Radiator Cover Ideas
It's time to spruce up your home with some stylish radiator covers! You can easily design and add elements to your radiator cover to make it dual purpose. For example, in the living room, you can use the shelf across the top to put magazines, books or the TV remote, plus you can give it a fresh coat of paint to make it exactly the way you want it! Or, if it's near a window, you can turn it into a beautiful window seat, perfect for curling up with a good book for a couple of hours. If you have a radiator out in the hallway, you can turn it into a plant shelf, or the communal place for storing house keys so you don't forget them on your way out! Finally, in the bedroom, you can turn into a bookcase by adding additional shelves on top, or you can make yourself a cosy new seating area by adding a bench over the top.
How Radiator Covers Work
Of course they're visually appealing, but they're also very comforting and warming! There is plenty of space left for the warm air to travel through the radiator cover, and it could also improve your heat efficiency with a reflective foil backing, saving you money in the long run. The cover works to push the heat away from the wall, and the lid keeps the heat coming from the top. If the cover wasn't on, this heat would have gone straight to the ceiling, but now it remains on a lower level, keeping you warmer. An additional benefit is stopping young children from burning themselves on a very hot radiator, and if you've got an old noisy radiator, this will help to keep the noise at bay!
Radiator Covers Valve Access
Radiator covers usually do cover the main radiator, as well as the piping and the valves. This is a good thing as valves are prone to damage, but with the radiator cover, they will be well protected. To access the valves, you'd simply need to remove the cover and then you can make the changes that you need to. Make sure you check everything over before you put the cover back on. If your radiator is not freestanding and is fixed to the wall, then you will just need to unscrew the brackets or magnets and remove the cover, same as above.
How To Measure For A Radiator Cover
If you're asking yourself, "what size radiator cover do I need?", then you need to grab a measuring tape and take a look! Measure from the lowest part to the highest part of the radiator. To get the full height, measure from the top of your radiator down to the floor. To get the depth, measure from the wall to the front of the radiator. Don't forget to include the valves in your measurements, as we've said above that the cover will go over them! Once you've got your measurements, it's time to start shopping, and you'll be looking for a radiator cover that is at least 5cm wider and at least 3cm taller than your radiator.
Removing Radiator Covers
You'll be pleased to hear that radiator covers are as easy to remove as they are to put on! Most radiator covers are not fitted, they're free standing so you won't have to worry about sitting their unscrewing lots of bolts. If you are lucky enough to have a free standing cover, then you simply lift it up from its place, and you're done, unless you're replacing it, in which case just put the new one on! Or, if the cover is fixed to the wall, you'll need to unscrew brackets or unattach magnets to allow you to remove it, but don't worry it doesn't take too long.
Adjustable Radiator Covers
If you're concerned about getting the measurements wrong, or just want the option of making the radiator cover longer or shorter, perhaps as part of a DIY project, then an adjustable radiator cover will be perfect for you! You can expand or reduce the size of the cover by simply pulling both sides gently. Most adjustable covers will be able to go up to double their original size.
Fitting A Radiator Cover
As we mentioned above, you don't need to be a DIY expert to fit a radiator cover. The process is similar to that of removing the covers, just the other way round! Our radiator covers include a useful guide showing you the steps to follow, but basically, if it's a wall mounted one, you will receive brackets to be fixed to the wall, and the radiator will hook over the top. If it's a free standing one, you just need to hold it up and slowly lower it into place!
Decorating Your Covers
This is the perfect time to maximise your space and use areas that you weren't able to before! As the top of the radiator cover doesn't get as hot as it would without a cover, you can add a whole range of home furnishings on top. Get creative and make a stylish area full of flowers, candles, diffusers and even photo frames. Create a homely feel and get the most out of those radiators!