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The use of radiator guards is increasing in popularity, and is a great way of ensuring the heat from the radiators is used efficiently while the appliance itself is kept safe and secure, as well as out of sight – preferable in the case of less attractive radiator fitments or those that are older and showing their age. Radiator guards come in many shapes and sizes, and also in different materials, and can be custom made in many instances.
The beauty of the radiator guard or cover is that it can be coloured to fit a room’s décor, and can act as a shield to hide ugly fittings; this adds to the look of a room, and with decorative fitments available for many guards the look can be tailored to the overall appearance or style of a particular room.
Radiators – as metal items – can become very hot indeed when in use, and if touched can also be a source of discomfort. This can be alleviated and protected against by use of a neat and decorative radiator guard, giving peace of mind to people and pets that may come into contact with the appliance. The design of the radiator guard is such that it is not merely a practicable item, but one that can also be used as decoration.
Some use the type of guard that is all-encompassing and has what amounts to a shelf on top, and many radiator guards feature neat cut-outs in the front that act in a double fashion – not only do they facilitate the circulation of the heat but they also add to the individual decoration of the room.
It must be remembered, however, that the purpose of a radiator is to radiate heat, and that any object in the way of the heat source will act as a barrier. This is the reason that radiators with large items of furniture in front are notoriously inefficient, and why radiators should be left exposed. However, the makers of radiator guards recognise this, and incorporate the cut out designs in order to allow the heat to escape and warm the room.
Radiator guards are increasingly popular in new build houses, but remain very popular for use in older houses where the heating systems may be of a good age; the radiators in these instances tend to be of the older and bigger cast iron design, and many people find these unattractive in the extreme.
Fitting a guard not only protects the inhabitants, and the radiator, but allows for the ugly fitments to be hidden to a suitable degree. Indeed, radiator guards can be designed specifically and especially to fit in with a room, or even bought off the shelf to a certain standard size, thus cutting down on the overall cost of fitting radiator guards to the entire heating system of a property.