No matter how modern the batteries are, they rarely fit perfectly into the interior, which does not benefit the appearance of the apartment. Let's see how you can arrange or hide the battery to improve the situation.

Hide behind the screen

The easiest way is to hide the battery behind a special screen, which can be made of different materials(wood, metal, plastic and even glass) and is made in different styles... Glass screens can be decorated with photo prints, which further integrates the battery with the interior of the room. The main condition is that the surface of the screen must be completely perforated or at least have large openings at the top, bottom and sides, allowing warm air to circulate freely.

The screen covers only the battery itself or the niche with the battery completely, which is typical for old buildings; it can be do it yourself by purchasing any grate or panel with holes of a suitable size from a hardware store.

Photos: grishaenkova.ru, pricedv.ru, jacekpartyka.com, home-designing.com, bertibarbera.com, furnirior.com, pinterest.com, ofdesign.net

Heating system - important element every apartment or house. Batteries keep your home warm during the cold season. Often, heating radiators are knocked out of overall design rooms, spoil it appearance... Then the question arises of how to close the radiators and pipes (photo), to give them a more attractive look.

Soviet-style cast-iron batteries are not the only ones that can spoil the aesthetics of a room. Modern heating radiators also violate the elegant composition of the room. Covering the battery is not only necessary to improve the appearance of the room. It can perform more practical functions, such as protecting children from sharp corners and burns that can occur when touching heating elements. So how can you close unsightly heating radiators (pictured)?

Advice! Before finally choosing a way to decorate a radiator, you need to make sure that the heat loss due to it will be minimal. Therefore, the cover of the radiator should be considered not only from the point of view of design.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Battery Cover Method

Heating radiators provide heating of the room in two ways:

1. Infrared radiation, transferring heat to objects in the room.
2. Convection, heating the air. Warm air rises and displaces cold air, circulating air in the room and equalizing the temperature throughout its area.

Before determining how to close the radiators and pipes (pictured), it is necessary to understand that any decorated element will lead to a decrease in heating power. How larger area a dense surface (without slots and holes) of a decorative element, the worse the room will heat up.

Attention! In terms of maximum heating efficiency, perfect option for a decorated surface, this is to make it look like a mesh with large holes.

In addition, the cover must be designed so that the radiator and pipes can be accessed at any time. This is necessary if the battery leaks or needs flushing of its sections. Therefore, it is better to use a removable screen or box with a special door that provides access to the pipe and radiator attachment point.

The most popular ways to decorate a radiator

If the question of the appearance of the heating radiator arose the day before overhaul, then you can simply choose the battery that best suits the planned design. For example, if the room is decorated in a Victorian or Venetian style, then a massive cast-iron radiator will look very organic.

It is impossible to implement such an option if the repair has already been done or the replacement of heating elements is not expected in its process.

If the size and shape of the battery does not stand out from the general style of the room, then you can simply paint it to match the color of the walls. Radiators in a bright contrasting color can become a highlight of a modern interior. In shops you can find special paint in various colors.

One of the most simple ways disguise the radiator - install a screen on it. The hinged screen is put on over the battery, it does not need to be mounted. The main disadvantage is that it hides only the radiator itself, the pipes remain in plain sight. Such screens are most often made of metal, they are inexpensive.

The method of masking the battery and pipes largely depends on the style of the interior of the room. For example, for a Japanese-style interior, you can hide the heating pipe in a bamboo trunk. To do this, the tree trunk is sawn to length, and then the pipe is wrapped around it and fixed. In a country-style room, the pipe can be wrapped with a thick, beautiful rope with a pronounced texture. If the radiator is in a niche under the windowsill, then you can cover it with a small curtain sewn with my own hands... Such a cover will successfully fit into the interior in Provence or country style, and will give the room a homey feel.

If the battery is built into a niche, then you can hide it with a flat screen with a pattern, thread, or simply in the form of a lattice.

How to hide heating radiators without the involvement of specialists? You can independently make a wooden screen-box that will cover the radiator from all sides. It can decorate the interior of the room, especially if the upper part of the box is turned into a stand or a small table for a vase, figurines, paintings. The closed upper part of the box will reduce the efficiency of the heating element. In addition, natural wood, although it looks expensive and beautiful, can dry out when temperatures change. Ready-made boxes from MDF panels in this regard are more practical and cheaper.

The battery box can be integrated into a windowsill or shelves. The result is a one-piece construction of an unusual and stylish design... If the battery is located at a distance from the wall, then the decorative box can be connected to the windowsill and made a bench. You can see how to hide the radiators in this way in the photo below.

One of the cheapest ways to decorate a battery is to cover it with a plastic grill. This option may be suitable for a bathroom, but not for living quarters, since plastic can release harmful substances when heated.

You can beautifully fit a glass screen into any interior. It is a thick glass plate that is attached to the wall with steel brackets. The screen covers only the front of the radiator, leaving the top, bottom and sides open for free passage of warm air into the room. The surface of the glass can be made mirrored, often photo printing is applied to it.

Preparing to create a drywall box

With the help of drywall, you can easily and quickly hide the heating radiator. Not everyone knows how to close the battery with drywall with their own hands. To do this, you must have minimal skills in repair and construction work and follow the instructions.

To make a drywall box, you will need the following:

• measuring instruments: corner, tape measure, ruler;
• marker (pencil);
• heat-resistant plasterboard (thickness 12 mm.);
• liquid nails, dowels, screws (for fasteners);
• level;
• metal profiles in two sizes (27x28 and 60x27);
• screwdriver, pliers, puncher, screwdriver;
• serpyanka (self-adhesive construction mesh).
• Before you hide the heating batteries (in the photo), you need to choose under which installation method the marking will be carried out:
• box, when only the radiator itself is covered and 15-20 cm of space outside it;
• wall, when the entire wall with the battery installed is covered with drywall, or the hole between the window sill and the floor, if the battery is located under the window.

The second method requires the use of more materials.

Layout drawing and frame fabrication

To begin with, markings are drawn on the wall around the perimeter of the radiator. It should be borne in mind that the edges of the box must protrude from the battery by at least 10 cm. Otherwise, the front surface cannot be covered with a removable screen.

If the structure rests on the floor, then 3 lines are drawn on the wall - one above the radiator and two on the sides. If the box hangs, then another line is drawn under the battery.

After the drawing, a frame of metal profiles is installed according to the following scheme:

1. The profile (27x28) is attached to the marking line, marks are left on the wall with a screwdriver (with a distance of 15-25 cm).
2. Holes for fastenings are made with a puncher.
3. Dowels are inserted into the grooves.
4. The profile is attached to the wall and fixed with screws.

This is how all the elements are attached. metal frame... After installing it, jumpers are installed from the 60x27 profile. The finished sheathing must be strong. If it staggers, then additional cross members are added.

Plasterboard attachment and finishing. Expert advice

The next step is to cut drywall with a clerical knife. To do this, a sheet of material is applied to the crate and markings are made on it. The cut cardboard cover is screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws (3-4 pieces per meter). The main thing is that the screws do not break the sheathing material.

The final part of the work is finishing. With the help of a serpyanka mesh and putty, the seams between the parts of the drywall are closed. Fasteners are sealed in the same way. Then the whole structure is processed with putty. After complete drying, the surface of the box is leveled with sandpaper, then it is painted to match the color of the walls or pasted over with wallpaper.

It is not recommended to completely cover the battery with drywall: this way you can lose a large number of the heat generated by it. You can drill many holes in the surface of the drywall, but dust will clog in them, and the whole box will not look very aesthetically pleasing. It is better to hide the front of the radiator with a removable screen.

Today on the building materials market there are many boxes and screens designed for decorating heating radiators, among which you can choose an option that is ideal for the interior of the room. You can design a box with your own hands. Plasterboard finishing of the battery is one of the simplest and cheapest options.

Asking the question of how to close the heating battery with your own hands, you need to take care not only of the decorative side of the issue, but also of practicality. No matter how beautifully and stylishly the heating radiator is designed, if it does not fulfill its main function (warming up the air in the room), it simply makes no sense.

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

Disguise for the style of the interior

In a beautifully designed interior, all objects and elements must somehow overlap with each other and form a single style. Heating generators in this case are no exception. They, of course, simply have to fit into the common space and only decorate it, and not spoil it. Therefore, in advance it is worth worrying about a decent masking of the batteries. In classic versions, screens in an elegant style, made in light shades - ivory, beige, noble white will be appropriate. In Scandinavian or modern interior laconic will look good wooden models without pretentious decor.

Choosing the right material

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. First of all, the selected material must be resistant to high temperatures. Today these 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 interfere with the heat transmission during heating.

Warmth or beauty?

When choosing a screen, there is another dilemma: what to put in the first place - beauty, or more to take care of the warmth. Here you already need to build on 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 is in the first place, then you need to choose options without additional grilles, as well as the most light and patterned ones.

Practical use of the radiator

The most interesting thing is that thanks to the screens, the battery can be used as an additional place for rest, as a shelf or stand for decorative elements... Thus, two birds with one stone are in the hands at once - the battery is disguised, the interior looks great and at the same time it has an additional element that performs practical functions.

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It often happens that heating radiators do not fit into the interior of the room. In this case, there is no choice but to close the radiators. For this purpose, decorative screens are used - you can see how they look in the photo.

Features of the use of decorative screens

When choosing how to close heating radiators, many people make the mistake of paying attention solely to the appearance of the screens. And often this leads to a decrease in heating efficiency, since not all products allow air to flow freely to the device.

Of course, the screens must fulfill their main purpose - to hide pipes, old batteries. But, choosing from several options, you need to give preference to the one that will not reduce the efficiency of heating the premises.

How to close the heating batteries

There are several ways to hide a heating radiator. But in any case, the screen should allow easy access to the battery in case of malfunctions and not interfere with normal heat transfer.

Radiators heat the room using two methods of heat transfer. When approaching a hot battery, you can feel the heat coming from it. This is due to the fact that thermal energy transmitted to surrounding objects using infrared radiation. The very same atmosphere in the room warms up evenly thanks to convection currents that mix cold air with warm air.

When choosing a protective screen, it must be borne in mind that any of them impairs the exchange of heat between the room and the radiator. The larger the solid surface of such a product, the worse the room will warm up. Therefore, when deciding how to close old batteries, you need to pay attention to models that will not interfere with normal heat transfer. In addition, the shields must be easily removable so that the radiator can be accessed if necessary.

Maintenance and troubleshooting

In district heating systems, ordinary industrial water acts as a heat carrier, the purity of which is far from ideal. Having passed along the heating main, to the elevator unit and risers, by the time the water is in the battery, it is enriched with various suspensions, which are deposited in the radiators.

Also, we must not forget that sooner or later the radiator will fail. And since heating devices are usually hidden due to the fact that they are too old and look unattractive, the moment when repairs are required is not long to wait.

The main types of faults:

• risers welded from an electric-welded gas pipeline sometimes begin to flow along the factory seam (read: "");
• threaded steel pipes in front of the radiator are thinner than the straight sections of the riser, and leaks appear in them first;
• cast iron batteries are characterized by frequent leaks from under the locknut;
• in spring and autumn, leaks often occur between the sections of the radiator - paronite gaskets cease to ensure tightness after several years of operation of the heater (in more detail: "").

How to hide a heating radiator with a decorative screen

When choosing how to shut off the heating battery, you need to take into account several points:

1. First of all, the decorative screen should prevent heat radiation and convection to a minimum. The best option is a plastic or metal product with a coarse mesh. There should be no solid surface at the top where the hot air comes from (read: "").
2. Also, the decorative screen should be easily removable if necessary. It is even better to choose an attached model that does not have permanent fixtures. You also need to provide access to the pipes.
   
   If you follow these two recommendations, it will be possible to hide the heating battery without interfering efficient heating and access to the heater (read also: "").
3. It is not recommended to close the radiators with plasterboard - in this case, the room will not warm up well, and at the slightest malfunction, the structure will have to be destroyed. In any case, when sheathing the battery with drywall, you need to make a light plastic door near the liner to it. See also: "How to close the battery with drywall - a step-by-step guide for installing the box".

Types of decorative screens

On the market you can find a wide range of products for decorating radiators, but not all of them are practical. Of course, the appearance of the screen is important, but do not forget that the battery should warm the room well.

The best option is a product with a coarse mesh and an open top (in extreme cases, the top should not be a solid surface, but a cellular one). It should also be easy to remove. Wooden and wooden look very nice plastic options... You can install one without resorting to the services of specialists.

It is recommended to refuse a solid screen with small holes - if you close the heating radiator with such a product, the air in the room will not warm up well.

When the family budget allows, it is better not to hide old batteries, but to install new ones. For example, aluminum radiators look modern and beautiful. There are models on sale different designs, so you can choose the option that best fits into the interior. There is nothing difficult in how to fix a heating radiator - aluminum batteries are lightweight. At the same time, they transfer heat well to the air in the room, they are durable and resistant to corrosion. Read also: "".

If it is not possible to replace old batteries with new ones, you can hide them with special decorative screens, but you need to choose products that will not interfere with effective heat exchange and repair.

How to close the heating batteries, video tips:

There are several options to disguise the radiator and make it an exclusive part of the interior. It is also known that radiators emit infrared rays, which are not harmless to human health, and the lining of the batteries scatters these radiation.
That's why decorative trim radiators serve not only as an addition to the interior, but also protects our health.

A variety of materials are used for finishing heating batteries:

• dye;
• natural wood;
• MDF plate;
• perforated stamped stainless steel sheets;
• the cloth;
• drywall;
• powder paint;

Finishing batteries with MDF plate

Finishing with MDF boards with a laminate imitating the structure of valuable species of trees will ennoble your room. Such finishing of radiators can also be applied in offices, hotels, country houses.

Advantages of finishing heating batteries with an MDF stove:

• This finish easily tolerates temperature extremes.
• It does not dry out and does not warp with changes in humidity and temperature.
• The MDF board is quite strong and durable.
• Decorating with MDF board has a stylish and modern look.
• She has good performance.
• In the manufacture of MDF boards, toxic resins are not used, this material is environmentally friendly.

These characteristics of the MDF material for finishing radiators were appreciated by numerous consumers.

Finishing radiators with natural wood

Natural wood trim is always beautiful and noble. This environmentally friendly material can provide the widest range of colors and textures.

Wealthy clients most often order battery trim together with mahogany furniture according to individual design solutions. Wood trimming of radiators has a beneficial effect on health.
Indeed, when heated, wood does not emit harmful vapors into the air. And there are tree species such as linden, Canadian cedar, oak, alder and others that, when heated, emit healing aromas that are beneficial to human health.
Wood trimming radiators can radically transform the interior of your room.

Battery cladding with metal sheets

Finishing the radiator with metal sheets is most often a box, which is subsequently painted in a certain color.

This battery finish has a fairly low cost.
It is much more expensive to finish the battery with stamped stainless steel sheets. Such a finish looks prettier and more elegant when a perforated sheet of metal with an original pattern of holes is used for it.
It is very easy to mount such a finish. In some cases, the stainless steel box is simply put on the radiator.

Cloth trim on batteries

The original solution is to cover the radiators with a cloth that is in harmony with the curtains in color and pattern. This type of finish looks very beautiful.
You can hang the fabric on the battery using various curtain rods.

The battery can be trimmed in the same original way. wooden frame, inside which strips of fabric are intertwined. TO wooden frame the frame of the strip is attached with a furniture stapler.
This trim can simply be slipped onto the battery.

Heating batteries painting

Coloring of batteries should not only bear protective properties, but also fit into the interior of the room.

To paint batteries, paints with the following characteristics are required:

• They must be able to withstand high temperatures and not crack or discolor.
• Battery paint must have high anti-corrosion properties.
• When heated, the paint should not emit toxic radiation and unpleasant odors.

The following paints have these properties:

• alkyd enamel;
• water-based paint;
• acrylic enamel;

All these paints tolerate high temperatures well, are non-toxic, do not emit unpleasant odors after drying, and have a fairly long service life.

Finishing radiator screens with thermography

In specialized stores you can find screens for radiators, which are decorated with various patterns.

These screens are made of high-quality sheet metal, on which a drawing is applied using powder paint using thermography to create a comfortable and beautiful product.

Do-it-yourself plasterboard finishing of a heating radiator

Such a battery does not fit into the interior of the room in any way; it must be closed. It is easy to do it yourself, using drywall for this purpose.

Before starting work, you need to determine the amount of materials that you need. To do this, you need to measure the battery.
The hardware store will offer you drywall for various purposes and coloring. It is advisable to choose a wall, moisture-resistant plasterboard, since condensation may appear on the casing during heating.
You can choose the color of the drywall to your liking.
To do this job, you will need the following tools and materials:

• metal profile for 27 and 60, or a wooden bar 40 for 60 mm;
• fasteners;
• flat and cross-head screwdriver;
• electric drill with puncher function;
• a hacksaw with a fine tooth;
• scissors for metal;
• glue "liquid nails";

We start making the frame. It can be made from wooden beam or a metal profile.

Attention: the marking of the lines, for fastening the guide bars or profiles, must be approached very carefully. The slightest inaccuracy will lead to the fact that the entire cladding will be distorted. Therefore, the installation of all profiles must be checked using a level.

We determine the distance from the wall to the farthest point of the battery and add 3 cm to it. This will be the gap between the cladding and the battery.
At this distance from the wall, strictly parallel, we fix the lower guide for the profile or the timber for the wooden frame with the help of dowels. To the window sill we fasten the upper guide from the profile 27 by 28 or a wooden beam.

There are three options for attaching this rail:

• If the battery protrudes beyond the window sill (see). In this case, the guide must be attached to the end of the window sill so that it is at the level of the battery plus 3 cm for the gap.
• If the sill is flush with the battery. In this case, the guide should be 3 cm thick and must also be attached to the end of the window sill.
• In the case when the window sill is much wider than the battery, we attach the guide from below to the window sill at the distance of the battery point farthest from the wall plus 3 cm.

After that, from a profile 60 by 27 or a wooden beam, we mount vertical jumpers.

Please note: the top and bottom guides must be in the same vertical plane.

At the ends of the battery, vertically to the wall, we fix the guides from the profile at 27 vertically using dowels. Then, from the profile at 60, we install vertical jumpers at a distance of 50 cm from each other.

Please note: the extreme vertical jumpers should be in the same plane with the vertical rails that are attached to the wall along the edges of the battery.

After that, we install horizontal jumpers. It will be enough to mount 2 horizontal lintels - one near the windowsill, and the second at the bottom.

The vertical lintels must be connected to the guides that are fixed to the wall using L-shaped profiles. The frame is ready.
We cut out all the details of the battery closure from a sheet of drywall exactly according to the dimensions of your frame.
We make ventilation holes for good warm air circulation. The holes can be made with an electric drill with a crown bit.
Their diameter should not be more than 5 cm. Larger diameter holes will not look aesthetically pleasing.
After that, we install all the parts in their places and fix them with self-tapping screws. The caps of the self-tapping screws must be sunk into drywall 1 mm deep.
Then, using a putty, we process the joints and mask the screw heads. The finishing of the battery box can be done according to your taste - it can be painted in white or to match the color of your interior, you can cover it with self-adhesive film, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages of using drywall in finishing heating batteries:

• It is an environmentally friendly material that does not contain toxins.
• Drywall is absolutely fireproof.
• It is easy to handle and install.
• The cost of this material is relatively low.

The disadvantages include:

• Drywall is a rather fragile material and can crumble during processing.
• He has low strength, he is afraid of blows.
• After finishing, putty is required and finishing.

Why do you still need to finish heating batteries:

• Various decorative finishes of radiators give the room a unique look.
• Protective panels on radiators protect against burns, especially in children's rooms.
• Screens installed on radiators scatter infrared radiation and thereby reduce their harmful effect on human health.
• A wide variety of finishing materials and design solutions will help you create an exclusive interior in your apartment.