Period radiators or unobtrusive modern ones?

[mistressploppy]

I can't decide, please help.

Our house is a late Victorian semi. The current rads are 80s ones, fine really, but the whole system needs replacing and I was thinking about getting the really efficient smooth modern ones in most places but a few posh cast iron repro ones in the hall and maybe the living room, to look authentic innit.

But now I'm wondering whether it's a bit daft to make a feature of them at all; after all the period ones are quite lumpy, and not as efficient.

Any opinions/experiences gratefully received.

think hard if you consider the modern column radiators (myson but b&q do a rip off much cheaper). they look good as a modern intervention with historic references - but are a pig to clean!! dusty columns are not a good look!

We've got a mix of rads in our 1860s cottage and it looks good. Where we want to be unobtrusive and not take up space we've got modern flat rads. Where we want them to be a feature we've got old school rads (but new) and in our kitchen, which is a modern extension, we've got a column rad.

We had to replace all our rads recently after three bursts. Did all the downstairs ones with repro period ones but not upstairs. Really pleased with them as they are so efficient. Hold their heat a long time after the system is off ((just as the Aga does but no sooo long). Got them from castrads.com after loads of research for good quality/price. They were very helpful with the measuring up etc.

I'd go for modern flat panel, as thin and unobtrusive as possible. Ideally without a vent grille at the top. Hudevad do some very good ones.

I may be wrong, but I don't think Victorian houses generally had those bulky cast iron ones - they were usually in schools and hospitals etc but not homes. So not actually all that authentic. And a bastard to paint and keep clean.

I was wondering about that, Minipie. I don't want a Victorian pastiche. I dislike the grilles at the top too.

Hmmm

good traditional radiators are about 3x the price and often quite inefficient (not very turn onnoffable). we put them in our last house but tbh when it came to the next one, there was a list of lots more things which i wanted to spend the money on! so i guess, if you've got money to spare, spend it , but actually, not having them this time round hasnt bothered me at all. dont really notice it.

these are the flat panel radiators I have used previously (the Hudevad P5K).

Flat and unobtrusive. No grille at the top. Come in a variety of sizes including some vertical ones - these are great because they take up less wall space and you can put them in places you wouldn't otherwise have furniture, like behind doors and either side of a bay window. Also because if it's cold you can stand against a vertical radiator and warm your whole body

We have just had a similar dilemma in our Victorian semi we are gutting/renovating, complicated by very high skirting boards in some rooms meaning we couldn't get wall mounted rads.

We used reproduction free-standing iron rads in living room, which gave recommended BTU for the size of room We bought from 21stcenturyradiators.com which gives a huge variety of sizes and designs. They look great and heat the room perfectly.

For the hall and dining room we used screwfix column rads, cheep and cheerful. We got the acova style which is quite unobtrusive and slimline but also fits with all the decorative twirliness of the coving etc.

The rest of the house got modern slimline rads without vents!

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