Radiator covers a hot topic

I occasionally get a NARI Knows question if it falls within the realm of my expertise. I am not sure that this is a known area of expertise for me, but I do live in a house that uses hot water heat. Most people have heard me enthuse about my love of hot water heat and appreciating the look of radiators.

A reader had issues with the appearance of their radiators since painting their walls a darker color. I completely understood their concerns. My radiators are all against painted walls or oak wainscoting. Upstairs in my home where the trim is white, my radiators are white. However, downstairs, I would be quite unhappy with white radiators.

I had my radiators sandblasted to strip off all the old paint. By the way, this is a summer project when you can completely shut down the system for a few weeks. I will mention that radiators are best left unpainted for maximum efficiency. However, I wanted to paint mine, so I decided stripping off the many layers of paint that had been applied over decades and applying a primer coat and two light coats of paint was my compromise position.

Then came the color decision. I had some fun with this one. Your local hardware store has many cans of spray paint. A delightful rainbow of color choices awaits the eager consumer. My favorite finish for a metal appliance is a metallic shade.

Back when we started remodeling, faucets and fixtures were pretty much available in a chrome finish. You could opt to upgrade to brass. Now you are likely to be faced with close to a dozen different finishes. There are those with an underlying brass tone. It can be a bright shiny brass, antiqued or look like a rubbed oil finish. In the silver family, you still have the bright shiny chrome look or you can go with a more subtle pewter or nickel tone. You will even find finishes that appear more copper and some that are almost black.

In the spray paints I found many of those same options. Some imparted the look of a hammered metal. Those were my favorite for my old house and in different rooms I used the hammered pewter and the hammered brass. The gold and brass tones tend to be warmer and I used them in my darker green room and the dining room that had some brass-toned accents in the lighting. I also preferred this shade against the oak wainscoting.

In my back porch, where the window hardware is pewter in color and the bead board is painted milky green I opted for the hammered pewter paint. This paint has also worn well, despite the radiators being used as cat beds and glove warmers.

Paint is not the only option. I wanted to go into a little more detail about covering the radiators. And, I don't mean with a blanket so three cats can all nap on one radiator at the same time. By the way, I am sure a blanket cover is not ideal for maximum radiator efficiency, but there would be mutiny in this household if I tried to remove the blanket.

I started researching radiator coverings and came across several options. They can be enclosed in covers that look like fine cabinetry. You can choose the cabinet style to suit a traditional or more modern decor. I also came across some that could extend the radiator and incorporate shelves and storage to one or both sides.

I was worried about the efficiency, but was informed that it is actually increased by directing the heat into the room instead of all around the radiator where one side is against a wall and the heat often immediately rises to the ceiling. Radiator covers can be wood or metal, although metal might be your best bet as far as efficiency for transferring heat.

Radiator covers come in an array of standard colors, or you can have a custom color to blend with your decor. In addition to the cabinet or cover style, you can choose from among many different grill styles. I came across Grecian, cloverleaf, octagonal cane, small or large diamond, filigree, star, fleur-de-lis or shiny brass and chrome diamonds.

If you are handy, I also found instructions on-line for building your own radiator covers. The material list is not extensive and the required tools would be those that the average do-it-yourselfer would have readily available. The list included a table saw, drill, heavy-duty stapler, finish sander, drill bits and tin snips. Certainly not an extensive list and if you happened to be short an item I have never yet met a do-it-yourselfer who did not relish any excuse to buy more tools!

In case all of you gas-forced heat folks are feeling neglected, now is the time for you to get rid of those mundane boring register and air return grilles. You can find decorative grills in many styles to suite your Victorian, Arts & Crafts or contemporary decor. And there is no shortage of finishes. Decide if you prefer cast iron, brass, bronze, chrome or wood.

You also may have some decorator options, but I will still count us radiator folks as the lucky ones. You have heat registers, but we have a spot to let bread rise, glove warmers and the all important cat bed.

Linda Holmes is chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Greater Chicagoland, and a certified remodeler with a home improvement and remodeling business based in Aurora. She may be contacted at the e-mail address ccremodelers@sbcglobal.net.