonly, these tanks are made of bare galvanized metal. Many find this appearance dull and unattractive. Painting can help, but only if the proper procedures are employed. Because heating oil tanks are metal, they don’t accept paint well. The proper base primer will combat this problem. Further complicating matters is that fact that heating oil tanks are very smooth. This leaves them prone to flawed finishes. Prevent this occurrence by employing a specific painting strategy.

Step 1: Clean the heating oil tank with a degreaser. Ordinary soap may leave unseen residue that will prevent primer absorption. Scrub the oil tank, using steel wool. Rinse the tank with wet rags. Do not start priming until the oil tank is completely dry. This may take between one and two hours.

Step 3: Apply etching primer to one side of the heating oil tank, using a roller. Quickly run a polyester brush up and down the heating oil tank, effectively smoothing the wet primer to eliminate runs and provide a finish free from roller marks. Apply light pressure as you brush. Prime the other sides of the tank, using this same technique. Let the tank dry for three hours.

Step 4: Wash your brush in a sink.

Step 5: Paint the heating oil tank as you primed it. Do not use ordinary latex paint. Instead, choose a high-temperature enamel. Let the tank dry for three hours.

Note

Tip: Only use etching primer on metallic oil tanks. Use latex primer on nonmetallic tanks.

*Hillside is a full-service heating oil company offering automatic delivery or call-in delivery. We are not be held liable for the content and hyperlinks contained third-party resources. This posts are for entertainment purposes only. Seek professional help if you wish to paint your oil tank. Hillside shall have no responsibility or liability and Customer shall continue to be at all times solely responsible for painting their oil tanks.

Note

Warning: Nylon paintbrushes will leave marks on a smooth heating oil tank. Be sure to use a polyester brush for best results.Most heating oil tanks are not exposed to sunlight. If yours is, choose a light color of paint that will reflect sunlight. Don’t choose a dark color, or the tank could overheat.

Call Hillside Heating and Cooling today for oil tank maintenance, furnace maintenance, furnace repairs, or a FREE estimate for new furnace sales and installation in DE, PA, and MD at 302-738-4144 or 410-398-5879 or contact us to schedule service.

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