Decorative Radiator Cover

Conceal an old radiator with a custom-built cover.

This customized cover fits perfectly over an old radiator and provides another surface for decorations.

All About

Product Ideas

Materials:

one 4'x8'x1/2" birch plywood
wood glue
circular saw
nail gun
straightedge
latex primer
clamps
paint of your choice
chop saw
polyurethane
jigsaw with a scroll blade
one 8' length of 1x2 pine
one 8' piece of decorative trim
one 4' length of 1x4 pine
decorative wood ornament
4 finish nails
measuring tape

Steps:

To determine the size of your new radiator cover, you'll need to know the dimensions of the radiator! Make sure there is enough room between the wall and the radiator for the cover to fit . We didn't have enough room in our situation, so our radiator cover is open in the back. Check that it's also high enough to allow a back support along the upper edge to help support the top, above the height of the radiator. To make sure that the warm air can circulate and radiate out of the cover, we left 3" between the radiator and our cover on all sides.
The pieces we drew on the 1/2" birch plywood were the front (35-1/2"w x 39"h ), two sides (14"w x 39"h), a top (35-1/2" w x 14-1/2"d) and four small right angle triangles to be used as supports for the four corners (we used 4" squares cut on the diagonal). Once the pieces are penciled in, it's time to cut!
For the large cuts on the birch plywood, we used a long straightedge clamped to the board and cut them out with a circular saw. We cut our 4" square diagonally with a chop saw.

Figure A

The next step is to add some framing and support to the radiator pieces. Our framing consisted of two 1"x2" boards cut to 38-1/2" long (1/2" shorter than the height of the radiator sides). On each side piece, we attached a 1"x2" running along the front edge as support and for something for the front panel to attach to (figure A). The 1x2s were attached by drilling small pilot holes in them, adding wood glue to the front inside edge of each side and screwing the support in with drywall screws. We then mounted (1/2" down from the top and 3/4" in from the back edge) a 3" piece of 1" x 2" in the same fashion.

Figure B

In the 1/2" space above all of the supports we placed a triangle, nailed with a nail gun from the outside in since this area will be covered with trim. One more support piece is needed: a 1" x 4" piece of pine cut 34-1/2" long as the support across the back (figure B).

Figure C

Before all of the pieces can be put together, you need to cut out the opening in the front of the radiator. We chose a soft curved design. To make sure your curve is the same on both sides, find the center of the front panel and draw a light pencil line dividing the panel in half vertically.Draw your design on one side and then cut it out using the jigsaw with a scroll blade. Then, use the cut out to trace onto the other side, making the design perfectly symmetrical (figure C). Note : Before cutting, double check to make sure you aren't up too high and exposing the top of the radiator.

Figure D

Put the base of the radiator cover together first by attaching the front to the side panels. The side panels need to be behind the front piece, flush at the edges. Then attach through the side supports by drilling pilot holes and then screwing in towards the front with drywall screws (figure D). Once the front is attached to both sides, add the 1"x4" to the back edge of the side panels up along the top where you have left room. It will attach to the short 1"x2" pieces you've already installed.

Next, attach the top of the radiator cover by drilling pilot holes in the triangular corner pieces and screwing drywall screws up into the top.

To cover up all construction screws and nails, as well as wood joints, add a decorative piece of molding wide enough to cover the front edge and joint of the top. Attach it flush with the top with wood glue and a nail gun. Cover the corner joints in the same fashion using 5/8" "L" trim (which covered from the floor to the decorative molding around the top on ours).

Lightly sand the entire piece, tack everything off, prime the wood with a water -based primer, sand lightly again and finish it off with two coats of an oil-based enamel. To decorate the front, purchase a wooden scrollwork applique. We liked it in natural, so once a coat of polyurethane was dry, we attached it to the center of the front panel, just above our cut out with wood glue and the nail gun.

Note: The furnace man said that the wood radiator cover would be fine but if we wanted to bring it to his shop, he would make a metal liner for it so the wood wouldn't dry out as much. Not a bad idea!