Radiator Covers. . . . . Yes or No?

[SlB09]

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?!

Ugly heat blocking things.

But where would I put my baby tomato plants? My violets like them too!

I have one over the storage heater, massive ugly 1980s heater.

Makes a good mantelpiece. And it's in a location that you wouldn't put the sofa in front to hide it so it would just be visible without it.

Ours are ok - the match the property and don’t look out of place. And yes, ours are useful shelves (but don’t put your chocolate advent calendar on them)

Hate them as they look tacky but each to their own

Personally I think they are quite dated now. Plus they generally block the heat so will make your energy bills much higher.

Our flat is very ‘period’ so ours were chosen to match.

Plus they generally block the heat so will make your energy bills much higher.

This ^^ is the major reason why I am baffled that anyone thinks they are a good idea.

Because our radiators were from the ark and looked crap (and it was cheaper than getting them all replaced)

I never understand the point of them. What’s so offensive about a radiator? Even an old radiator is still just a radiator?! Who cares

Ours were old and needed a bit of work. Plus our flat is small and every inch counts - having a cover means that ds has a little ledge next to his desk for his ‘boy stuff’ and I have a ledge in my bedroom for box of tissues/weather station etc. Also in the hallway I have a bowl for my keys.

@SpiceRat

I never understand the point of them. What’s so offensive about a radiator? Even an old radiator is still just a radiator?! Who cares

I agree. I'm also baffled at how "offensive" a radiator can be.

I like them but they're complete dust magnets. And I don't like dusting. So we don't have them.

‘baffled’?’ Ours were in a right sorry state - they looked like something out of a junkyard, and when we moved in we had so much work to do we couldn’t afford to replace them. They take up space in a small flat (compared to a useful ledge).

Horses for courses.

I have never had covers on my radiators. My two children seem to have survived to adulthood unburnt.
If we are going to tackle climate change and high heating bills, it is silly to make one’s radiators less efficient by blocking their output.
And I love pigletjohn’s comment about crinolines on piano legs!

We have large cream/grey storage heaters that stand out like a sore thumb in a mostly white room. In the rooms where we don't use them I've covered them with white radiator covers and it looks much better. If I had plain white radiators in good condition I wouldn't bother to hide them though unless they were so huge it made them unsightly.

I really dislike them

Less from the look (they can look really nice, and as pp have said, it is a nice/useful shelf)
But really because in a world where we should be looking to minimise our environmental impact, to put a wooden cover over the heat source in your room, is massively stupid and uses more energy.

Wood is an insulator, so even if your room is nice and warm with the cover there, it is definitely soaking up the heat and costing you more.

if you like a shelf, put up a shelf. If you want to throw the heat forward, put e reflector behhind it, but if you want to save energy, remove the wooden box.

@Africa2go

No, they're really naff, sorry.

Who says?

and, the whole small children thing is nonsense.

How hot are your radiators??

When a toddler puts their hand on a radiator it is hot. Not hot enough to burn or hurt, just hot. So they remove their hand.

If your radiators are so hot they would burn, (and it has to be pretty hot to do that) then you should turn your boiler down and get more insulation to keep your room warm.

you do know that you can paint old radiators?
Paint them to match the wall behind?
or paint them clean new white looking?

Very simple and freshens them up.

and, the whole small children thing is nonsense. for me it's the noise. The noise of a small child banging a radiator (when not on) is more annoying than the noise of them banging a cover

@PaintedDaisy

and, the whole small children thing is nonsense. for me it's the noise. The noise of a small child banging a radiator (when not on) is more annoying than the noise of them banging a cover

not something that has ever really been and issue for me.

There was one in our house when we moved in. I removed it straight away - why have something covering up a heat source. If you need a useful place to put things......... install a shelf!

My cats love ours!

@VeryQuaintIrene

My cats love ours!

@VeryQuaintIrene But that's different!

Cats can have their own radiator, plus cover*. It's their house dammit!

The cat's name is on the title deeds before yours lest you forget.

• you are expected to clean and maintain the upkeep as part of your running tenancy. As you were.