How to close heating radiators. How can you hide a nondescript radiator and transform the interior. DIY Heatsink Screen Ideas

Heating batteries, especially of the old model, are the most unaesthetic element in a room. However, things are not as hopeless as they seem.

For those who decided to save time and money on renovating the heating system and replacing cast-iron radiators with modern ones, we offer several ways to hide, disguise, decorate and update old unsightly batteries. You will be surprised how much these "cast-iron heavyweights" in a transformed form are able to refresh the interior.

Successful camouflage is a simple but effective idea for eye-catching heating radiators. It is enough to choose paint to match the walls and paint the battery with it. Alkyd and acrylic enamels, as well as water-based paints are best suited.

And you can do the opposite - with the help of paint, not to disguise the battery, but to focus on it.

In the midst of the heating season, a radiator can become a potentially dangerous item in your home. So that the child does not accidentally touch the hot metal, special screens were invented that prevent direct contact with the battery and play a decorative role in the interior.

In addition, the screen will prevent dust and dirt from entering the battery. So cleaning will not be so burdensome anymore.

The easiest way to fit the batteries into the interior of the room is to hide them in a drywall box and close them with a decorative grill. Of course, the decoration must be done so as not to disrupt the operation of the heating system.

Special perforated MDF panels are the most versatile of radiator screens. A wide variety of shapes, shades and textures allows you to choose them for any interior. Such screens are lightweight, compact, moisture resistant, environmentally friendly.

The screen of strict forms is also considered a classic.

In a modern interior, laconic wooden models of screens without pretentious decor will look good.

You will definitely not want to hide such a decorative metal frame for a radiator behind curtains. Because it will definitely attract the eyes of guests and will become the undeniable "highlight of the program".

If you have carpentry skills, the idea of a decorative screen for a radiator can be developed into an impromptu rack, console, cabinet. Functional furniture is worth its weight in gold in small homes.

Glass can also turn out not just screens for a radiator, but also beautiful elements of functional furniture.

Some have guessed to use a battery covered by a screen as an additional resting place. Warm, cozy, beautiful.

A radiator and heated towel rail can be made an art object. Sometimes it is difficult to guess what a heating system looks like.

The yellow square is not a picture, but a battery.

We suggest trying to solve the problem of unaesthetic batteries on your own, for example, using decoupage. Thoroughly wash the battery, make its surface smooth - it is not necessary to completely remove the old paint. Paint it with regular white enamel first. While the battery will dry for a day, take a decoupage card with a pattern that you like. Measure the width of the outer surface of the battery section, cut the card into strips of the desired size. With PVA glue diluted with water in a ratio of 1x1, glue the motif so that it is located exactly in the middle of the battery. Paint the remaining part without a picture with acrylic paints. When the paint is dry, the entire battery must be covered with a heat-resistant varnish.

You can cover the battery in an original way with a folding frame, inside which strips of fabric are intertwined.

Needlewomen can sew some funny cover for the radiator. For example, let an unaesthetic metal battery turn into a lamb or some other cute animal. Children will definitely be delighted.

A radiator screen is a good alternative if you don't want to use bulky frame screens. For a decorative curtain, choose a fabric that matches your decor. Sew one part of the fabric Velcro to the top of the curtain, and glue the other to the bottom of the window sill above the battery. You can make several curtains and change them depending on your mood.

A simple and original way to mask the battery is with a curved sheet of plywood 4 mm thick. The panel is fixed to the wall with 4 screw hooks at a distance of at least 5 cm from the window sill so as not to interfere with normal air circulation. In order to obtain a beautiful bend, the panel should be twice as long as the radiator, and its center should be placed strictly in the middle. Apply decorative self-adhesive furniture film to the front side of the panel.

It is easy to make a universal retractable panel from a fiberboard sheet, which, if necessary, can be easily transferred to another room. It is installed behind the carcass frame. For the frame, boards made of fiberboard with a thickness of 1.6 cm and a width of 8 cm are needed. The horizontal and vertical parts of the frame are glued together.

If you first paint the masking board with dark paint and then varnish, you will get a drawing board and notes for children. Also, the panel can be decorated with an applique, a picture or a school of fish cut out in it.

In one of the Moscow apartments there is such a fake plywood fireplace made by hand. It covers an old cast-iron battery.

The transformation took place like this. The "face" of the fireplace with a window for the firebox, as well as a firebox with the image of bricks, was built from plywood. Then the floor and cornice decor was made from polyurethane skirting boards. A long LED lamp was placed in the firebox. The lamp casing was stained with orange and red paint. The coals represent large stones from the hardware store.

Greetings, comrades! Today we will talk about how to decorate a heating battery in a living room. Since your humble servant in the recent past was a plumber, any decor will be discussed from the point of view of practicality - the heat transfer of the heater and its maintainability.

How the battery heats up

Any heating device gives off heat to the heated room in two ways simultaneously:

By convection... The air heats up in direct contact with the surface of the radiator and, due to the density reduced during heating, is displaced upward by colder air masses. Cooling down, it again goes down, reheats on contact with the radiator - and so on ad infinitum;
Heat radiation... Infrared rays spread within the line of sight and heat up all objects near the heater.

The predominance of one or another method of heat transfer is determined by the configuration of the heater and its temperature. For an aluminum battery with developed fins, convection prevails, for a radiator plate - radiation.

In order for no obstacles to impede convection, the radiator is placed under the window in a strictly defined way:

Distance to the windowsill should be equal to at least 6-12 cm. The heated air flow should rise freely upward, providing efficient and uniform heating of the entire volume of the room;
Between the radiator and the wall there is a gap of 2-3 centimeters. It provides the movement of air heated in contact with the back of the sections;
Between battery and floor a clearance is also required (at least 8 cm): it provides a free flow of cold air, replacing the heated one.

In order not to interfere with heat transfer due to radiation, the battery cannot be closed from the main volume of the room with furniture and thick curtains.

Heating device malfunctions

The idea to close the battery with a screen arises, as a rule, among the owners of Soviet-style cast-iron radiators. Indeed, outwardly they are rather unsightly. The initially unattractive appearance is often aggravated by long-term influx of layers - unevenly applied and partially burnt out.

Now for the bad news. Cast iron radiators have a number of typical problems that require free access to them.

Intersectional leaks

The essence of the problem: Paronite gaskets between cast iron sections are not elastic. Over time, they become more and more rigid.

When the sections are heated during the heating season, the gasket is compressed due to the thermal expansion of the sections, and after cooling it does not return to its previous dimensions. The nipple connection is leaking.

Elimination: The outer sections are disconnected and both gaskets are changed at the current nipple connection. The work requires access to the blind radiator plugs at the end of the radiator. If you close the battery with a dull screen and even more so hide it in a box, it will be simply impossible to unscrew the plugs and remove the sections.

Leaking locknut

The essence of the problem: a burnt out or rotted organic winding under the lock nut on one of the connections no longer seals the threaded connection.

Elimination: when the heating riser is dropped, the lock nut is unscrewed by several turns and rewound with plumbing flax or other winding. If you close the heating radiators with a screen or box, access to the connections will be extremely difficult. You cannot turn a pipe or adjustable wrench in a confined space.

Fistula on the thread

The essence of the problem: a cast-iron radiator is connected to the supply line with a squeegee - a long thread cut on it. Steel is subject to corrosion. Through fistulas appear first of all in areas with the smallest wall thickness, that is, in the grooves of the threads.

Elimination: when the heating riser is dropped, the liner is cut off at the beginning of the thread, and a new squeeze is welded to it by electric arc or gas welding. If you close the radiators with a non-removable screen or put them in boxes, the welder will not be able to get to the problem area of the liner.

A box or screen for a radiator often hides the problem from the homeowner: there is a leak, but you do not see it. You will learn about the presence of a defect in the radiator or piping from flooded neighbors or when your own apartment is flooded, when a small fistula on the pipe turns into a source of serious leak.

Airlock

The essence of the problem: After the heating circuit has been reset, air remains in the heating circuit when it is restarted. Air pockets impede circulation in the risers.

Elimination: air is vented through the so-called Mayevsky taps, installed on the top floor for each riser. The taps are most often mounted in the upper blind radiator plug. And in this case, free access to the battery is needed to start the riser.

Silting up of the radiator

The essence of the problem: sludge and sand carried by the coolant gradually accumulate in the lower collector of the sections farthest from the supply - in the area where the water velocity is minimal. The outer sections stop heating.

Elimination: The sludge is flushed out of the battery through the flushing valve. A hose is attached to the tap, installed instead of one of the blind radiator plugs, through which the water is discharged into the sewer. Both the installation of the washer and the flushing itself require access to the end sections.

Decor requirements

So, how to hide batteries in an apartment without compromising their functionality and maintainability?

Plasterboard boxes around batteries are strictly prohibited. Such a box will drastically reduce the heat transfer of the batteries, limiting air convection. At the same time, in the absence of a heat meter, you will pay in full for the heat you did not receive;

The larger the area of the gaps in the screen, the better. Warm air and heat radiation will pass through these gaps;
A solid horizontal shelf on top is a bad idea. It will restrict the movement of the ascending air flow;
The decorative screen material must have maximum thermal conductivity. When heated, it will itself become a source of heat, heating the room due to infrared radiation;

The exception is screens that are installed to protect children from burns. For obvious reasons, their front surface should not heat up.

An ideal option is a screen that is transparent in the infrared spectrum. In particular, ordinary glass is permeable to infrared rays;
The back of an IR-opaque screen should be as dark as possible, ideally charcoal black. The black surface absorbs the maximum amount of heat. White and, conversely, reflects radiation across the entire spectrum;
Any decor should be easy to dismantle. Sooner or later, the battery will need service or repair.

Materials (edit)

What can be used to make a decorative screen? I will evaluate popular materials in terms of the requirements set out above.

Image

Material and its properties

Metals: metal screens (aluminum and to a lesser extent steel) have excellent thermal conductivity.

They are impervious to thermal radiation, but when heated, they themselves are capable of becoming a source of infrared rays.

The most advantageous design is a metal mesh on a light frame.

Glass: glass screens are transparent to heat radiation. The front surface heats up to a much lower temperature than the radiator, which makes glass a safe material for families with small children.

When installing the screen above and below it, there must be gaps for air convection. The distance from the radiator is at least 2-3 cm.

On such frosty winter days as now, heating saves our houses and apartments. Therefore, the presence heating radiators in dwellings - this is undoubtedly a plus. But often batteries become a stumbling block when you want to decorate a room beautifully.

So what to do with the hated batteries? After all, no matter how modern they are, the appearance of the rooms, alas, still deteriorates because of them ...

The problem with the design of heating batteries is especially relevant in children's rooms and rooms where children often play, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because kids run a lot and can hit the battery.

If modern radiators have such an appearance that they can easily fit into a high-tech or minimalist room, then Soviet cast-iron batteries look completely depressing. Therefore it is necessary so mask battery so that it was not visible, but did not stop warming us in the cold.

How to hide the battery

Editorial staff "So simple!" prepared for you 14 practical ways as possible hide a nondescript radiator and at the same time transform the interior. Now, looking at the batteries in the house, I get an aesthetic pleasure!

The easiest way is to paint the battery. For this, use a special paint that is resistant to high temperatures. The color must be matched to the tone of the interior of the room. This option is best applied to modern aluminum batteries. Painted cast iron products will stand out a lot.
But if you decorate them with various drawings, it's a completely different matter! This is especially true in a children's room or in the kitchen. If artistic skills are completely absent, you can use special stencils.
A very original idea! To implement it, you need to have several skeins of twine, 3 hours of time and perseverance.
You can close the radiator with a cotton curtain. This option is only suitable for products installed in a niche.
You can attach the curtain to the windowsill using Velcro, the fabric should be matched to the wallpaper. Alternatively, blinds can be used.
And this idea is just 2 in 1! We hide the batteries and get a new place for reading or pleasant gatherings.
Or you can hide them under special grilles or perforated screens. Such devices are made from a wide variety of materials, have a variety of shapes and designs.
Thanks to the screens, the battery can be used as an additional place for rest, as a shelf or stand for decorative items.
How do you like this method?
Thick glass screens will successfully cover an unsightly battery. Such products look beautiful and very stylish.
However, the glass screens only cover the outside of the battery. They are fixed using screw holders with elastic protective gaskets.
Another interesting idea is a bedside table with latticed doors. Practical and convenient, isn't it?
You can hide radiators using hinged grilles. Most often, such products are used for cast iron batteries located in a niche under the windowsill. And a pleasant bonus is that everyone can handle the installation. All that is required is to hang the structure on the heater.
Great idea for a nursery!
Please note that the choice of the material from which the screen will be made must be approached no less scrupulously than the design of the product itself. After all, the material must be resistant to high temperatures.
Another great idea: a battery tucked away in a perforated panel box. Stylish and tasteful!
And finally decoupage. Using ordinary napkins and PVA glue, you can also decorate the heater. It is easy to do it yourself; special skills and expensive materials are not required.
It is enough to choose napkins to match, cut out the necessary elements and paste over the radiator with them. On top you can apply a special heat-resistant varnish.

Beauty at the expense of warmth

When overhauling the premises, you can, of course, hide the battery in the wall using a niche device made of plasterboard, chipboard or plastic. Ventilation of heat and its removal from the battery, in this case, is carried out through a grill, which must be arranged in such a niche. As a rule, such niches are decorated with a chipboard or wood lattice. It is possible to select both the lattice itself and its frame in the required color scheme. These grilles are sold in a large assortment, they are durable and pass heat well.

Reading bench above the battery

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

Hinged screen made of thin wooden slats

Simple wood grille painted to match the wall decoration

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

These solutions can not 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 heating battery

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

Screen Idea for High Battery

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

Requirements for decorative elements

There must be a gap of at least 8 cm at the bottom for cold air circulation

Before hiding the battery, you must take into account that there should be no obstacles to the circulation of heated air from above, below and on the side. Therefore, boxes and shield screens are usually equipped with gratings.

The distance from the floor to the edge of the decorative element is also important. It should be at least 8 cm. Through this gap, cold air rises up along the radiator section, heating up along the way. If the gap is blocked, heat transfer will be disturbed.

It is worth considering the formation of dust on screens and boxes during convection. For this reason, you need to select a product from a material that is easy to damp cleaning.

The decorative ceiling must be resistant to long-term exposure to high temperatures.

How to hide a pipe

Open way to camouflage the pipe

Sometimes it is required to hide not only the radiator itself, but also the pipe sections connected to it. For this, different techniques are used:

Open way. The fastest. The pipes are covered with paint in the color of the walls, which makes them almost invisible. The idea of decorating with improvised material can also become interesting and original, for example, painting a heating element to match the color of a tree and fixing branches on it.
Hidden broach. The pipes are hidden in grooves in the wall and covered with cladding. The downside is that in case of a breakthrough, the casing will have to be opened, so this method is absolutely not suitable for the old wiring.
Packing in a floor screed. A similar method of laying the line is suitable if the concrete layer has not yet been poured. It also requires labor-intensive opening in case of an accident, therefore, a plan for conducting communication lines should be kept in case of repairing the heating system.
Closing with a wide skirting board. This is possible if the heating pipes run along the floor. If there is a similar arrangement of the heating circuit in the bathroom or in the kitchen, you can make a structure similar to a stair step and decorate it with tiles.

A good option is to use false walls. Anything can be hidden behind a decorative partition, including heating elements. But the false wall must be quickly disassembled so that free access can be provided in the event of an accident. The easiest way is to create a frame bulkhead from a bar or metal profile and sew it up with drywall, plastic or plywood. It is useful to expose hatches with flaps at the points where pipes are connected to the heating device and where the couplings and tees are located. It is good if the area of the room allows you to install the decorative coating not close to the battery, so that it does not get very hot and does not emit potentially hazardous substances.

Knowing how to decorate pipes or radiators in an apartment or in a private house, you can easily solve the problem of masking an engineering interchange. The decorative cover will improve the appearance without compromising the efficiency of space heating. Also, a beautiful screen will allow you to get rid of long, dust-collecting curtains in favor of modern roll or Roman canvases.

Using special screens

The screen for the battery must match the design of the room and allow heat to pass through well

To close the heating radiators in a house or apartment, you can use decorative screens. Choose the one suitable for two parameters - design and material of manufacture.

Design features

Masking shields are classified according to the method of attachment to batteries. According to this principle, box screens and hanging products are distinguished.

The decorative box consists of a frame with a coarse mesh on the front side. Such products are used when it is necessary to hide the unaesthetic appearance of the battery, and sometimes the pipes of the heating circuit. The boxes are installed along the window sill or only cover the radiator. They can be equipped with opening doors, thereby facilitating cleaning and regulating the temperature of the coolant.

Hinged screens are of two types:

models in the form of a horizontal panel located on top, with a decorative grille mounted in it;
options consisting only of the front part, which are called shields.

The first option is used to hide radiators located in niches or not closed from above by a window sill, and installed directly on the battery.

Wall-mounted flat screens are often installed on radiators under a window, not covered by a window sill. They are also used to hide batteries installed in niches.

Manufacturing material

Plastic screen

To choose a decorative element for this indicator, you need to take into account the characteristic features of the material.

Screens made of the following materials are used to camouflage batteries:

metal;
wood;
glass;
plastic.

To close ugly radiators, most often apartment owners prefer simple white metal boxes. Such options cannot be called sophisticated, but they are inexpensive and give off heat well. If strength and appearance are important, but cost does not matter, it is better to opt for a stainless steel product, which has a long service life and aesthetic design. Typically, these decors are used to hide cast iron radiators.

MDF is the most practical and inexpensive material that has all the advantages of wood and at the same time is not afraid of moisture and temperature extremes. Screens made of such material are less susceptible to deformation and bending. On sale there are openwork options from MDF.

Glass panels for radiators stand out for maximum design variability. They are made entirely of glass or with the addition of other decorative materials. The location of the corners must be such that they cannot be hurt or caught by clothes. Usually, drawings and patterns are applied to the surface of the product. To prevent the glass from breaking or scratching, it is covered with a laminate. In addition to laminated glass, triplex or acrylic is often used.

Plastic screens are the cheapest, but at the same time, dangerous option. The shield is deformed by the heat of the hot radiator and releases harmful components into the air. It is undesirable to use such screens where people are for a long time.

Battery screen

Screens come in a wide variety of shapes and are manufactured from several basic materials. The most popular are metal, wood and glass. Screens made from each of these materials have their own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. If we talk about metal screens, then their use has a very good effect on the heat transfer from the battery.

In the photo above you can see an example of the placement of such a hinged mesh screen.

When closing a radiator, it is very important to always understand that this reduces the efficiency of its operation, and, accordingly, increases the cost of energy resources during the heating season. And metal structures made of such nets, just to the least prevent the spread of warm air in the room, and therefore are recommended for installation if heating costs become a significant figure in the family budget.

If a grid on the wall instead of a battery does not seem like a good idea, then you can look for screens made of solid metal sheets with drawings made in them. These images are cut into the surfaces of the screen and make it permeable to warm air currents. Variations of drawings can be very different and it will not be difficult to choose a picture suitable for your interior.

The second after the metal one in terms of heat transfer efficiency is the glass screen for the radiator. It is installed on special mounts that are closed with metal tubes.

The most important advantage of this option for hiding the battery is that absolutely any picture can be depicted on the glass. Manufacturers actively use this feature of the material and place the most incredible images on glass screens.

Here we are already talking not just about closing an unsightly element in the interior of a room. Such a screen will be a great addition to the design of a room in almost any style and can even create a separate unique accent in one place or another in the room.

The next way to decorate batteries is to place a wooden box in the place where they are placed. Such a box can be of completely different shapes and colors, and its functional purpose may even hide the very fact that there is a battery on the wall.

After viewing these examples, it becomes clear how successful the idea of disguising a heating battery under a piece of furniture can be. Below are a few more options for boxes made in the natural color of wood, which look great in the interior and, in addition to the task of closing the radiator, perform a certain function.

Another good way to keep batteries out of your eyes is to share a wooden screen with a windowsill. With proper space planning, this bundle can be used to accommodate several houseplants, or by arranging an additional resting place on the windowsill.

And in conclusion, ideas for decorating a heating battery without closing it. It is not necessary to completely hide the battery, you can include it in the interior elements, if you use the radiator shape correctly in the process of decorating it.

When choosing a design for closing the battery, try to ensure that there is always air access to it from the bottom, and the top cover is equipped with ventilation holes. The air in the room moves along the radiator from bottom to top and this process ensures efficient heat exchange in the room. Cooled air comes to the bottom of the battery and in the process of heating rises up along its body. Therefore, when installing a decorative box or screen, always remember that, in addition to the aesthetic component, its shape should take into account the peculiarities of the heat exchange processes in the room.

The best kitchen solutions

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

A battery painted to match the walls will be less conspicuous

Even more effect can be achieved if the battery is painted to match the wallpaper.

The battery can be displayed as part of an artistic composition

Lots of ideas are available on the web. Taking them as a basis, you can independently create a masterpiece without much labor and time, decorating the external elements of the heating system with an elegant or cheerful pattern. Decoupage of a battery is a transfer of a drawing from a carrier to a metal surface of a radiator. When decorating using the decoupage technique, batteries can be decorated using ready-made drawings made on thin paper (both rice paper and ordinary decorative napkins are suitable). There are a lot of design options: flowers, wood-like design, geometric patterns.

Khokhloma painting on the heating battery

If you have artistic ability, then you can do without ready-made solutions and apply images with paint directly to 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 on their own. You will also need glue for decoupage, ordinary PVA will do.

Common ways of disguise

The presence of any problem always leads to its solution, and masking heating batteries in apartments is no exception. Designers and builders have developed several solutions to this problem. Let's consider the most popular ones:

One of the most common ways to solve the problem, than to close the radiator, is to install a metal screen. Usually these screens are serial production, but are produced for certain types of radiators. Their advantage is high heat transfer, durability, absence of the slightest deformations under temperature influences, as well as low price. But the minus probably covers all the advantages of this type of disguise, since this screen can hardly be called beautiful.

Metal screen for radiator

It is possible to solve the issue of the aesthetic component after purchasing such a screen: it is quite within the power of creative people to decorate or paint a metal screen on their own.

Another method to disguise the battery indoors is to install a wooden screen. A custom-made wood craftsman can make such a model that masks the radiator in the house. The ideal option would be to make a screen that resembles furniture in the room in style and shape.

Wooden screen for the heating battery in the interior

Most often, lattice screens or braided screens are made of wood, which cover the battery from the eyes, but pass heat well. Such screens are not cheap, especially if they are made to order, but they look very impressive, moreover, they are an additional place for sitting or placing some objects: toys, decorative elements, vases, etc. The disadvantage of wooden screens is that they can deform under the influence of high temperatures. You can create a screen model from wood yourself, having previously measured the area of the radiator and its thickness.

Grille screen for radiator

The next option to cover the battery is a plastic screen. It is relatively cheap, but sometimes it is noted that under the influence of high temperatures, some types of plastic can release toxic substances, so it is better not to risk it and choose another way to hide the radiator.

Decorative plastic screen

Custom-made or built-in furniture is another common method of closing a radiator. This can be a chest of drawers that hides a heating system, a long bench or a console table that hides a radiator. The only thing when you are planning such furniture with a master, you need to provide for the heat to penetrate into the room. To do this, you can make carved cabinet doors or carved vertical surfaces.

Heating battery built into furniture

As an option, you can consider making a decorative fireplace in place of the battery, which will be not only decorative, but also a real warm and cozy place - a kind of hearth in the room.

Simple ways to shelter a summer veranda from snow and rain

Usually, in the meaning of a veranda, there is an additional area of a house or summer house, which often plays the role of a balcony or an open area.

Quite often it is something like a greenhouse or winter garden. Often the veranda is an additional extension of the cottage.

Today, few standard projects provide for the construction of a veranda simultaneously with the construction of a house. For this reason, many people build their own verandas.

Most often, such a structure is already a closed roof or a canopy, since it is much more convenient to enjoy the fresh air and landscape when the hot rays of the sun do not shine from above and rain does not drip.

Sometimes it all starts with the creation of a similar site or just an attempt to expand the living space. Open verandas look extremely tempting in the summer, allowing you to have a good rest and enjoy the freshness of nature.

However, with the onset of colder evenings, its use becomes extremely difficult and inconvenient.

That is why, many resort to solutions such as closing verandas from adverse factors and even insulation, which provides this building with the actual status of a part of the house.

Today there are a large number of ways that allow you to close the veranda from a variety of adverse natural phenomena.

In addition, it is better to think about the possibility of warming the veranda even at the stage of initial construction. Subsequent alteration of the basic design into an insulated one may require additional costs and be much more time-consuming than the original design.

How to hide battery masking ideas

How to Close Batteries Correctly Technical Rules and Tips

Before closing the radiator, it is necessary to take into account several technical nuances:

Keep in mind that heat transfer from a closed radiator is reduced in any case, whichever camouflage method you choose. The main thing is that the change is not significant. Ideally, the temperature drop in the room should be about 1-1.5 degrees.
Before closing the battery, put it in order: blow it out, rinse it (this is done at the end of the heating season) and paint it.
Keep in mind that the tighter the mesh, the better it masks the radiator, but the worse it conducts heat. Therefore, when choosing a screen for a battery, try to look for a middle ground or rely on heat saving.
To minimize heat loss, the screen can be placed on its legs, and a groove can be cut in the center.

When closing the battery, it is very important not to block the convective air currents, otherwise the room will blow and the windows will start to fog up, which will eventually lead to the appearance of mold on the walls. Ideally, the sill visor should protrude no more than 30 mm above the batteries, the top and bottom of the battery should be as open as possible.
There must be a distance of at least 35-50 mm between the battery and the screen

There should be a gap of about 60-70 mm from the radiator to the floor and to the window sill.
To solve emergencies, it is necessary to provide free access to the radiator. For example, the lattice of the box can be removable, folding (see photo), opening on hinges or sliding out on profiles.

Battery decoration in the bathroom

Not every bathroom has separate batteries, except for the one that acts 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, due to which it has lost its appearance. The easiest way to give the heater a presentable appearance is to paint it. The color of the paint 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 also appropriate.

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

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

Protective screen with storage shelves

The battery can be hidden in a stylish locker

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

Summing up, it should be noted that decorating a radiator is a creative process. When choosing a way to transform heating radiators, the main thing is not to overdo it with decorative elements, maintaining the general style of room decoration

It is also important to take into account that the main functional purpose of the radiator should not be affected - heating the room in the cold season.

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

When choosing a painting, it should be remembered that special paints are produced for heating radiators that can withstand high temperatures.