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Original poster

Radiator Covers. . . . . Yes or No?

113 replies

SlB09 · 09/02/2021 21:44

Bought a new house, radiator cover throughout - can't decide whether tj leave be or I want to rip them all out as abit of me thinks they are unnecessary tat!!!!
Opinions please, are they still fashionable?!

OP posts:
Buntysbosom · 09/02/2021 21:47

I think they block too much heat personally.

Showers3 · 09/02/2021 21:47

Love them!

EnidMatilda · 09/02/2021 21:50

I also have the same situation. Now after a year I like them for putting things on e.g. photo frames and also they are practical for crawling babies. I'm still not sure if I love the look but plain rads aren't exactly beautiful (apart from the traditional cast iron)

Hankunamatata · 09/02/2021 21:52

Rip them out. Total waste of energy - your heating will cost so much more as its got to be on longer to heat the house. Even worse with convector radiators as covering the top stops them doing their job.

Sparklingbrook · 09/02/2021 21:52

We have one in the hall. Doesn't affect the heat output, and provides a shelf for router, and places to dump car keys.

MaskingForIt · 09/02/2021 21:53

New as in new build? I’d be amazed if a new build had them, I thought they were always seen as a bit tacky and naff.

chickadeeeeeeeee · 09/02/2021 21:55

We have two in one of our reception rooms. If it would not be a hassle to remove it i would as it is a waste of energy.

Fortunately it is only one room, I am not sure I would be happy if they were in every room Sad

Original poster
SlB09 · 09/02/2021 21:56

No old house just new to us!
Yes tacky and naff are some of the feelings I have but other than that bare radiators? To be fair it's what we have now in our current house (haven't moved yet) I think it's the act of taking them off!

OP posts:
Cakeonthefloor · 09/02/2021 21:57

Usually nicer than looking at a radiator but they do block out the heat, in my opinion.

Figmentofimagination · 09/02/2021 21:58

They have pros and cons.
Pros - If you have reflective backing behind the radiators they can push the heat out instead of up, if you have young children it means you can keep the radiator on high but protect little hands, can be handy in places like hallways where there is lack of storage.
Cons - can reduce space, can make small rooms even smaller, collect a lot of dust underneath them and if they are white they show up dust really easily on top of them.

We have 2 as we have a toddler. 1 in the hallway and 1 in the dining room.
The hallway one covers a large radiator. It makes the hallway narrower but gives us extra space for keys, bowls, we have a box on top where we store gloves and hats and other toddler bits. It also means the large radiator can stay on high to warm both downstairs and the landing upstairs.
The dining room one again covers a large radiator. It enables us to have the heating on high to warm both the living room and dining room up - open plan and living room only has an open gas fire that we won't use with the toddler. My desk is the other side of the dining room and I can feel the heat coming out of it on really cold days as it pushed the heat out.
We don't have covers on the upstairs radiators as we keep them on low instead/ are blocked by furniture so toddler DS won't get hurt.

Runnerduck34 · 09/02/2021 22:06

Need a photo! Tbh i have thought of getting them to cover my 1970/80s radiators but never got round to it, didnt realise they are considered naff, I thought they can look quite nice and better than an ugly radiator- what do I know😆

PinkiOcelot · 09/02/2021 22:22

Hate them.

Lazypuppy · 09/02/2021 22:23

Love them!

FrankButchersDickieBow · 09/02/2021 22:28

I like them, but we only have 1 ugly radiator. It's in the hall and as a pp said, handy for car keys.

Our other radiators are nice, so don't need covering up.

Flyonthewall01 · 09/02/2021 22:28

I have one in the hall and one in the livingroom to cover up the horrible, paint encrusted radiators the previous owner left us with. Look much better and easier than replacing the actual radiator.

AndreaMarteau · 09/02/2021 22:32

Radiator covers are very Mrs Hinch so they are considered a bit naff (at the moment).

On the other hand, if I liked them that wouldn't necessarily stop me but I agree they block the heat.

Africa2go · 09/02/2021 22:34

No, they're really naff, sorry.

GrallaceandWomit · 09/02/2021 22:35

I’m sad they’re considered naff, I think they look lovely! But we don’t have any radiators so we don’t actually have any Grin

littlepattilou · 09/02/2021 22:36

I think they're ugly and vile.

You did ask...........

Ameliablue · 09/02/2021 22:50

We have them, keeps toddler from touching radiator, provides a shelf, radiators themselves are ugly dust gatherers and we have not experienced any issues with them absorbing heat.

FrankButchersDickieBow · 09/02/2021 22:55

I think they're fine to cover an ugly radiator and have been round long before Mrs Hinch. But if you have nice radiators, I wouldn't bother.

I know which I would rather go for though if this was an example

Radiator Covers. . . . . Yes or No?
Radiator Covers. . . . . Yes or No?
JaneNorman · 09/02/2021 22:56

It’s a no from me. They just become a dumping ground for household crap. But ideally without them you want nicer radiators.

StanfordPines · 09/02/2021 22:58

I personally don’t like them, but that’s why I don’t have them in my house. To each their own.

However if I moved into a house with them I would leave them until such time as I was redecorating the room and then remove them and replace the radiator if the radiator was ugly.

Houseofmirth66 · 09/02/2021 23:54

You can’t dry your pants on a radiator cover.

Freddiefox · 09/02/2021 23:59

They’re a little 1990’s changing rooms for me, I took our off when we moved in. I think they look a little naff and you end up heating the cover.