Where is the best location for your designer radiators?
22 September 2019
Designer radiators have come a long way in the past few years.
Designer radiators have come a long way in the past few years.
They are no longer something you need to cover in paint to blend in with your walls, or hide behind your sofa. Instead, with a huge range of beautiful, sleek and contemporary designer radiators on offer, your radiator can instead become a focal point of your room.
Modern designs can now take centre stage, which makes choosing the right designer radiator to suit your space key when it comes to giving your room a magical makeover. Incorporating designer radiators into your overall design will help you to create the perfect living space, but there are a few things you should consider when it comes to planning your room
Here are our top tips:
The best location for your designer radiators
The key thing to remember here is that the position of your designer radiators can often affect their performance and efficiency.
The best location for a designer radiator is in the coldest part of the room, usually under a window. This is because cold air creates better heat convection, by pushing hot air from the radiator into the room. However, if you have good double-glazing, this will reduce the amount of cold air entering from outside, so in this case, you should position your designer radiator where it won’t affect the use of your walls.
Positioning a designer radiator behind a sofa or other piece of furniture, for example, will block the flow of hot air coming directly from the radiator, so try to avoid doing this if possible. Besides, if you have invested in a beautiful designer radiator, why would you want to cover it up?
Work out how many designer radiators you need
In order to make your room as energy efficient as possible, it’s important to work out the heat output it requires. There are several factors which can affect this, such as room dimensions, insulation quality and any additional heating sources.
Radiator heat output is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). Working out how many BTUs your room needs can be quite complex. The easiest way of doing it is to use our simple BTU calculator, which will help you to decide how many radiators you need to heat the room efficiently, and give you an understanding of the best position for them.
Sometimes, using two smaller radiators instead of one big one can be a more efficient way of doing things.
As a general rule of thumb, have one radiator for every 5m³ of space you need to heat.
Decide if you want a contemporary or traditional designer radiator
Contemporary designer radiators come in a range of shapes and sizes, so whether you’re looking for a designer radiator for your living room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom, you’re sure to find the perfect one to suit your space. They tend to be models that are made out of steel or chrome, which conduct heat more efficiently. More traditional cast-iron radiators tend to be heavier, bulkier and can take longer to heat up.
They do, however, cool down more slowly, which helps to keep your room warmer for longer, with gentler ambient heat.
Can you position designer radiators behind curtains or a door?
Smothering your designer radiator with floor-length curtains will trap the heat so it cannot fill the room, so try and position your radiator away from curtains and upholstery that could restrict its performance. Because radiators move heat around the room via convection, doors can also hamper their performance. However, in some instances, particularly in smaller rooms, positioning your designer radiator behind a door may be your only option.
In these cases, the temperature of the space your door connects to will have an impact. If the door leads to a space that is typically colder, the heat will go straight to the colder area leaving the room you are trying to warm up with no heat when the door is open. Also bear in mind that if you need to position your designer radiator behind a door, you’ll still need to be able to open and close it properly.
Go ahead and do it
Hopefully, you’ll have found information from our top tips and have a better idea of the best location for your designer radiator, but if you need any further help, please give us a call on 01530 564 122 or email us.
Alternatively, why not visit our Designer Radiator Showroom, in Ashby de la Zouch, for more designer radiator ideas.
With over 4,000 designer radiators in stock - all at factory direct prices with fast, free UK Delivery - you're sure to find whatever you're looking for.
