In the good old days, the best place to position radiators was underneath a window. This was because this was usually the coldest part of the room. Single glazing meant cold drafts – so by placing the radiator underneath it, the cold air would be mixed with the convected heat, warming it up before it reached the room’s occupants.
However, now that the majority of homes have double-glazed windows and properties are so well insulated, heat is distributed more evenly and efficiently, and radiators can be positioned anywhere in the room. So where you position your radiator is now more of a design consideration than a practical one.
Don’t hide the heat
To make the most of your heating’s efficiency, make sure the radiator is clear from clutter blocking it, as well as furniture or curtains. If you place the sofa in front of it or have floor-length curtains that you have to close around it, all you’re doing is stopping the heat from reaching you. With the heat going into the back of the sofa or curtain lining, the rest of the room is going to be much colder. As a result of that, the heating system is going to have to work a lot harder in order to keep the ambient temperature high enough for your comfort. And that not only means higher energy bills, but also the increased likelihood that your overworked boiler will wear out sooner and be more liable to breakdowns.
If you’re trying to hide your radiator because of its aesthetics, change it! If interior design is important to you, rest assured there’s a winning combination where you can have both heat and something attractive that will enhance your living space. Designer radiators come in all shapes and sizes and will fit in with the look and feel of your room. In fact, they’re so good, you may want to reposition them to make them a prominent feature.
Don’t be afraid to move the pipes
You may be thinking that because the plumbing is already in place, you might as well keep things the way they are. However, given that the current positioning of the radiator might not fit in with where you think it will look best, it’s worth the extra effort to change the plumbing in order to accommodate your design plans.
Use the wall
With a more attractively designed radiator, you have more options about where to place it. Art radiators, for example, can be hung centrally on a wall instead of a picture or painting, doubling up on space and giving you more options when arranging your furniture and storage. If you have an awkward, narrow space, you could utilise it by placing a vertical radiator there which will make the most of the space and help to open up the rest of the room. Also, if you want to bring more light into the room, position a mirror radiator where it is likely to reflect it, making the room seem larger as well as brighter.
Designer radiators give you many sublime options when it comes to interior design, which is why they are now something that needs to be considered at the planning stage, not as an afterthought. To get a better idea of how a designer radiator can improve your living space, visit one of our radiator showrooms to see them for yourself.
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