Modern design interior design involves the use various elements decorations in a house or apartment. Moreover, very often decorative elements are used to eliminate shortcomings in rooms or to hide devices that have an unsightly appearance. appearance. These include heating devices, which cause the entire interior design to suffer. Therefore, you need to know how to properly close radiators and at the same time minimize heat losses.

Hide all the flaws of the battery, creating aesthetic beauty in your home

Important Terms

It is clear that no matter what method is used, heat loss is inevitable in any case. Therefore, before closing the battery , first you need to take into account several important conditions:

1. The air flow must circulate freely. Fulfilling this condition will not only uniformly warm the air in the room, but will also help prevent windows from fogging up.
2. All taps and heating connecting elements must have free access for carrying out various works for repairs.

Both conditions can be easily met if you listen to experts who advise using removable devices or structures with special windows.

From this video we will learn how to close the batteries:

Basic ways to hide radiators

If for some reason the radiators were not hidden in the walls during the construction stage, then in order to prevent the radiators from spoiling the appearance of the room, you will have to mask the heating devices. But not everyone knows how to cover a radiator in a room to make it beautiful and convenient. There are many ways to help cover radiators:

1. Hinged screen. This device has significant advantages. Firstly, installing the screen is very simple, and even a non-professional can handle it. Secondly, the design features allow warm air to circulate freely. And thirdly, hanging screens are completely safe due to their rounded corners. And safety comes first, especially for those who have children.
2. Wooden frame. Any decorative element made of wood looks noble, rich and elegant. The same can be said about wooden frames, which will fit perfectly into almost any style of room. Looks especially stylish wooden frame in combination with furniture made of the same material. Depending on the design, the wooden frame can be made in the form of a shelf or rack. The only disadvantage of this method is that the device may become deformed over time from exposure to high temperatures.

Wooden frame is the simplest and economical way hide batteries

1. Glass screen. The method is considered one of the most original, because photo printing or various designs can be applied to glass. But at the same time you will have to pay a decent amount, so this method is not so widespread among the population. And for those who still decide to cover the battery with a glass screen, it is worth remembering that such material will almost halve the heat transfer.
2. Built in furniture. One of the most original ways is to disguise batteries using furniture (chests of drawers, cabinets, shelves, seating areas, tables, and so on). And since such furniture is mainly made to order, you need to be prepared for hefty expenses.
3. . The material, although it has a number of disadvantages, has nevertheless gained great popularity. At the same time, most of all, of course, plasterboard attracts with its low cost. This material is ideal for sealing radiators under the window. But we must not forget that plasterboard structures may suffer from external influences, it can easily be broken through carelessness. And if a leak occurs, you will have to replace the entire structure.

Drywall has a low cost, but do not forget about its flaws

1. Curtains. The simplest, fastest method that does not require any installation work is to disguise the heating under curtains. Thanks to large selection, you can find curtains on sale various colors and forms. This means that you can choose appropriate curtains for any interior. In addition, they are very often used to hide cast iron pipes.
2. Painting. This method is used if for some reason other options cannot be used. In this case, the batteries are painted to match the color of the walls.

A wide variety of methods allows you to disguise heating radiators in any room.

Design solution

It is possible to use unique design methods. For example, the battery itself can be made into an interior element by building a forged frame or any other product around it. You can also cover the heating radiators in the apartment with fabric. And the material, in turn, should fit perfectly into the design of any room. Another interesting option, which allows you to hide heating pipes, is decoupage and painting. This method is distinguished not only by its simplicity, but also by the unlimited imagination of the apartment owner.

In any case, before deciding how to close the heating radiator in a room, you need to consider all the methods, weigh the pros and cons, and only then settle on one of the options you like. And for those who are not afraid of difficulties, it is worth considering the option heated floors, in which batteries are not needed at all.

Heating radiators cannot always serve as interior decoration. Therefore, they have to be hidden, decorated with all possible ways. Let's try to figure out how to do this beautifully and correctly.

Features and Requirements

Decorating heating radiators is not as simple a task as it might seem at first glance. It is necessary not only to hide the unsightly radiator, but also to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room. Obviously, closed batteries provide much less heat, and access to them becomes difficult.

In order to properly close the radiators and not reduce heat transfer (or at least reduce it slightly), you need to understand how radiators heat the room and on what principle they work. And choose the decor so that it represents minimal interference when the batteries perform their functions.

Removable or attached screens that do not have solid fastenings are well suited for this. This is necessary so that the radiator can be accessed at any time. Such a need may arise unexpectedly, and if the battery is mounted in the wall, plasterboard box or covered with a screen “tightly” attached to the wall, the structure will have to be broken. It will not be possible to dismantle it without damage.

Another important criterion when choosing decor is how much it will affect heat transfer. Heating of the room occurs due to the release of infrared radiation (it heats objects) and convection (it directly heats the air).

Solid screens, devoid of gaps at the bottom and top, will become a serious obstacle for both the first and the second. The best option There will be perforated, carved or lamella screens that do not cover the battery either from above or from below. Or closing slightly.

In order for the air to warm up evenly, it must be able to freely enter from the bottom of the battery, pass through it and exit from the top already warm. A tightly “sealed” radiator does not give it this opportunity, which is why the temperature drops. As for IR radiation, it simply cannot pass through a solid, impenetrable screen, which provides almost one hundred percent thermal insulation of the battery.

IN Lately You can see that batteries are often covered with glass screens with photo printing. Of course, such a solution has high decorative properties However, the temperature in a room equipped with such decor drops significantly.

The optimal solution for any interior would be a wooden perforated or carved screen. The main thing is that it has as little continuous surface as possible and as many holes as possible to allow air to circulate freely. In addition to the fact that wood fits harmoniously into almost any interior style, it is also necessary to highlight its environmental friendliness. When heated, it will not release any harmful substances. On the contrary, when exposed to heat, wood releases essential oils, which have a positive effect on human health (of course, we're talking about about natural wood).

Economical ways

To hide old heating batteries, it is not at all necessary to use expensive materials and designs. There are many budget-friendly ways to close unsightly radiators while maintaining high heat transfer rates and easy access to the system.

These methods include:

1. Coloring. Even old, Soviet models of batteries can be turned into a stylish element of the interior by painting them to match the walls or, conversely, in a contrasting color. The costs are minimal, and the benefits are obvious: the possibility of quick access to the radiator remains, convection is not hampered in any way, and the room remains comfortable temperature. Such radiators will fit into any interior, from modern loft to the classics, the main thing is to choose the right color.
2. Textile. The simplest thing is to cover the radiators with curtains that go down to the floor. The main thing is to ensure that there is no possibility of the fabric catching fire from too hot batteries. Or - if the option with curtains is not entirely acceptable - you can stretch a fabric over a wooden frame that matches the color of all the other textiles in the room, and cover the radiators with this screen. Air easily passes through the fabric; it does not present any obstacle to this, which means that heat transfer will not decrease.
3. The use of materials such as plastic, MDF panels, and drywall will also be inexpensive. However, they also have a significant drawback - a decrease in heat in the room. And from the point of view of environmental friendliness, these materials leave much to be desired. The same plastic, for example, is better used in the bathroom to turn off the tap, in the kitchen, that is, in rooms with high humidity, where the same wood, the same metal will quickly become unusable due to external factors. Boxes made of MDF panels or plasterboard have good thermal insulation properties, which in this case is completely unnecessary. And it will be difficult to get close to the system.

Of course, low cost is a significant advantage of the material, and for many it is decisive. However, we should not forget that its main function is to provide not only the aesthetic appeal of the heating system, but also warmth in the apartment. Therefore, you should not focus solely on price.

Good combination accessibility, aesthetics, environmental friendliness and ability to transmit heat have wooden structures. A simple lattice made of narrow slats, which are sold in any hardware store, can effectively hide radiators and will not interfere with their normal operation. In addition, such a solution will look natural in any interior. It is not for nothing that wood has been used since ancient times to decorate houses. Its unique natural aesthetics, the warmth and comfort that it brings to the home are still appreciated and in demand.

If, as a background for carved wood panel choose a metal sheet– copper or aluminum – this solution will bring double benefits. Wood will take on a decorative function, and thanks to metal, the temperature in the room will not only not drop due to closed battery, but may even increase.

Popular solutions

Nowadays there are many ways to hide old cast iron batteries under the window. Screens from a wide variety of materials, niches, painting, mounting into the wall - options for every taste. But if decorating heating radiators in a living room, bedroom or nursery is quite simple - just choose a solution that will harmonize with the overall style of the interior - then in rooms with characteristic conditions (for example, in the kitchen, bathroom) this is more difficult to do.

For these rooms it is necessary to select a material that will withstand and high humidity , and temperature changes, and possible exposure to steam, chemical substances. And with all this it will be non-toxic. The best option would be to paint the radiators to match the walls or in a contrasting color. This method of decorating pipes is the most common in bathrooms.

As for the other rooms of the house, everything depends solely on the imagination and budget of the owners. But the basic requirements for radiator screens must be met in any case. After all, their main task is to hide unsightly heating elements without compromising heat transfer. Therefore, any screen must provide free air circulation and IR radiation. At least create minor obstacles to this.

The now popular glass screens, of course, are highly decorative, look great in the interior, but they significantly reduce heat transfer, which means they help lower the temperature in the room. This decor can be used if heating is carried out in some other way, for example, using heated floors.

Quite often you can find such a solution - radiators are mounted inside the wall, and a small window (or two) is left behind a grill for the passage of heat. Not only does the temperature in the room drop significantly in this case, but also access to the system becomes almost impossible - to do this you will have to break the wall in the literal sense of the word.

The same applies to boxes made of plasterboard, plywood, MDF, chipboard and other similar materials. Reduced heat transfer, difficult access to the system versus decorativeness. Everyone makes a choice for themselves.

Screens made of metal – copper or aluminum – are now gaining popularity. Such models not only will not lower, but may even increase the temperature in the room. Heated by the radiator, such screens themselves act as a battery and additionally heat the room.

If the room is covered with wallpaper, the heating elements can be decorated using leftovers. By cutting them into strips and gluing them onto radiators (with heat-resistant glue, of course), you can minimum costs get a wonderful decorative element that will harmoniously fit into the interior.

In a children's room, you can generally give free rein to your imagination, or you can involve the inhabitants of the room in the process. Children will happily take on the task of decorating their own home and will tell you how they would like to decorate the radiators. Favorite cartoons, fairy tales, your own imagination, in which the room is not a room at all, but a ship, a tank or a racing car. All this can be used when decorating radiators.

To decorate old heating radiators, you don’t have to spend a large number of funds, effort and time. You can simply paint them. Freshly painted batteries will look good in modern interior, such as, for example, a loft, both in a classic and in a soft pastel room. The main thing is to choose the right color.

The same loft - industrial style, and its color scheme is appropriate. The most commonly used is black or White color. One of them can be used to color batteries. Elements painted in a contrasting color - black on white or white on a black background - will look especially impressive.

For the more prosaic, calm interiors this is unlikely to be suitable - after all, it still emphasizes the heating system, highlights it, and does not hide it. In an industrial loft this is what you need. But, for example, in classic interior it would be inappropriate. Here it is better to paint the batteries to match the walls so that they blend into the background.

Heating radiators can be decorated with paintings. Such elements will look good in a nursery and will emphasize the dynamic, active, unusual atmosphere inherent in this room.

In the bathroom, you can put the pipes in a plastic box. It would be irrational to use wood or metal in this room - the materials will quickly become unusable, and the design will have to be changed. And plastic can easily withstand the high humidity of this room. However, plastic is not suitable for the kitchen; here it is better to give preference to traditional materials.

The decor of a heating system implies not only the camouflage of its elements, but also the possibility of easy and quick access to any of its components. This is one of the most important criteria choices that need to be followed when choosing the design of radiators.

Another important factor is heat transfer. But here you can resort to a little trick. A foil foam insulator hung on the wall behind the radiator will reduce heat loss by twenty times.

But it must be attached to the wall, and not just put the battery. In this case, a distance of at least two to three centimeters should remain between it and the piece of insulator.

It is not advisable to cover the elements of the heating system with boxes, hide them in niches or mount them in walls. If another option is not possible, it is necessary to provide the box with a door to ensure the fastest and easiest access to the system at any time.

Modern industry produces heating radiators that are significantly different from Soviet models, which everyone is so eager to hide or change. These are not only strictly geometric white radiators. These can be models of almost any shape and size. Such batteries do not have to be hidden or covered; on the contrary, it is customary to put them on public display, hang them in the center of the wall and show them to guests as a bright, unusual accent.

Modern radiators are a spectacular decorative element that is attractive in itself. Even simple white models have their own aesthetics. They don't have to be hidden at all. They will cope perfectly with the role of discreet, but stylish elements decorations that also perform a practical function - they heat the room.

Examples in the interior

To decorate or hide radiators in a room beautifully so that they are not a “fly in the ointment” and do not spoil the entire appearance of the room, not so difficult task. Modern materials allow us to solve this issue with minimal costs.

Vertical, horizontal, sectional, copper, cast iron - the modern market offers a wide variety of radiators to suit every taste.

A battery with a bright, cheerful color, such as yellow, will look good in a children's room - it has a positive effect on nervous system And emotional state person.

New models, unusual for the eyes - vertical radiators. They are located vertically on the wall and can occupy the entire height from floor to ceiling. This element looks quite stylish and does an excellent job of maintaining a comfortable temperature in the room.

A radiator as an element of a heating system does not always meet the aesthetic expectations of the owners of a house or apartment. Many people want to decorate such structures, smoothing out their impact on the interior as a whole. However, before closing the battery, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons, because it is wrong installed structure can significantly reduce heat transfer.

Decoration

The battery does not need to be closed. There are a few alternative ways hide radiators if they do not fit into the interior.

Painting

During repairs, it is enough to remove the old coating and repaint the surface. To do this, use special paint that is resistant to elevated temperatures. The color must be selected to match the interior of the room. True, this option is best used with modern aluminum batteries. Painted cast iron items will stand out a lot.

It is not necessary to make radiators monochromatic; they can be decorated with various designs. This is especially important to do in a children’s room or kitchen. If artistic skills are completely absent, you can use special stencils.

Curtain

You can cover the radiator using a cotton curtain. The truth is like this option will do only for products installed in a niche. You can attach the curtain to the window sill using Velcro; the fabric should be matched to the wallpaper. As an alternative, blinds can be used.

Decoupage

Using ordinary napkins and PVA glue, you can also decorate a heating device. This is easy to do with your own hands; special skills and expensive materials are not required. It is enough to choose napkins to match, cut out the necessary elements and paste them over the radiator. You can apply a special heat-resistant varnish on top.

Screens

If decorating heating appliances for some reason does not suit you, you can hide them under special grilles or perforated screens. Such devices are made from the most various materials, have a variety of shapes and designs.

When choosing a screen, it is worth remembering that the better the perforation, the more heat from the radiator will enter the room. Blind side and top bars seriously reduce battery efficiency.

Glass

Screens made of thick glass will successfully hide the heating device. You can purchase options with photo printing or entire glass paintings; such products look beautiful and very stylish. Glass screens only cover outside batteries. They are secured using screw holders with elastic protective pads.

Mounted

You can hide radiators using hanging grilles. Most often, such products are used for those located in a niche under the window sill. Anyone can also handle the installation - you just need to hang the structure on the heating device.

Wooden

Best suited for rooms with a classic design. In addition, wood products can be used as a stand. However, there is also a drawback to such a screen. It lies in the short shelf life of the products. Alas, wood, regardless of quality, will sooner or later become deformed under the influence of high temperatures and simply dry out.

What can you do yourself?

Now there are many opportunities to design screens for heating devices with your own hands. The easiest way is to cover the heating radiator with plasterboard. This universal option is suitable for any room, from the living room to the kitchen.

Required materials and tools

• pencil and tape measure;
• hammer drill and screwdriver;
• metal scissors and stationery knife;
• level, stapler, sandpaper;
• self-tapping screws;
• drywall, UD and CD profiles;
• lattice.

Frame

In order to cover the radiator with plasterboard, you need to make a frame. To do this, UD guide profiles are secured with self-tapping screws to the underside of the window sill, walls and floor. The front edge of the resulting frame is deepened by 13 mm so that after covering with plasterboard, the surface of the screen coincides with the wall.

Then the CD profiles are screwed vertically, and the distance between them should be slightly more sizes grates.

Sheathing

Using a knife, cut blanks from a plasterboard sheet required sizes. Then the drywall is screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws. The screw heads should not be deeply recessed, otherwise the sheet may tear and the structure will not be securely fastened. On last stage secure the decorative lattice.

Plasterboard structures fit perfectly into the interior, but significantly reduce the efficiency of the radiator. Small space for flow warm air impedes convection. Therefore, when selecting a screen or decorative design you need to find a balance between aesthetics and minimal reduction in heat transfer from the radiator.

The cold weather is just around the corner, and it’s worth paying attention to the heating radiators and thinking about how they can be hidden so that they do not spoil the interior. There are quite a few creative ideas, which will allow you to turn batteries into a decorative element and use them practically.

Disguise as interior style

In a beautifully designed interior, all objects and elements should somehow resonate with each other and form a single style. Heating generators in this case are also no exception. They, of course, simply must fit into the common space and only decorate it, and not spoil it. Therefore, you should worry in advance about adequate masking of the batteries. IN classic versions screens in an elegant style, made in light shades – Ivory, beige, noble white. Laconic wooden models without elaborate decor will look good in a Scandinavian or modern interior.

Choosing the right material

The choice of material from which the screen will be made must be approached no less scrupulously than the design of the product itself. First of all, the selected material must be resistant to high temperatures. Today, such screens are made of metal, plexiglass, wood, plastic and plywood. The most reliable and popular of them are metal and plywood. Wood can deform over time, and it is expensive; plastic is only suitable for offices and non-residential premises, glass can hinder the heat transfer during heating.

Warmth or beauty?

When choosing a screen, there is another dilemma: what to put first - beauty or to be more concerned about warmth. Here you need to start from how severe the winters are where the apartment is located. If you want to reduce the flow of heat and it is hot in the apartment in winter, then you should take a closer look at closed options. If heating the room comes first, then you need to choose options without additional grilles, as well as those that are as light and patterned as possible.

Practical use of the radiator

The most interesting thing is that thanks to the screens, the battery can be used as extra bed for rest, as a shelf or stand for decorative elements. Thus, you have two birds with one stone in your hands - the battery is camouflaged, the interior looks great and at the same time it has additional element, performing practical functions.

Heating radiators are undoubtedly important for every room intended for human habitation. As a rule, the location of heating radiators is always visible. Therefore, their appearance significantly affects general form premises. During the repair process or in preparation for it, the issue of the appearance of heating radiators should be carefully considered. Don't your immediate life plans include renovations? – it doesn’t matter, there are solutions in this case too. Thanks to the availability of information, as well as the ability to purchase a variety of materials, decorating various interior items has become accessible to everyone, regardless of finances and handicraft abilities.

The correct approach to decorating a battery is based not only on the aesthetic component, it is also important functional purpose heating device

A very unfortunate decision - the movement of warm air is almost completely blocked

Possible decorative options for heating radiators are selected according to a number of parameters. In order for the result of the work to please you, when deciding on the choice of finishing for heating radiators, you should proceed from the following initial data:

• the original properties of the decoration item itself;
• style of the room in which the batteries are located;
• the color scheme of the room and its design style;
• functional purpose of the room.

It’s great if by reading this article you already know what exactly you want. If you have not yet decided what is the best way to proceed, then perhaps after reading it, a few great ideas will still appear. All you have to do is choose a method for converting heating radiators that suits your means and feasibility if you want to decorate the heating radiator with your own hands.

At major renovation premises, you can, of course, hide the battery in the wall using a niche made of plasterboard, chipboard or plastic. Heat ventilation and removal from the battery, in this case, is carried out through a grille, which must be installed in such a niche. As a rule, such niches are decorated with a grating made of chipboard or wood. It is possible to select both the grille itself and its frame according to the required color scheme. These grates are sold in a wide range, they are durable and transmit heat well.

Reading bench above the radiator

In addition, the issue of converting heating radiators can be solved by covering them with special decorative screens. Such devices can be installed directly in front of the heating radiators or in a hinged form.

Hanging screen made of thin wooden slats

Simple wooden grate, painted to match the wall decoration

A hanging metal screen slightly reduces heat transfer, is inexpensive and easy to install

These solutions cannot always be called optimal, since a very large part of the heat generated by the battery is wasted in this case. The effect is close to what would be achieved by hiding the battery behind the curtains.

Metal screen with openwork design

Any screen design must provide access to the radiator

At the same time, closing heating radiators serves the function of protecting small children from burns. Screens, boxes and niches are beautiful and can be matched to any interior. This type decor is used, as a rule, in living rooms and is ideal for them stylistic decision. Covering batteries in children's rooms with boxes and screens is optimal solution both for safety purposes and for decorative purpose. A panel made of wood or chipboard can be decorated with bright patterns and used as a play element.

Screen idea for high battery

An old wooden bench used as a battery box in the hallway of a village house

DIY screen

However, you can make a screen for the battery yourself. The best materials for these purposes are wood, chipboard or plywood. It is advisable to paint these materials in the color of the room. In addition, plexiglass is perfect for these purposes. This material is safe. You can also apply suitable images with paint or decorate it using the decoupage technique.

The easiest way to make a screen is from wood

If you decide to make a panel for the battery yourself, you should remember the need to make holes in it. They are necessary for the passage of warm air from the battery into the room.

The front panel of the screen is made of 16 mm thick boards

Convenient to use as a grill perforated panel made of fiberboard, which can be purchased at any building materials hypermarket

A frame must be installed in front of the battery

The front panel of the screen is secured with self-tapping screws

The result is a very attractive design.

The best solutions for the kitchen

The design of kitchens, not as strict as is customary for living rooms, gives free rein to imagination. In addition to the above-described ways to hide heating radiators, in the rooms where culinary masterpieces are created, designer delights are also created to decorate heating radiators. The radiator and the pipe connecting it to the heat source can be painted in the same color as the walls, decorated using the decoupage technique, or these two methods can be combined.

A battery painted to match the walls will be less conspicuous

An even greater effect can be achieved if you paint the battery to match the wallpaper

The battery can be displayed as part of an artistic composition

Many ideas are available on the Internet. Taking them as a basis, you can create a masterpiece on your own and without much labor or time, decorating the external elements of the heating system with an elegant or cheerful design. Battery decoupage involves transferring a design from a carrier onto the metal surface of a radiator. When decorated using the decoupage technique, batteries can be decorated using ready-made designs made on thin paper (both rice paper and ordinary decorative napkins are suitable). There are a lot of design options: flowers, wood decoration, geometric designs.

Rainbow battery

Khokhloma painting on a heating radiator

If you have artistic abilities, you can do without ready-made solutions and paint images directly onto the surface. For such work you will need heat-resistant paints and varnish. The latter is necessary for those who decide to decoupage the battery themselves. For decoupage you will also need glue; regular PVA will do.

Decorating a battery in the bathroom

Not every bathroom has separate radiators, except for the one that serves as a heated towel rail. Modern products are quite aesthetic. The need for decoration arises if the battery has not been replaced for a long time, as a result of which it has lost its appearance. The easiest way to give heating device Presentable appearance is a matter of coloring. The paint color is selected according to the color of the room. Of course, the product to be painted is thoroughly cleaned. However, decoupage in the bathroom is just as appropriate.

An example of successful use of a battery as a bright accent

In addition, it is possible to cover the battery in the bathroom with a mesh, which can act as a storage system.

Protective screen with storage shelves

The battery can be hidden in a stylish cabinet

Or leave it in plain sight, covering it with a shelf on top

To summarize, it should be noted that decorating a radiator is a creative process. When choosing a method for transforming heating radiators, the main thing is not to overdo it decorative elements, having withstood general style room decoration. It is also important to take into account that the main functional purpose of the radiator - heating the room in the cold season - should not be affected.

They decorate both old cast iron batteries and modern products made of aluminum and bimetal. The latter are especially pliable for drawing, since external design consists of flat plates on which it is convenient to apply a design.

When choosing paint, you should remember that special paints are produced for heating radiators that can withstand high temperatures.

Video: heating radiator painting technique