The appearance of radiators or batteries does not always satisfy aesthetic requirements. Simply painting the surface does not solve the global design problem. To give the interior harmony, grilles for radiators and radiators are installed: decorative, wooden, plastic. But their function is not limited to improving the appearance.
Purpose of radiator grilles
The decorative panel on the radiator (battery) heating is designed to hide its surface. Their installation should not affect the performance of the system elements. At the same time, decorative grilles for heating radiators perform a protective function. Their surface temperature is much lower than that of heating devices.
To accomplish these tasks, the design must ensure normal air circulation around the heater. Also, a prerequisite is simple dismantling for prompt repair or maintenance. Therefore, before making decorative grilles for heating radiators with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of factory designs:
- The dimensions of the panel should exceed the dimensions of the battery by 10-15 mm, depending on the shape of the latter;
- After installation, the distance between the surface of the radiator and the protective screen is at least 20-25 mm. This is necessary to create convection flows;
- Metal or wooden grilles for heating radiators have a cellular surface for front and side air supply to the radiator.
One of the key points is the minimum contact area of the hinged structure with the heating element. This is necessary to minimize heat loss and slight heating of the grating surface.
Regardless of the model chosen, whether it be metal grilles for heating radiators, wood or plastic - during the heating process, they should not emit harmful elements or unpleasant odors.
Types of lattice structures
What options affect panel selection? The dimensions of the battery and its position in the wall opening are decisive. Most often, it is installed in a special niche, the upper part of which is a window sill. If it is necessary to close this entire area, the dimensions of the grille for heating radiators are selected based on the dimensions of the mounting recess in the wall.
In this case, do-it-yourself front grille of the heating radiator is installed. This is one of the simplest designs, as it can be attached both to the battery and to the wall.
The choice of the type of mounting assemblies greatly facilitates the independent production of the panel.
In addition, they make such grids for heating batteries with their own hands:
- Hinged, without side panels... Installed directly on the top plane of the battery;
- Hinged, with top cover... They can cover the design of the heating element not only from the front, but also from above. Relevant if the battery protrudes slightly from the plane of the wall;
- Boxes... The installation of these decorative grilles on heating radiators completely conceals the structure.
In addition to the aesthetic component, complete closing of the radiators is recommended in the children's room.It is mandatory to install metal grilles on heating radiators in public buildings - children's hospitals, schools, gyms.
The upper part of the decorative lattice should protrude beyond the edge of the window sill by at least 2/3 of its depth. This is necessary for normal air convection.
Choosing the material for making the lattice
Making decorative grilles for heating radiators with your own hands should start with the choice of material. It must withstand high temperatures without emitting harmful vapors. An important point is to maintain the shape and original appearance.
Can plastic radiator grilles be used or steel and wood models are the only alternatives? To resolve this issue, you should find out the properties of each type of material of manufacture and their operational characteristics.
Steel radiator grilles
This is the most common type of panels, since production is possible in various ways. Most often, they make a steel grille for a heating radiator with their own hands of a frame type. For this, you can use "black" metal or galvanized. Stainless steel structures are mostly factory made.
In addition to the size of the grilles for heating radiators, you need to pay attention to the way the body is painted. The best option is powder technology (baking). Such a protective and decorative layer does not change its shade during high-temperature operation of the system. In addition, the selected panel must have the following properties:
- Ventilation holes on the front and side parts;
- The optimum steel thickness is 0.8-1 mm;
- After installation, it will provide free access to all elements of the radiator piping - Mayevsky tap, thermostat, shut-off valves.
To make such a grate for a heating battery with your own hands, you will need a welding machine. It is best to use an inverter as it can handle thin-walled metal.
For self-painting, you need to use only special heat-resistant enamel or paint.
Wooden radiator grilles
The most aesthetic appearance of the room is given by wooden grilles for radiators. To make them, you need to take special varieties of trees that do not emit resin under the influence of temperature.
It is not recommended to make a panel from MDF or chipboard. In the production process of these materials, adhesives are used. Even if they are neutral to high thermal effects, the probability of surface deformation is high. This is due to natural thermal expansion and contraction of the adhesive layer. Subsequently, this can lead to delamination of the panel.
The best option is to use hardwood trees. You must first dry the workpiece to reduce moisture. This figure should not exceed 12-15%. Then you should do the following:
- Antibacterial treatment. Protection against the appearance of mold and microorganisms in wood fibers;
- Manufacturing of structural elements and assembly;
- Coating with a paint and varnish layer.
All these steps for assembling decorative panels for heating radiators must be performed in a room with a temperature of 18 to 25 ° C and normal humidity. There must also be flow ventilation.
It is not recommended to purchase hand-made wooden grilles for heating batteries. Failure to comply with the technology can lead to premature loss of the appearance of the panel.
Plastic radiator grilles
For the manufacture of plastic grilles for heating radiators, PVC-based compounds are most often used.With the correct technology for the manufacture of plastics, the product can withstand temperatures up to 95 ° C without losing its appearance.
It is impossible to make such models of decorative grilles for heating batteries yourself. An alternative is the purchase of factory panels. The main selection parameters are as follows:
- The plastic must be colored in bulk. Lamination on the surface is unacceptable;
- Plastic should not be flammable. Under the influence of an open flame, it melts, not supporting the combustion process. Similar compositions are used for the manufacture of PVC window profiles;
- Unlike metal grates on radiators, plastic models do not have good mechanical strength. This must be taken into account when choosing panels for a nursery or a gym.
The advantage of plastic panels lies in their low cost and variety of shapes. But at the same time, they lose their original appearance the fastest, in comparison with metal or wooden grilles for heating radiators.
Harmful substances from PVC are released only during smoldering or burning (temperature about 220 ° C). If, during the operation of the plastic grill, an unpleasant odor appears, it is possible that the film burns out or the wrong material of manufacture was initially chosen.
DIY radiator grilles
The optimal material for making a decorative panel at home is metal. For this, you can use galvanized steel sheet and corners 15 * 15 mm. But first you need to choose the dimensions of the grille for heating radiators.
The dimensions of the structure depend on the selected type of lattice, which was mentioned above. Therefore, you must first measure the battery and add 10-15 mm in height and width to the obtained data.
Regardless of the material chosen, the general manufacturing scheme should consist of the following steps:
- Battery measurement and construction drawing;
- Making corners and forming a frame;
- Installation of the lattice in the resulting structure;
- Installation of support assemblies that will be in contact with the radiator surface.
Then a protective layer is applied. On top of it, you can add a decorative pattern made of heat-resistant paint. The resulting do-it-yourself heating radiator grill will be checked for the effect of a temperature equal to the maximum degree of heating of the coolant in the system.
When drawing up a diagram, it is important to take into account the presence of technological holes. They are necessary for free access to the battery elements - shutoff valves, thermostat and Mayevsky tap.
An example of installing a decorative box on a battery:
