14 October 2014
Once upon a time, radiators were ugly and clunky beasts that served one purpose and one purpose only; to heat the room. Purely utilitarian in nature, with no regard to style or aesthetics, radiators were long considered the least rock n roll fixture in the home.
Fortunately this is not the case any more, as progression in manufacturing and technological techniques have meant that radiators and towel rails now come in a wide range of shapes and styles.
Rather than something that used to be a necessary evil, radiators are now considered an essential part of any interior design plan and often provide a centre-piece of a room. You no longer have to worry about compromising on style in exchange for heat output (or vice versa) as in days gone by.
That said, it is very important to make sure you get the right sized radiator for your room. Too big and you’ll probably end up getting unnecessarily high heating bills, too small and the rad won’t be big enough to heat the room properly. The heat output of a radiator is measured in BTUs or Watts and we advise you to use a simple heating calculator to ensure you know what heat output you need for each individual room. All of our radiators and heated towel rails on our website show the heat outputs in BTUs and Watts, so you will be able to easily find exactly what you want.
Placement of a radiator is also an important consideration. Although not always practical, the best place to put a radiator is in the coldest part of a wall i.e. under a window. We know this is not always possible and there are other things you can do to improve efficiency, such as rearranging furniture so that radiators are not blocked, or installing vertical radiators in small rooms to make use of vertical space.
Once you have heat outputs, dimensions and placement sorted, you are free to choose any style you choose - and there are a lot out there!
Traditional cast iron radiators still maintain the old-school feel of radiators gone by, but are much more efficient and cost effective. These are a great option if you have a period property and are looking to maintain it’s character.
Classic Column Radiators are a very popular radiator as they look great in period properties or a contemporary setting. These beauties can kick out some serious heat, if required, and we also offer them in any colour you wish!
Compact and flat panel convector radiators are always in demand because of their simplicity and cost-effective functionality. These are perhaps the type of radiator that many would consider a typical radiator, although the design and technology of these have come a long way in recent years.
For those looking to make a design statement, the section you should be looking at is the Designer Radiator section. As we said before, we believe that a radiator should be an integral part of your interior design plans and the designer radiators we offer will reward you aesthetically, functionally and in terms of efficiency!
Heated towel rails can look great in any room in the house, but are most popular in bathrooms,ensuites, cloakrooms and kitchens. These are also very capable of making a design statement, while providing the very useful function or providing a place to hang your wet towels - therefore avoiding them ending up on the floor!
Article by Benjamin Clarke
