In many multi-apartment domestic buildings, especially in Khrushchevs, the heating system brought inside the apartments is unattractive-looking pipes that can ruin any, even the most ascetic, interior. To hide this unflattering part of communications from view without replacing it, the designers suggest using a battery box that will perfectly fit into the overall decor of the apartment.
Advantages of battery boxes
The advantages of a decorative screen for a heating radiator are obvious:
- It closes ugly pipes and performs an aesthetic function.
- Protects residents from burns, which is especially important if there are small children in the apartment.
- Protects the heating battery from dust.
- Provides uniform circulation of warm air.
If you choose the right type of box, it will increase heat dissipation of the radiator and, consequently, make the room warmer. Basically, the owners of the apartments install boxes for decorating the room, with the help of manufacturers who offer many options - from the simplest lattices to richly decorated wooden boxes.
Types of radiator screens
The main property that a decorative box should have is resistance to high temperatures. Therefore, they are made of steel, glass, wood and drywall.
The metal box conducts heat well and allows you to create an unusual design design. The construction and installation of such a screen requires additional skills. However, the box has a reasonable price. The advantages include the absence of deformation under the influence of high temperatures. Such a structure can last for many years.
The wooden box can also serve as protection for the radiator. Since the tree deforms during prolonged heating, it must first be treated with a special protective compound. In addition, this material does not conduct heat well, so the best option would be to choose a box in the form of a lattice, where the gaps between the slats are wider than the slats themselves.
Typically, these screens are used for interiors of apartments in a classic style, which have other wooden elements. Thanks to 100% environmental friendliness, they can be installed in children's rooms.
Drywall - one of the cheapest materials, therefore it is widely used in interior design. It is easy to process and is often used to imitate wood, which can save a lot of money.
Glass boxes are used less often than others. Most often, screens are made of glass, which are attached to the wall with four supports. They are installed in expensive interiors and decorated with paintings or drawings. The main disadvantage of this material is fragility. Therefore, it must be handled very carefully.
By type of construction, the boxes are divided into:
- Flat - used for radiators in niches.
- Mounted without cover - used for radiators under the windowsill.
- Mounted with lid.
- Covering the battery from all sides.
The type of decorative box is chosen based on the design, thermal conductivity and method of attachment.
How to make a drywall box
The simplest box can be made by hand. For a person who has the skills to work with drywall, this is not difficult. In this way, you can save on paying for the work of a specialist.
- First you need to measure the heating radiators and calculate how much material you need.
- After buying drywall, you need to process it. To improve heat transfer, it must be rolled with a spiked roller. To protect the material from drying out, it is treated with an aqueous PVA emulsion.
- After that, it is necessary to develop a design. This is where knowledge from the school physics course will come in handy.Batteries generate heat in two ways: convection and infrared radiation. To prevent heat from escaping into the wall, you need to stick a foil behind the battery that will reflect the radiation. The inside of the box must be painted black so that it absorbs radiation and transmits it to the room.
- To ensure thermal convection, space must be left below for the entry of cold air. And it is better to make the front of the box in the form of a lattice or make decorative holes.
If you make a box with your own hands, remember that the area of \u200b\u200bthe openings should be larger than the area of \u200b\u200bthe closed surface on the front panel for good convection.
Also remember that the radiator needs to be serviced from time to time. Therefore, it is better to make the front panel in the form of a door. Or you can make one of the panels removable.
If you are making a box for heating radiators under the window sill, it is necessary to provide an aerodynamic visor. This is a panel that is located in an arcuate manner from the wall to the window sill. It is needed to direct the air flow. Cold air comes from below, is heated by a radiator and exits from above into the room, and not into a wall or window sill.
Box installation
After you have chosen the materials and design, you need to install it on the wall.
- Drywall should be at a distance of 3 cm from the most protruding point of the battery (usually a tap). Find this point and measure the distance from it to the wall. This distance plus 3 cm is the width of the side parts of the box.
- Also measure the distance from the floor to the top point. Determine the width of the front wall of the box.
- After all measurements, prepare the necessary drywall parts.
- To assemble them together, you can put supports from metal guides. They are fixed on the wall and on the floor (it depends on the chosen design).
- Drywall is screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws. A grille is inserted into the front.
Paint drywall best before installation, and the attachment points can be covered with decorative panels.
Decorative battery screen
Installation of a metal or wooden box takes some time. If you just want to cover an unsightly heatsink, you can do it with a simple screen, it's much easier to install.
Usually the screen is a panel with holes. It can be wood, metal or plastic. But it is better not to use the latter material, because when heated, plastic can release harmful substances.
Such a screen is usually used to cover radiators in niches. It is installed on four fasteners to the wall. From below, about 10 cm is left for cold air to enter.
The screen can also be glass. Then it is installed in front of the heating battery (not necessarily in a niche). The advantages of such a screen is that you can order an unusual drawing or make a painting yourself. Glass is subjected to special treatment, due to which it becomes especially durable. The edges are treated for the safety of the user. Such a screen is well suited for apartments in the style of minimalism or modern.
A decorative box is a universal way to fit ugly batteries into the interior of a modern apartment. You can buy ready-made, with a pattern or carving, or you can make it yourself. If you have already done repairs yourself, you can independently assemble a box for heating radiators.
