Modern residential design does not involve flaunting heating, gas and water pipes. Engineering communications (with the exception of the Loft and Modern style) do not fit well into the interior of the rooms, violating the integrity and thoughtfulness of the design. A heating pipe box is a great way to hide risers, piping and radiators. There is a wide selection of finishing materials and many technologies for their installation. You can make and install a decorative pipe box with your own hands, saving a good amount on the services of hired craftsmen.
Box options from manufacturers
When choosing a way to decorate communications in an apartment or house, there is a reason to pay attention to ready-made factory-made structures. The products presented in the trade network are distinguished by excellent design, manufacturing precision and safety. Another undoubted advantage of store products, which are made in a collapsible design, is the ability to remove them from the mounts in the event of an emergency.
A box for a heating radiator can be made of the following material:
- Plastic. In production, polymers are used that are resistant to heat and are environmentally friendly. Plastic screens are lightweight, flexible and in a variety of shapes. Channels and slabs are available in different colors, including printed patterns and ornaments. If you wish, you can draw your own drawing using paints or adhesive tape. Do not forget about the affordable cost of polymer baseboards for heating pipes.
- Metal. This material is highly durable, reliable and durable. The metal battery box heats up from the battery and transfers heat to the room. Brass, copper, but most often stainless steel are used in the manufacture. If an exterior finish is used, the coating is applied with powder paint, which is then baked at a high temperature. If desired, the lining can be changed using spray paint cans.
- MDF. Light and beautiful panels have low thermal conductivity, which is compensated by perforations and the arrangement of slots for the release of warm air. For home decoration, the material is selected that best matches the interior. You can also use paint or wallpaper. The disadvantage is that over time, due to changes in temperature and humidity, MDF can warp.
- Wood. Products made from natural raw materials are expensive, but they have a representative appearance, are durable and environmentally friendly. A beautiful wooden box for a radiator fits perfectly into all interior styles. To mask the heating system, boards, slats, perforated boards and floor plinth channels are used. The wood must be periodically treated with an antiseptic and varnish to protect it from parasites and dampness.
- Decorative boxes. There are many ways to close communications and make them the basis for part of the interior of the room. A shell made of polyurethane or polystyrene foam is put on the risers, which is then trimmed under the tree trunk. Another option is painting or pasting pipes to match the background of the environment. A good solution may be to use colored or frosted glass.It is even better to use monolithic polycarbonate, which is highly durable. It is much easier and safer to handle than glass.
The easiest way to hide the pipeline is to lay it under the plank floor on logs or along the walls and then cover it with a wooden or plastic skirting board. It should be borne in mind that making grooves in floor slabs and external walls is strictly prohibited by SNiP, as this weakens the supporting structures.
Advantages and disadvantages
Regardless of the choice of material, the box for the radiator will help with a small investment and minimal effort to qualitatively transform the interior of the room.
Products have the following advantages:
- Laconic design that perfectly complements any interior. Screens can be stylized with color and decorative exterior details, inserts and shaped openings. At the same time, they completely hide the batteries from the eyes, which can hardly be called a decoration of an exquisite environment.
- A wide range of finished products. The buyer can easily find the product that best suits the interior of his home. To mask communications, you can use profiles of square, rectangular, triangular and rounded sections.
- Affordable cost. Well-established production has a positive effect on the prices of prefabricated products.
- Ease of installation. Installing a decorative screen will not cause difficulties even for an ordinary housewife, not to mention an experienced craftsman.
- Protection of people from burns when carelessly touching a pipe or battery.
- Even distribution of heat in the room thanks to the well thought-out arrangement of openings and openings.
Like any design, boxes have their own drawbacks. They are not serious enough to create significant complications, but they must be reckoned with.
Cons of decorative structures:
- Even the most sophisticated box and screen layout absorbs some of the heat coming from the heating line. The only exceptions are steel products, which practically do not affect the functioning of the system.
- If you hide the pipes in a room in a channel, close them with a casing or decorative overlays, they will interfere with high-quality heating of the room.
- Difficult access. Quite often, especially in winter, pipes and batteries are used to dry clothes and linen. It is impossible or difficult to do this with closed communications. The solution is to install an expensive swing or sliding structure.
The decorative design of the heating system remains relevant, people are ready to go for some reduction in the quality of heating of housing in exchange for the beauty, harmony and completeness of the interior of the premises.
DIY making
Masking the piping and radiator is a simple process, but it requires careful and advance preparation.
It can be conditionally divided into the following stages:
- Drawing up sketches in scale and color. Discussion of details at the family council, selection of the most acceptable option.
- Carrying out measurements, drawing up diagrams, performing calculations.
- Preparation of the base. Pipes, floors and walls must be cleaned of dirt, if necessary, treated with an antiseptic and anti-corrosion agent.
- Frame fabrication. Depending on the project drawn up, it is made from steel profiles or wooden beams.
- Marking of supporting structures. Installation of an opening system, if provided for in the plan.
- Application of perforations, decorative details and topcoats.
- Assembling and securing the structure in place.
To work, you will need the following tools and materials:
- roulette, level;
- puncher;
- hacksaw, screwdriver;
- miter box;
- metal scissors, pliers;
- steel profiles or timber;
- fasteners (screws, dowels, bolts, nuts);
- plastic skirting boards for sealing gaps;
- material for the box and screen (plastic, metal, MDF, slats);
- finishing (putty, paint, primer)
Parts for decoration are purchased if necessary. Their type and list is determined by the taste of the owners and the interior of the property.
Assembly and installation
Access to communications must be open at all times. This is necessary to monitor their condition, service, repair and periodically bleed air. Therefore, you should choose removable and collapsible design options.
They are made in the following sequence:
- Drawing of markings on the supporting structure.
- Manufacturing of blanks in accordance with the drawing. Pattern of plates for a box and a screen.
- Assembling the frame. First, the starting profile is attached, which will hold the entire structure. Then a skeleton is made, plates are attached to it.
- The final shape is given to the product. The corners are rounded, the edges are closed with a plastic or metal profile. Ventilation holes are made and decorated.
- If drywall was used, it is primed, putty, reinforced and plastering. Finally, a finish similar to flooring or wall covering is applied.
- The assembled structure is suspended on hinges, the performance of the structure as a whole is checked.
- Installation of decorative overlays to close gaps and joints. It is better to use a soft masking tape used in the installation of stretch ceilings.
You can avoid finishing work with PVC panels. The material is easy to install, a large selection of profiles facilitates the assembly of structures of any complexity.
Alternative to boxes
There are many ways to mask the heating system without making bulky boxes. The simplest of these is to paint the pipes in the same tone as the walls. Another option is to attach decorative rosettes with internal locks to the harness. The products look great and conduct heat well.
You can give the room an exotic look by wrapping pipes with heat-resistant fabric or jute rope.
It is better to make the screen suspended, or free-standing on the floor on casters. Any available material is suitable for manufacturing, from steel mesh to painted sheet.
