Home If You Have Radiators In Your House, Do You Have Radiator Boxes/Covers?

[iheartscience]

I am hopefully going to be closing on a house in a few weeks (

!) and the radiators in the house are a little rough looking. They definitely need to be either painted or enclosed.

I started looking into radiator boxes/covers but I''m not sure if I like them. However, it might just be because I''m not used to them-all of the apartments and houses I''ve ever lived in haven''t had them.

So if you have radiators, do you have boxes/covers for them? Why or why not? And if you do have the boxes/covers, do you like them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lyra]

Where I live, people put covers on them. When we had them growing up, we did not.

Obviously the covers have to be well ventilated, and you certainly can paint the rads themselves, my parents did that at least. If I ever live in a house with them, I''d love to have decorative covers over them. They look nice and finished IMO, although they can be a bit expensive to have custom made ($300-500 ish).

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 7/26/2009 3:48:13 PM
Author: lyra
Where I live, people put covers on them. When we had them growing up, we did not.

Obviously the covers have to be well ventilated, and you certainly can paint the rads themselves, my parents did that at least. If I ever live in a house with them, I'd love to have decorative covers over them. They look nice and finished IMO, although they can be a bit expensive to have custom made ($300-500 ish).

Yay, I finally got a response!

Thanks, lyra! I didn't grow up with radiators, but most of the houses in my area are Victorian-era so of course all of them have radiators. I guess I need to check out a house with the covers to see if I like them. My realtor has them and he loves them and recommended them, so maybe I'll go over to his place to see if I like them.

ETA I wondered about pricing-that is high! At least our house isn't that big I guess!

I found a few places online that sell them but who knows what the quality is like...

 

[April20]

I saw an episode of Facelift- the Debbie Travis show- a few years ago. She did some really cool radiator covers. Let me do a little googling and see if I can find it.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 7/26/2009 5:18:12 PM
Author: April20
I saw an episode of Facelift- the Debbie Travis show- a few years ago. She did some really cool radiator covers. Let me do a little googling and see if I can find it.

Ooh thanks April! That would be awesome! I''m not familiar with that show-is it on HGTV or another channel like that?

 

[April20]

It used to be on HGTV, but is no longer on. It was the best one IMO.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Shortly after I purchased my last house, I looked into getting radiator covers because I do like the look. I think they are very charming. After seeing the cost for custom made, I began looking on ebay and craigslist. I lucked out and purchased 10 or so of them at $20 a piece from a home about 30 minute away. Ultimately, they needed to be fitted to my units because although the covers were the right height/length/width to fit mine, there was some wood framing on the inside that prevented them from fitting properly. Needless to say, this never happened! So, many of my radiators went coverless, but the one in my kitchen and in my half bath were covered. The one is my half-bath was like a mini radiator, and with the cover over it, it was just the cutest thing. My kitchen radiator cover was useful in that I was able to keep things on top of the cover.

I think some people like to have theirs covered because the radiators themselves can get very, very hot, so I am sure people with small children would want them. I have cats and dogs and they never had a problem with them. They can figure it out.

Lastly, I did read that the covers are supposed to help with heat distribution, but in my experience, I doubt that is the case. I may have read this on one of the sites for custom made covers, so it''s probably marketing talk.

So, I''d suggest looking into ebay and craigslist. Maybe start out with one or two and see if you like the look. You could probably make them quite easily on your own too. A fun project!

Have you posted photos of your home? When was it built?

 

[Loves Vintage]

For nostalgia purposes, I guess, here''s my old kitchen $20 radiator cover. Note how it''s propped up on two wood blocks! That was DH''s "temporary" fix!

I miss my old kitchen.

I loved those wood floors!

 

[Bia]

Yup, we do. We live in a pre-war co-op where radiators are pretty much standard. Actually, ours are very simple and unobtrusive (similar to what Loves Vintage posted). They came with the place, so I''m not sure where to find them, but let me see what I can look up.

 

[princesss]

I love radiators. It seems silly, but I adore them. And those radiator boxes are adorable.

Okay...I''m going back into dreamland about living in VA in a little house with radiators now....

*scurries back to my happy place*

 

[iheartscience]

Thanks Loves Vintage! Yours is totally cute! And good call on CraigsList-hopefully I can find ones that are close enough and then fit them to mine, too. (My dad is a woodworking genius so I am covered in that department!)

I actually don''t mind the look of radiators usually, but these have chipping paint on them and I figured that since it will be my actual home, radiator covers would be nice. Off to check CL right now-thanks again!

 

[iheartscience]

Thanks Bia! I would love any recommendations on where to get them!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 7/27/2009 3:02:29 PM
Author: princesss
I love radiators. It seems silly, but I adore them. And those radiator boxes are adorable.

Okay...I''m going back into dreamland about living in VA in a little house with radiators now....

*scurries back to my happy place*

Hahaha I love radiators too! The radiator covers will grow on me, I''m sure-I just don''t like change! Plus I just love old houses in general...that''s a big part of why I love my city! AHHHHHH I want to move into this house like NOW.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi Thing2of2,

I have some more ideas for you. You can also search on-line for places that sell old building materials. There are actually quite a few places here in CT that sell salvaged building materials. You can search terms like salvaged, deconstructed, reused or reclaimed building materials, and you might find some places near you.

Here's a list of ReUse stores:

http://www.restoreonline.org/links.htm#others

I found some interior shutters at one of these types of stores. I also found some of these shutters on Craigslist for free, granted they had been painted pink, but this was another restore project for me. I haven't tackled that one yet either!

Here's a link to a store in CT that has a ton of old building fixtures and materials: http://www.urbanminers.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28&products_id=396 I linked to the interior shutters page, but if you like old houses, I think you'll like looking around on that site, just to see what's out there, and what you might be able to find similar in your area.

Oh, and since I'm just rambling about house stuff now, I'll keep going . . . I also found a 1930's medicine cabinet on eBay from a seller in La. He had taken it out of an old house. My house was a flip, one seller before I purchased it, and the flippers had put up a standard order Home Depot medicine cabinet/mirror. Hated it. Loved the one from eBay.

I loved owning an older home! I bet you can't wait!

 

[iheartscience]

Wow, thank you so much, Loves Vintage!

I'm going to check out the links right now because I would LOVE to get new light fixtures for the house. The current owner replaced a lot of the light fixtures with copper light fixtures and I am not a fan. Plus she changed all the fixtures in the upstairs bathroom to copper and put in a weird granite counter with a painted copper vessel sink and I hate it! It's a typical vintage bathroom with black and white basket weave floor tiles and black and white subway tiles in the shower so the copper and granite looks awful with the tile! So I'll definitely be switching back to a pedestal sink and silver fixtures in the bathroom as soon as I can afford it! ETA I bet I need a new (old) medicine cabinet too...oooh I am so excited to start hunting stuff down! I'm going to check on eBay too since it sounds like you've had luck there!

I definitely cannot wait to move in! I've been obsessing over what colors to paint, what to change, how to decorate, etc. for the last few weeks since it looks to be finally really happening! (Long story, but we've been under contract on this house since May 1 and we went back and forth with the seller, walked away, etc., several time before we finally got the contract, so it seems like it's never really going to happen!)

It's a brick rowhouse (attached on one side only) that was built in 1920 and it's a little over 1500 square feet. It has all the original doors, doorknobs, wood floors, and fireplace. And it hasn't had any weird renovations done to it, which is nice, because I looked at a ton of places with terrible renovations! It does have all new replacement windows, which should help a lot with the energy efficiency. I like original windows in old houses (my apartment has them) but I will also like saving on heating, so I don't mind too much! It also has a new kitchen that I'm almost totally happy with. (The only thing I want to change is the floor tiles because the ones in there now are ugly.)

Once I get it all painted and furnished I'll post pictures for sure! And I may have to page you for ideas when I'm in the midst of it since you are clearly a vintage house expert! Thank you again for your help!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Ahhhh, my heart just went pitter-patter when I read original black and white basket weave and subway tiles!! I had the same, except my basket weave was white and blue and the tiles were the white subway tile with a black and white diamond pattered tile (hard to describe), about a half inch thick. The original tub and sink, with the original "Hot" and "Cold" porcelain fixtures!! They did replace the faucet on the sink, but it was that big pedestal sink with a squarish/rectangular top. There are a few of them at that Urban Miners site.

Do you have the original tub? You have to get the vintage Hot/Cold or H/C knobs for your bath. They actually sell them new now, which might be an ok option, because the older ones can be difficult to fit, and often the faucet itself is worn from being turned with wrenches over the years.

Oh, and someone had put those sticky floor tiles (you know the ones that come in one foot squares that you peel the back off of and stick down on an existing floor) on my basket weave tile!!!!

Grrr, it took forever for me to get all of that adhesive off the floor, but it was definitely worth it. I think basket weave tile is very special. They don''t make floors like that any longer.

All of the light fixtures in my home had been replaced. I''ve looked on eBay for those vintage glass hanging shades, like this one, although maybe not this one exactly: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Light-Blue-Ceiling-3-Chain-Light-Shade-w-Holes_W0QQitemZ230361493890QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item35a29d7182&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 . These can be difficult because they often do not come with the chains, or the actual fixture from which to hang the shade. I''m sure an electrician could make it work, but I''ve never looked that far into it.

Do you have leaded glass windows? Do you know what year your house was built?

 

[iheartscience]

I LOVE black and white subway tiles and basket weave floors, too! I''m so jealous your tub had the original ''Hot'' and ''Cold'' fixtures! We do have the original tub (it just needs to be reglazed), but unfortunately the fixtures in the tub have been replaced with ugly copper ones also, so I will definitely need to replace them with vintage or vintage style fixtures.

I was actually checking out all the sinks and faucets on the Urban Miners site last night-they have quite a few cute ones. There''s a salvage place in my area that I''ve heard about and I will definitely look there for a new pedestal or wall-mounted porcelain sink. Otherwise I''ll just order online. We are lucky and have a large linen closet right outside the bathroom so I don''t need storage under the sink.

I can''t believe someone would cover the floor tiles with stick on tiles! Yikes! That must have been beyond annoying to take off! I''m really glad our homeowner didn''t change the tile in the bathroom-it seems like something she totally would have done based on some of the other changes she''s made!

But really, most of the house hasn''t been changed (unless for the better) so I can''t complain too much! Those fixtures in the bathroom just kill me!

I love that light fixture you posted. There are a few (I think) original fixtures in the house, but most have been replaced with really ugly ones. (Again with the copper stuff!) The current homeowner''s taste is basically opposite of mine, so again, I''m just glad she hasn''t done more to mess up the cuteness of the house!

As for the windows, the house has all new replacement windows. I think the front door is original but that''s it. I actually don''t mind too terribly because it will help so much on keeping the heating bills down. And the house was built in 1920.

By the way, I would love to see more pics of your house if you have any! It looks super cute from the picture of the kitchen you posted and I need some inspiration! Thanks again for all your tips and ideas!

 

[Loves Vintage]

I'm glad you liked the Urban Miner's site. I've been there, and he has a lot more at the location. I haven't found anything there though. Such a great idea though, to salvage all of these great elements from old houses. I hope the place near you has a ton of good stuff.

I agree with you about the windows. My windows had all been replaced, and it really does become necessary at some point, and so much more efficient. No sense in letting heat pour out the windows! The windows did remind me of what my realtor did at her house. Their home was built in the 20's, and they re-did a lot of it. Because the houses are very close together, they put rectangular windows in their hall by their stair case, so they are rectangular, but longer length-wise (transom windows, i think?), for more privacy. Then they took stained glass panels (which I think they got from Costco, actually) and hung them in front of the windows. The panels are fairly substantial and were hung from chains from the ceiling. You could always get old windows, either stained glass or leaded glass, and then hang those in front of some of your windows for added charm. Like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/English-Floral-Patterned-Stained-Leaded-Glass-Windows_W0QQitemZ370233813393QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArchitectural_Garden?hash=item5633a7a991&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 or these: http://cgi.ebay.com/1of-3-Antique-ALL-Beveled-Leaded-Glass-Windows-C1916_W0QQitemZ400063991816QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArchitectural_Garden?hash=item5d25ac1008&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Maybe in front of a kitchen window facing your backyard?

I actually saw a ton like the first ones at an estate sale recently. They all had the chains attached to them and were probably hung like I'm suggesting, but most all of them had some cracked glass, sadly, so I didn't buy any.

The other thing I wanted to mention (and I think this will exhaust my older home knowledge) is FRENCH DOORS. I found a pair (on ebay, of course) for $200! We drove to a little town in MA, to pick them up from an older home. They were a perfect fit for my house, which clearly had french doors at one point, going into the living room. On the floor, there's a little indentation, with a metal marker, for catching the door lock at the bottom of the door. But, this is another project that went unfinished. The hinges did not match up to the space where prior hinges had been, so we never got around to chiseling out the wood to put them up. Tsk, tsk.

Anyway, I do have some photos of my house from the old real estate listing. I will put some of them up tonight. I wish I had better pictures, especially of the bathroom details

, but we no longer live in the house, and it is currently being rented out. I actually live in a 1967 Colonial now.

Ehr, not that there's anything wrong with that. It is actually a very nice house, just not the same for me. I'm learning to love it, I guess!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Wow, check out the second ebay seller''s other listings! Tons of windows and french doors too! Fun stuff!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Ok, here goes. This is the front of the house, with the new tree that I convinced the town to plant, along with seven others on my formerly single-tree''d street.

Many of the houses in the area are of similar design, but each with their own differences -- some have open porches, some have more intricate detailing, some don''t have the cute attic window. All were built in the same general time period.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Walking in. The wall with the mirror had been added at some point to provide more wall space in the kitchen on the opposite side of the wall.

 

[Loves Vintage]

None of the doors had been painted. They were all original wood, with the nice crystal doorknobs.

 

[Loves Vintage]

A nice shot of the leaded glass window in the dining room. There''s a matching one in the living room. These were quite common in my neighborhood. I adored them!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Another dining room shot. You can see the picture-frame hardwood floors here. I don't really care for the light fixture and would have replaced it eventually if we stayed there. I was on a pretty low budget for improvements because I bought the house on my own at the height of the market. Oh well.

I actually closed on it about a month before I met my DH. We decided to buy a bigger place after we married.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Looking into the living room through the nice archway.

 

[Loves Vintage]

The bathroom, where you can see just a touch of the basket-weave floor tile and the lovely subway tile! That's all!

 

[princesss]

LV! I absolutely adore your house. There''s something about an old house that just really makes me happy. I wish I could afford to house hunt for myself, lol. So for now I''ll have to live vicariously through you and Thing2...

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 7/30/2009 9:54:17 AM
Author: princesss
LV! I absolutely adore your house. There''s something about an old house that just really makes me happy. I wish I could afford to house hunt for myself, lol. So for now I''ll have to live vicariously through you and Thing2...

Thank you, princess! That''s very nice of you to say!! I hope you will get to live a nice older house one day!

 

[iheartscience]

LV your house is so GORGEOUS! The wood floors are stunning in that dining room-I love how it goes in 2 directions! The leaded glass windows, the bathroom tile, the arch...I love everything! And it''s so bright and airy! What a beautiful house! And I''m impressed you got the city to plant all those trees-so cool!

Do you think you''ll end up in an old house again?

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi Thing2,

I had meant to reply to your e-mail earlier, but I wanted to find a picture of my current backyard, so you would see I am not suffering too badly in my newer house!! I still haven''t found one, so figured I''d check in with you anyway. You must be very excited! Is the closing this week or next?

To answer your question, yes, probably one day we will live in an older home again. It just wasn''t in the cards for the town that we live in now. There are old farmhouses in my town from the 1800''s, but it seems real building did not start here until the 50''s and later. There are probably just a handful of houses from the 20''s, 30''s and 40''s. It''s pretty rural and I have more trees in my yard than I ever would have imagined! We really wanted to buy in this town, good schools, rural atmosphere, etc.

The tree at my old house was pretty easy to get. I had called the town, found out that they had planted about 30 trees in a more desirable area of town the year prior and then sent a nice letter to the mayor (requesting 22 trees, I think, which is kind of funny because it''s a very short street, but I wanted one in front of each house.) The mayor set up a meeting with me. He thought it was funny I requested 22, but acknowledged it''s always good to start high. Ha ha. I had printed off a google earth map of the neighborhood and pointed out the one tree on my street compared to those on surrounding streets!!

In a few weeks, they planted 7 or 8 trees on the street. I had mentioned it previously to my next door neighbor, to make sure he wanted a tree in front of his house, and he did. The day they planted the trees, he said, when he got home, he couldn''t believe his eyes. He was really shocked that they actually followed through. My section of town was definitely the forgotten section of town. People really appreciated those trees.