The Radiators Resource

If you have a cast iron radiator at home that isn’t housed in a radiator cabinet, you’re doing yourself a great disservice on multiple fronts. Radiator cabinets are absolutely essential because they provide many different advantages to your home. In essence, a radiator cabinet is not dissimilar from a radiator cover in terms of appearance or function. What separates the two is merely a turn of phrase. While the specific benefits will vary from unit to unit, pretty much all radiator cabinets will provide added functionality, appearance, and safety to whichever cast iron radiator they are placed around.

A radiator cabinet adds a lot of utility to a cast iron radiator. Ordinary radiators serve as mere heating units. While they do a great job of this, their functionality stops there. Radiator cabinets provide a solid foundation over the radiator where objects can be placed without cause for concern. In essence, it reclaims the unusable space above a radiator. Unlike radiator covers, cabinets often include extra space in an interior which can open up to multiple shelves.

Another reason why you need to get a radiator cabinet is that it significantly improves the look of any room it is placed in. The fact of the matter is that cast iron radiators can look distracting or distasteful as they age, especially if they haven’t been taken care of well. Radiator cabinets hide this eyesore, replacing it with an aesthetically pleasing unit. Many of the best radiator cabinets are made of fine wood. Others have clever facades which provide the illusion of bookshelves or fireplaces. Your choice should ultimately reflect your own personal tastes and the other furniture in the room.

In addition to the extra utility and exceptional looks, radiator cabinets are also important because of their safety benefits. A bare cast iron radiator can be a significant hazard, especially to flammable substances or small children. A radiator cabinet serves as a barrier between the fragile people and items you care about and the hot iron coils of the radiator. Pretty much every radiator should have a radiator cabinet if only for the safety benefits.

A radiator cabinet is an excellent investment for any home because of the many benefits it provides. For safety, an improved aesthetic, and added utility, you receive excellent value in a radiator cabinet.

Refurbishing and restoring your cast iron radiator can be a fun task that will brighten up the whole room by improving the aesthetic of your lovely heating unit. Some simple ways of touching up your radiator that can also improve its working efficiency include painting, creation of a radiator cover, enclosures, and conversions. Resizing your radiator or adding extra fins and coils is a job best left to the professionals, though, so take care that you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Painting Your Radiator

Painting a cast iron radiator is a little more involved than you might think, but it has definite benefits. Covering the radiator with metallic based paints will reduce the heat output by up to 20 percent, which is a significant reduction. This is definitely something to consider if your unit is putting out too much heat. You’ll need to make the choice to either cover up what’s already there or strip the old paint first. Once you’ve decided, make sure you clean the surface before you begin painting. Covering the entire surface of the radiator with a zinc or zinc chromate primer is key to making sure your paint job will last a long time. Use oil based paint for your radiator. Brush it on gently, making sure to get all of the angles. Make sure the paint dries completely before you run the radiator. Then open all the windows and let it run for awhile to get that new paint smell out.

Creating Radiator Covers

A radiator cover can greatly add to the look and efficiency of your cast iron radiator. The best benefit, though, is the huge increase in radiator safety. This should be a critical component of your refurbishing plans if safety is a concern for you. It’s definitely recommended, especially if you have small children or pets. The process for making a radiator cover isn’t too hard, but it has way too many steps to be covered here. The pros down at This Old House made a great tutorial here, which I’d recommend if you’re interested.

Enclosures

Enclosures are another way to improve the look of your radiator. This doesn’t involve the radiator itself, but rather the space around the radiator. Radiator enclosures will work to reduce the heat output into the room by the radiator, so its another solution if your rooms are getting too hot. The classic style enclose seen in many older homes has a metal perforated front and a solid top. This reduces the heat output by as much as 30%. Enclosures are similar to radiator covers, but note that they do not necessarily encompass the entire radiator.

Conversions

Converting a steam radiator to a hot water radiator is a long term project that you should consider consulting a professional for. This can involve working with your boiler, and that’s enough right there to make me nervous. Work with the pros for conversions to avoid unnecessary damage to your cast iron radiator and your home.