Jennifer Sheahan: Space-saving alternatives to the radiator
Nolan Moya Available Picture: Radiators Jennifer Mean Says No More Space, Sheahan Wall
I don't have anything against radiators personally. They’ve been around for a long time and mostly they fade into the background, although some of them can be a feature — I’m thinking of those beautiful (and expensive) cast-iron radiators that are available in all sorts of fabulous colours.
However, as someone who spends a lot of time thinking about how to maximise space in small homes, radiators become something of an issue, simply because they take up too much space. When you’re trying to plan the layout of your room, they can really get in the way.
Unless you really love radiators, there are better alternatives available that will allow you to get rid of them altogether. The benefits of these alternatives aren’t just visual — radiators are not actually the most efficient tools for evenly distributing heat in a room.
Here are some great ways that you can free up valuable wall space and heat your home more effectively.
I’ve written about underfloor heating before, in my column of August 13, 2022. I have underfloor heating throughout my downstairs, and I adore it. I relish walking around barefoot in the winter months when the floor is luxuriously warm. It heats my home evenly, and has lowered my energy bills due to its efficiency. And best of all — no radiators required.
Underfloor heating was easy for me to put in — I was taking up the floor anyway to lower it so that I could add an upstairs to my cottage, so there was no real extra work involved in laying underground heating pipes. This is called plumbed underfloor heating, involving pipes laid under a layer of concrete screed, and if you choose to go for this option then you will need to dig up your floors.
This upfront cost can pay off in the long run if you have gas heating, as it is quite a bit cheaper than electricity (currently at least). However if digging up your floors is not an option for you, electric underfloor heating is a good alternative. This involves wire mesh mats laid out on the existing substrate — so you will need to lift your flooring and re-lay it over the mats, but you won’t need to do any digging.
Underfloor heating works with most flooring types, although be careful with solid wood as the planks can warp. Carpet — especially carpet or underlay with a high tog value — doesn’t conduct heat well and so is not the best choice with underfloor heating.
Infrared heating works by converting electricity into radiant heat from the infrared end of the spectrum (the safe end — opposite to UV!). Infrared heating is vastly more efficient than convection heating because it heats objects directly, rather than standard radiators which heat air which in turn transfers heat to objects. If you’re looking for a heating solution that works well with solar panels, this is likely your best bet.
Infrared panels are not as invisible as underfloor heating, but they’re miles ahead of standard radiators in terms of space-saving benefits. Infrared panels are very thin, flat panels which can go on your walls or, even better, on your ceiling.
On ceilings they effectively disappear, blending into the smooth surface to become almost invisible. Best of all, they take up no valuable space up there!
Should you choose to mount an infrared panel on the wall, you can opt for a plain panel that blends in with your wall colour, or you can choose a panel that displays artwork. The flat, thin nature of these panels is the perfect canvas for beautiful works of art — you can even have your photographs printed onto them — so that they don’t look like radiators at all!
Watch this space — iHelios, an innovative company in the UK, is currently trialling very thin sheets of infrared film that can be laid under floors or behind ceilings and walls.
A stove may not sound like the smartest alternative in the context of recent Ecodesign regulations but hear me out — stoves are pretty. In comparison to standard radiators, they’re downright beautiful. They do not mitigate the issue of taking up space, but they do act as a lovely feature and focal point of a room, providing unbeatable cosiness.
The critical factors here to maximise efficiency and ensure regulatory compliance are, firstly, to look for an “ecodesign ready” stove and, secondly, what kind of fuel your stove will burn. Ecodesign-ready stoves are highly efficient, and when combined with a sustainable fuel such as bioethanol or eco-logs, provide a low-cost and beautiful alternative to your old radiator.
Perhaps it’s not an option to redesign your heating system to the extent that the absolve options require — if so, you may consider replacing your existing radiator with a slim, vertical radiator.
The issue with horizontal radiators is that they are simply too wide, and therefore take up too much space where you may otherwise need to put your furniture. The simple solution may be to turn it sideways.
Vertical radiators are now just as efficient as horizontal ones, come in a range of stylish finishes, and are a great solution to save valuable wall and floor space.
- Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie