How to Build a Heater Cover (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-02 02:12

Although heaters or radiators offer an excellent source of heating in the winter months, for the rest of the year they can become an eyesore. A possible solution is to make a radiator cover, which helps to mask the appliance and is easier to harmonize with the rest of the furniture. Fortunately, a radiator cover can be made with a minimum of effort, even for those who do not have particular joinery skills.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Taking the Measurements and Gathering the Necessary Materials

Step 1. Measure your heater

Measure the depth, width and height, remembering to add a couple of centimeters. The idea is to make a radiator cover large enough to be able to slide it on and off as needed.

• For example, for a radiator measuring 25cm deep, 50cm high and 76cm wide, you would need to have a space 30cm deep, 55cm high and 81cm wide. This way you will get a precise but comfortable radiator cover.

  

  Step 2. Go to your local hardware store and choose the material to use for your radiator cover

  Many people prefer the warm touch of wood on their radiators, but that doesn't have to be the rule. Here are some possible options you should consider:

  • Chipboard. Also called MDF (medium density fiberboard), it is a combination of sawdust and pressed resins. It is quite inexpensive, paints easily, and there is no need to cut it at 45 degrees on the sides to make edges like plywood. The downside is that it doesn't have the grain of the wood.

  • Veneered plywood. It is incredibly sturdy and beautiful to look at even if not finished, in fact it is very pretty even with the grain of the wood. On the other hand it is quite more expensive than MDF, and you probably need to bevel the corners to 45 degrees to not see the core on the edges.

    

    Step 3. Find a grate to use with the wood

    Many radiator covers have a thin metal sheet with small holes as the heat from the radiator must escape from the radiator cover. Choose a strip of metal, such as stamped aluminum foil, with a finish that fits both the rest of the radiator cover and the environment in which it will be placed.

    

    Step 4. Also get a concave molding for the grate

    This is a relatively inexpensive item but will ultimately make your work look very professional and impactful. If at home you don't have a miter (saw that allows you to make multi-angle cuts) or a guide for making 45-degree cuts with the handsaw on the molding, have it cut by the shopkeeper.

    

    Step 5. Finally, choose a metal sheet to direct the heat towards the room to be heated

    It can be galvanized steel, for example. You have to put it on the wall behind the radiator cover to radiate the heat towards the room and exponentially increase the efficiency of the radiator.

    Part 2 of 3: Cutting the Wood and Moldings

    

    Step 1. Possibly cut the panels for your radiator cover and its moldings at the shop where you buy them

    If you don't have the skills, a circular saw or a jigsaw, and a work area where you can easily cut wood and sheet metal, an easy way is to get it done where you buy it. Most hardware stores do it for free, just let them have the right measurements.

    

    Step 2. Start by cutting the two side panels

    Check the measurements a second time. Place the wood in the workbench vise, and mark the measurement at the top and bottom of the panel to make sure you pull a straight line. Use a template or ruler or square to make the straight cut. Attach the template or ruler or square to the workbench and cut the wood with the circular saw making slow movements.

    • If you have to cut two thin sheets of plywood or MDF and the two panels to be made are identical, place them one on top of the other so that you will only need to make one cut to have both end panels.

      

      Step 3. Cut the front panel

      Also in this case, for safety, add 5 to 7 cm. Fix the ruler or square and mark the measurements in two places to make straight lines. Take the saw and move it slowly to make an even cut.

      

      Step 4. Cut the cover

      Using the same technique, consider that to cut the cover you will need to add 1 cm. than the sides and 2, 5 cm. than the width of the front panel. Thus the cover will have an elegant characterization.

      

      Step 5. Decide how large the grating opening on the front panel should be

      Based on the size of the radiator, draw lines at a distance of between 7.5 and 12.5 cm. from the sides and top of the front panel, and something more from the bottom (10 to 15 cm.) So the grille will be in the center of the front panel.

      • If you want grates on the side panels as well, follow the exact same procedure.

        

        Step 6. Cut the rectangle from the center of the panel with a plunge circular saw

        You have to use this trick to preserve the integrity of the outer frame, due to the fact that the wooden rectangle you need to cut is in the middle of the panel. Position the ruler or template to make a straight cut with the circular saw. Place the saw over the ruler with the blade raised. Lift the guide off the saw, turn it on, and slowly slide it down onto the panel, being careful to leave some room in the corners. Slowly move the marker along the line to be cut until it is about 2.5cm. from the other perpendicular line.

        • Do the same for the side panels if you decide to equip them with the grate.

          

          Step 7. Refine the corners using a simple handsaw, with which you will have to continue cutting all the way to the corners

          This will allow you to remove the central part of the front panel.

          

          Step 8. Measure the rectangle you just cut and cut the concave molding according to that to fit the four sides

          Make 45 degree cuts at the ends of the four moldings so that you can arrange them in a rectangle (as if it were a picture frame) on the front panel.

          Part 3 of 3: Assembling the Heater Cover

          

          Step 1. Glue the moldings to the front panel with carpenter's glue

          Secure it with headless pegs.

          

          Step 2. For the grating, measure, cut and place it

          Put it on the inside of the front panel. Leaving a space of about 3 cm. on each side of the center rectangle, cut the grid using a sharp utility knife and a metal guide. After placing the cut grate on the inside of the front panel, secure it with metal staples.

          

          Step 3. Secure the front panel to the side panels with carpenter's glue and some nails, then secure them further with screws

          Self-tapping screws are especially suitable for MDF panels.

          

          Step 4. Finish the job by attaching the cover to the rest of the structure

          With nails and screws you will be able to keep everything together, obtaining a sturdy radiator cover.

          • To give more support to the back of the radiator cover, start other small panels about 2, 5 x 10 cm. at the rear of the main panels.

            

            Step 5. Give an aesthetic connotation to the radiator cover

            By whitewashing or painting the radiator cover you can easily adapt it to the rest of the furniture. The color to choose could be the same as the wall, in order to merge the radiator cover with the wall itself, otherwise by choosing one of the secondary colors in the room you can make the radiator cover look like another piece of furniture.

            • For an even more dramatic definition, you could paint stripes or geometric designs on the radiator cover, such as those on the upholstery, cushions or other elements that are in the room.

              

              Step 6. Attach the radiator cover decoration

              Once the paint has dried, use a lacquer fixer or waterproofer to protect the decoration. Wait for the fixer to dry before placing the radiator cover in its place. This way you minimize the risk of scratching or ruining the paint from one year to the next, by being able to wait several years before having to repaint the radiator cover.

              Advice

              • If you plan to leave the radiator cover on the radiator all year round, you should use a circular saw to cut a large section of the front panel to be covered with a heat-resistant wire mesh. Also coat the inside of the radiator cover with a heat-resistant material, such as tin, to protect the wood.
              • To make the top of the radiator cover more functional, you could design it so that it protrudes from the front and side panels. So it will look like a small occasional table, or in any case a countertop. You could use wooden strips to mask rough edges before painting, giving a more finished appearance.