In the Russian climate, you cannot do without heating at home. But radiators under window openings do not always look aesthetically pleasing, violating the beauty of the interior. In addition, at high heating temperatures, you can burn yourself on the surface of the heater. But if you know how to close the battery in a room beautifully, you can add zest to the design of the room and protect yourself from the dangers of excessive heat.
Using special screens
To close the heating radiators in a house or apartment, you can use decorative screens. Choose the one suitable for two parameters - design and material of manufacture.
Design features
Masking shields are classified according to the method of attachment to batteries. According to this principle, box screens and hanging products are distinguished.
The decorative box consists of a frame with a coarse mesh on the front side. Such products are used when it is necessary to hide the unaesthetic appearance of the battery, and sometimes the pipes of the heating circuit. Boxes are installed along the window sill or only cover the radiator. They can be equipped with opening doors, thereby facilitating cleaning and regulation of the temperature of the coolant.
Hinged screens are of two types:
- models in the form of a horizontal panel located on top, with a decorative grille mounted in it;
- options consisting only of the front part, which are called shields.
The first option is used to hide radiators located in niches or not closed from above by a window sill, and installed directly on the battery.
Wall-mounted flat screens are often installed on radiators under a window, not covered by a window sill. They are also used to hide batteries installed in niches.
Manufacturing material
To choose a decorative element for this indicator, you need to take into account the characteristic features of the material.
Screens made of the following materials are used to camouflage batteries:
- metal;
- wood;
- MDF;
- glass;
- plastic.
To close ugly radiators, most often apartment owners prefer simple white metal boxes. Such options cannot be called sophisticated, but they are inexpensive and give off heat well. If strength and appearance are important, but cost does not matter, it is better to opt for a stainless steel product, which has a long service life and aesthetic design. Typically, these decors are used to hide cast iron radiators.
Masking panels made of natural wood are beautiful and environmentally friendly. When choosing wooden elements for radiators, it should be borne in mind that inexpensive screens are deformed with humidity and temperature changes. Therefore, it is wiser to spend money on a product made of noble types of wood.
MDF is the most practical and inexpensive material that has all the advantages of wood and at the same time is not afraid of moisture and temperature extremes. Screens made of such material are less susceptible to deformation and bending. On sale there are openwork options from MDF.
Glass panels for radiators stand out for maximum design variability. They are made entirely of glass or with the addition of other decorative materials.The location of the corners must be such that they cannot be hurt or caught by clothes. Usually, drawings and patterns are applied to the surface of the product. To prevent the glass from breaking or scratching, it is covered with a laminate. In addition to laminated glass, triplex or acrylic is often used.
Plastic screens are the cheapest, but at the same time, dangerous option. The shield is deformed by the heat of the hot radiator and releases harmful components into the air. It is undesirable to use such screens where people are for a long time.
Decorate protective screens by photo printing, decoupage. They are painted by hand, decorated with carvings, lead self-adhesive film that does not deteriorate when heated.
Creation of decorations for batteries by hand
If you don't feel like wasting money, there are ways to simply hide the battery in the room by creating a do-it-yourself cover. The most affordable option to hide batteries in the interior is to paint them in the color of the walls. You can paint a radiator by hand, making a design element out of a boring device.
You can beat the heating device using textiles. In this case, use ordinary curtains or a piece of suitable, not too dense fabric stretched over a specially made frame. If the batteries are too hot, the fabric should be made of natural fibers - synthetics can melt.
Removable or add-on decorative shields are one of the most convenient options to hide radiators. The decor is created from plastic, plasterboard, MDF panels. Such a screen can be designed as a shelf. But one should take into account the significant disadvantages of these materials. Because of them, heat exchange in the room is very difficult. Environmental safety is a big question, since chemical additives are used for manufacturing, which, when heated, begin to be released, which can be harmful to health.
The battery is that part of the heating system, to which free access may be required at any time, for example, for urgent repairs. For this reason, it is not allowed to close the radiators with blind boxes and other structures that cannot be quickly removed if necessary.
Requirements for decorative elements
Before hiding the battery, you must take into account that there should be no obstacles to the circulation of heated air from above, below and on the side. Therefore, boxes and shield screens are usually equipped with gratings.
The distance from the floor to the edge of the decorative element is also important. It should be at least 8 cm. Through this gap, cold air rises up along the radiator section, heating up along the way. If the gap is blocked, heat transfer will be disturbed.
It is worth considering the formation of dust on screens and boxes during convection. For this reason, you need to select a product from a material that is easy to wet cleaning.
The decorative ceiling must be resistant to long-term exposure to high temperatures.
In addition to decorativeness, screens play a protective role, since they hide the ribs of heating devices, reducing the risk of various injuries. But if the box itself is jagged or sharp corners, it will pose a risk of injury. The joints should be closed with a rounded border.
How to hide a pipe
Sometimes it is required to hide not only the radiator itself, but also the pipe sections connected to it. For this, different techniques are used:
- Open way. The fastest. The pipes are covered with paint in the color of the walls, which makes them almost invisible. The idea of decorating with improvised material can also become interesting and original, for example, painting a heating element to match the color of a tree and fixing branches on it.
- Hidden broach. The pipes are hidden in grooves in the wall and covered with cladding.The downside is that in case of a breakthrough, the casing will have to be opened, so this method is absolutely not suitable for the old wiring.
- Packing in a floor screed. A similar method of laying the line is suitable if the concrete layer has not yet been poured. It also requires labor-intensive opening in the event of an accident, therefore, a plan for conducting communication lines should be kept in case of repairing the heating system.
- Closing with a wide skirting board. This is possible if the heating pipes run along the floor. If there is a similar arrangement of the heating circuit in the bathroom or in the kitchen, you can make a structure similar to a stair step and decorate it with tiles.
A good option is to use false walls. Anything can be hidden behind a decorative partition, including heating elements. But the false wall must be quickly disassembled so that free access can be provided in the event of an accident. The easiest way is to create a frame bulkhead from a bar or metal profile and sew it up with drywall, plastic or plywood. It is useful to set hatches with flaps at the points where pipes are connected to the heating device and where the couplings and tees are located. It is good if the area of the room allows you to install the decorative coating not close to the battery, so that it does not get very hot and does not emit potentially hazardous substances.
Knowing how to decorate pipes or radiators in an apartment or in a private house, you can easily solve the problem of masking an engineering interchange. The decorative cover will improve the appearance without compromising the efficiency of space heating. Also, a beautiful screen will allow you to get rid of long, dust-collecting curtains in favor of modern roll or Roman canvases.
