Radiator Cover Project

[Don Jarvie]

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Here are a few pictures of a Radiator Cover I built for a co-worker. This is one of 5 all with the same design.

The design is based on the the woodwork on the house. They are made from poplar and have foil insulation on the inside to reflect the heat out.

[Jim Rimmer]

Pretty nice looking covers. We don't have radiators in Texas so I find the whole idea fascinating.

[Eric DeSilva]

I like the design, but wouldn't foil on the inside reflect the heat in?

That said, I don't think radiators actually radiate in the strictest definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer), I think they actually work by convection. Since they work by convection, you want to make sure there is a gap in the back of the top between the top and the wall so the hot air can rise out of the cover.

[Don Jarvie]

Thanks for the compliments. When I researched how they are built a company that made them for a lot more used the foil in the back of the covers and their claim to fame was the foil helped push the heat out. One thing it should help with is the heat not sinking into the wood. That was another point the company made.

The will sit off the wall about an inch because of the base moulding in the house.

[David Winer]

I like the design, but wouldn't foil on the inside reflect the heat in?

That said, I don't think radiators actually radiate in the strictest definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer), I think they actually work by convection. Since they work by convection, you want to make sure there is a gap in the back of the top between the top and the wall so the hot air can rise out of the cover.

The radiation is in two forms: convection AND radiation. You can check this statement by holding your hand some distance away and feel the radiation; then watch something like smoke rise above the radiator to confirm that it is convecting.

I once made a radiator cover that served as a baby changing-table. It was all wood, the front grill made from handsome vertical slats. This turned out to be quite successful--a national women's magazine included it in their annual "100 projects Under 30 Dollars" issue. (Thirty 1974 dollars!)