Decorating a battery is a necessary measure in many cases, since the compatibility of heating equipment with the interior of the room often leaves much to be desired. In order to fix this and decorate the battery, there are several popular methods that need to be considered. The presence of different methods for decorating heating radiators allows everyone to choose the appropriate option.
Using your imagination, you can turn an ordinary battery into a useful piece of furniture or a decorative element.
Painting the walls in color
The easiest way to change the situation is by repainting the radiator to match the surface on which it is placed. The costs are minimal, but the number of advantages in this case exceeds all other methods of decoration:
- full access to the heating system is maintained;
- convection is not hampered in any way;
- The room is heated at a high level.
Even Soviet versions of radiators become stylish and attractive after repair. To paint the battery, only a specific composition created for this purpose is used. You can purchase it in specialized stores.
What do you need to remember?
As we said above, there are a couple of options for how to decorate a radiator design. The most common of them is purchasing a radiator design, which is selected and made to suit a strictly defined room interior. However, the price of such a product is not suitable for every consumer.
You need to pay attention! Covering a heating radiator with plaster is not a very good option. This is due to the fact that during the operation of heating equipment a dangerous situation may occur and in order to eliminate it, you will first need to dismantle the plasterboard box.
When creating battery decorations, you need to remember that a heating system is absolutely necessary for good heating of living quarters. Thanks to this, decorative panels for heating radiators should not in any way interfere with the heat transfer of the radiator.
Decorative heating radiators are made using various technologies. Let's consider the factors that should be taken into account when decorating a heating radiator:
- air currents, which are called convection, should not encounter any obstacles on their way. If convection air currents distribute correctly, the room will heat up equally and condensation will not appear on the windows;
- An additional major factor that needs to be emphasized is the availability of the radiator and connections for potential construction work. To do this, it is best to provide the necessary openings or special doors in the decorative design, which will make it possible to quickly get to the heating radiator and threaded fasteners ;
- a temperature control device or tap must also be in the access area if necessary.
Different ways of decorating the battery should not interfere with heat transfer
Decoupage
The result depends on the imagination and originality of the master. Decoupage is created using the following materials:
- matte white dye;
- brushes;
- napkins, decoupage paper or printed samples with the selected pattern;
- PVA glue;
- acrylic paint;
- heat-resistant varnish.
At the first stage, the master carefully washes and sands the surface of the radiator, then paints it matte white. Patterns must be applied after the dye has dried using PVA glue. The drawing can be supplemented with a handwritten ornament. Finally, the decor is coated with heat-resistant varnish.
Pipe decor
If you paint walls, radiators, pipes in the same color, then visually they will merge into one plane. You can use one ornament for decoration, which will allow the latter to get lost in the background. For painting, you can use special stencils (vinyl), which can obtain the desired shape. There are a large number of finishing options: it all depends on the design style. If the interior is made in an oriental style, you can use a bamboo trunk to hide the radiator sections. You need to vertically saw the bamboo trunk, open it, and insert a pipe there. You can wrap the pipes with a beautiful rope - you get an interesting composition.
Hanging screens
Designers consider them to be the most optimal, and therefore in demand. Usually the design is based on metal, which provides it with the following advantages:
- easy to install;
- does not affect the level of heat exchange;
- has rounded edges, which significantly reduces the risk of injury.
Attached and removable models that do not have solid fasteners are ideal, since access to the radiator must be open at any time. Otherwise, the structure that is securely mounted to the wall is broken urgently, which brings additional costs to the owners.
Flat screens
Often such designs are used for radiators built into a niche. They are popular because they have many stylistic options:
- in the form of a lattice;
- with a floral or geometric print;
- threaded;
- forged.
If the radiator is mounted in a niche, then by building a wide window sill, the owners can organize a small work area. Models of this type have gained popularity due to their versatility and high technical performance. The choice of flat panels is incredibly huge. Models with carved design, various forged parts and patterns are presented. If the heating device is located far from the wall, you can install a bench in its place.
All the indicated advantages allow flat screens to become popular not only for the purpose of decorating heating devices. Batteries hidden in this way look unusual, attractive, and certainly do not leave anyone indifferent.
Frame made of wooden blocks
Wooden frames are considered a fairly popular option for hiding a heating radiator. Their use is most justified if the room is equipped with wooden furniture.
Today, the range of such designs is incredibly wide: sizes, colors, additional elements, etc. This allows each owner to choose the appropriate parts for their interior. However, you need to have the funds to purchase this design. Otherwise, you can make a frame for the heating radiator with your own hands.
You can make the simplest decorative box yourself
Helpful information! Another advantage of this design is that they can be used as a stand for various objects. Screens that are short in height can be adapted for benches.
The auxiliary function of this interior element depends primarily on its height and the size of the horizontal surface. The appearance of this frame structure (purchased or homemade) depends entirely on the owner of the house.
Let's consider step by step the manufacture of a frame for a heating radiator with your own hands:
- First of all, you should take all the necessary measurements.
- Then you need to prepare bars of the appropriate size.
- At the third stage, the frame is assembled.
- The base is decorated with slats or cotton material
- At the end, the resulting structure must be varnished.
MDF can be used as a material for such a screen. This modern material has quite high technical characteristics and is not inferior to natural wood. However, the price of such material is two times cheaper than that of natural wood.
Screen box
The design covers the radiators completely. During the non-heating season, it can play the role of a stand, since in winter objects distort the flow of warm air. Models are made in two types: closed only on one side or completely. They are selected depending on the type of supply to the heating mechanism.
Organizations working on the creation of boxes develop both standard models and original ones, in accordance with customer preferences. If desired, residents can make a good aesthetic solution on their own, showing a little originality and imagination.
Review of non-standard solutions
In addition to the classic options for decorating heating radiators, there are a number of non-standard solutions that will answer the question: how to decorate a radiator in an original way? Let's look at them:
- One of the non-standard solutions is the use of a picture frame, which is fixed like a regular canopy on the battery. Such a frame is decorated with colored fabric or wallpaper;
- If desired, heating appliances can be closed with blinds. To do this, it is necessary to mount a metal frame above the radiator to which the blinds will be attached;
- You can also decorate the radiator using a fireplace. To make a fireplace you will need a mesh screen, several picture frames and auxiliary fasteners.
Decorating a radiator with an artificial fireplace is a rather exotic solution. However, let’s consider the process of its implementation step by step:
- First of all, you need to cover the heater with a mesh screen.
- At the second stage, the picture frames are covered with suitable material. Such material can be fabric matched to the color of the room or wallpaper .
- One frame must be completely covered with pre-selected material. It will play the role of the front part of the fireplace.
- At the last stage, all frames are connected to each other and to the mesh screen.
The unaesthetic appearance of a heating radiator sometimes turns into a real problem. But it can be solved quite simply - a screen, non-standard painting, stylization as a fireplace or furniture will help turn an ordinary battery into a stylish piece of furniture.
Glass screen
The main material in production is fire-resistant glass, since it is very thick. Usually the surface is decorated with beautiful prints and ornaments, so it fits perfectly into any interior style. Despite the ease of installation, the price of glass screens is quite high, which is why they cannot boast of great popularity. The structure is securely attached to special screw holders with elastic gaskets. They provide high quality protection for the glass surface of the canopy.
Plastic gratings
Cheap, but at the same time definitely not for residential premises, they will hide the battery/pipe, but when heated they can release compounds dangerous to humans, especially if the panel (grid) is made of cheap plastic by a “gray” manufacturer.
Plastic grilles to hide the battery
Advice! Plastic screens are suitable for non-residential premises, taking into account their resistance to high humidity - for bathrooms.
Curtains to the floor
There is probably no person who has not encountered this method in practice. Usually, after a while, residents forget that a not very attractive heating radiator is hidden behind the curtains. The only condition is that the curtain must fit perfectly into the style of the interior and hide the details behind it as much as possible. If desired, a curtain can be attached separately to the window sill using Velcro. The fabric can be the one from which the curtains themselves are made, or matched to the color of the wallpaper. In a rustic theme, this style of execution is considered the most successful.
How to decorate heating radiators: designer tips
The problem of how to hide a heating radiator and a pipe supplying coolant in an apartment can be considered in two aspects. The first is on the eve of a major overhaul, when it is possible (and necessary) to replace the battery. In this case, you can select and install designer batteries and then the issue will disappear by itself, and the heating efficiency will not decrease (more on this below). For example, if we are talking about a room in a classic Victorian style, then you cannot do without cast iron radiators, powerful, massive, on a stand, with casting in sections - such radiators will become a stylish detail of the overall interior.
Combining the battery box and shelves into a single structure
Beautiful decorative box
Hanging wooden screen for a heating radiator in a modern interior
Another thing is when the repair does not involve replacing the plumbing, in this case there are several options for how and with what to close the battery.
Hide the radiator with furniture
The option only involves rearrangement, so it does not require any financial investment. Anything can be installed in front of the radiator - a chest of drawers, a sofa, an armchair, a console, etc. The main thing is that the object has a height to the windowsill and a width equal to the radiator, or a little more. It should be located at some distance. Otherwise, air circulation in the room is disrupted. Items that are too deep should be discarded, since they make opening windows quite problematic. The situation is similar with beds. Staying near a radiator for a long time causes headaches.
Built in furniture
Folding tables, sofas, shelves and cabinets work well. These items are made exclusively to order. The kitchen radiator is especially often decorated in this way if the new furnishings involve the location of the cabinet near the window. Usually craftsmen make air holes directly in the base, as well as in the upper part of the countertop. Often, storage boxes, a bench with soft seating cushions and a shelving unit are installed around the radiator. This arrangement makes the window area more functional.
Replace with designer model
Unique design developments are made for those who are not ready to spend a lot of time and invent something new. Such radiators not only perfectly perform their heating functions, but are also a wonderful design decoration. These products are not sold in large quantities, so residents will have to look for a craftsman on their own and interact with the creator of the unique heating radiator.
Coloring, art painting
The technique is considered one of the most attractive from the point of view of maintaining the amount of heat transfer. In addition, it does not require installation work to install the box. The disadvantage is that painting the radiator is not safe for children. The sharp metal corners of the radiator will remain uncovered.
Artistic painting Source stat01.com
The range of varieties of heat-resistant paints allows you to choose the color that best suits your interior and quickly paint over the white surface of the radiator. The result will not be long in coming, even if it is not possible to completely replicate the background of the walls. A little lighter or darker – it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that this is no longer a white “spot” against the background of, for example, a dark wall.
It is not necessary to give the batteries the color of the wall surfaces. With their help you can create a unique decorative element. It is enough to draw a burning fireplace, a shelf with some object or something else on them. The drawing can be different, from a banal image of a piece of furniture to an original landscape or still life.
