Many modern owners of apartments and houses dream of making their homes more comfortable by hiding the utilities that literally entangle all the rooms. This problem is especially relevant for heating systems, the heating devices of which are in all rooms.
If the heaters in your home are of a new type of equipment, they can have an attractive appearance, but if the house has a “harmonica” familiar to the Soviet citizen or a steel plate assembly, then there can be no talk of aesthetics. That is why more and more home craftsmen install the screen on the heating battery with their own hands. At the same time, you can not only ennoble the interior, but also revetment the heating device.
Material selection
If you decide to make your own screen for a radiator, then you should decide on the choice of material. Among others, it should be highlighted:
- metal;
- MDF panels;
- plastic;
- wood;
- drywall.
To solve the described problem, plastic is not very suitable, because it does not conduct heat very well, and during operation it can begin to warp under the influence of high temperatures. Among other things, the price of such panels is quite high. The main advantage of such products is ease of processing, but this plus is crossed out by significant disadvantages.
Should I choose metal
If you decide to make a screen on a heating battery with your own hands, then you can prefer metal, which, from the point of view of heat transfer, is the most successful option. If you install a similar design, it will be possible to meet the generally accepted 3% heat loss, which residents will hardly notice.
Metal battery screens are made of sheet metal, which has a polymer coating. It should be fixed by one of the existing methods, among which profiles for drywall can be distinguished. But it should be noted that metal processing at home is a rather difficult task, and if the master does not have certain skills, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make an product attractive in appearance.
Wood for screen
When home masters think about how to make a screen on a heating battery with their own hands, they consider all possible solutions, among which wood should be highlighted. But the tree copes quite poorly with the task of conducting heat and requires appropriate care. However, using this material, you can perform a successful and simple design, which will last quite a long time.
Almost the same recommendations are made with respect to laminated panels, which are easy to process, are durable and durable. Their external pattern can be easily entered into any interior. An additional advantage of such screens is the absence of the need for care. The material will be cheap, so such products are the most common for the refinement of heating appliances.
The most practical solution - GKL
When deciding to make a screen on a heating battery with your own hands, you should also pay attention to drywall, which today acts as one of the most common finishing materials. It is suitable for solving the described problem, however, to complete the product will be much more difficult than using other materials. Indeed, for this, the master will need to have special skills, and at a cost the design will turn out to be more expensive.
Preparation of tools and materials
In order to make a decorative screen on the battery, it is best to use fiberboard. In addition to the main material, you will need:
- building braces;
- screws;
- nails
- wood glue;
- metal sheet as a reflective element;
- sheet mesh.
Fiberboard sheets must be selected according to the color that matches the shade of most interior items in the room. The mesh in the sheet version will be used as the front face panel and side parts.
Technology of work
If you decide to make a protective screen for the battery, then on the inner surface of the wall behind the radiator you need to stick a reflective foil screen that can be found in any hardware store. This will increase the radiant component, which goes to heat the outer wall.
At the next stage, you can begin to manufacture the box from MDF on a wooden frame. At the first stage, the area and depth of the protrusion of the battery are measured. According to these sizes, a wooden frame is made. In the next step, it will be necessary to make the front grille for the radiator from MDF with openings for air. The more they will be, the higher the heat transfer will be.
You can cut the pattern with an electric jigsaw or any other similar tool. The upper part of the front panel should not be deaf, only then the heated air mass flows will not remain under the cover. The side panels are cut out at the next stage, they can be made deaf, you just need to create openings for the pipes to exit. Then the box is assembled and installed in place.
Drywall Preparation Recommendations Before Screen Production
The protective screen can be made of drywall. In this case, the material is prepared in a special way, for which its surface is pierced with a construction needle roller. Quite often in the departments of building materials such a tool can be rented.
In the next step, the surface of the drywall is impregnated with an aqueous emulsion solution with the addition of PVA glue. To apply this composition is necessary on both sides, the flow rate of the mixture does not exceed 3 liters. Before closing the battery with a drywall screen, it is necessary to prepare the material, the following factors act as advantages of the described procedure:
- the creation of channels for heat transfer;
- the ability to hold a layer of paint due to the application of preparation using PVA glue;
- providing an additional level of thermal conductivity;
- minimization of garbage when sawing material thanks to a water-based coating.
Screen Design Guidelines
Before fixing the screen to the radiator, it is necessary to create an aerodynamic visor, which will be located in the upper part of the structure. This requirement applies to radiators made of aluminum and cast iron, and is explained by the need to eliminate the accumulation of air in the upper part of the battery, which eliminates the convection process. This visor redirects infrared rays, saving heat.
Before closing the battery, you need to think about how the screen will be held. Sometimes it is installed directly on the heater itself, in some cases special studs are used for fastening, but they are quite expensive, so they are often replaced with conventional fasteners.
It is important to consider that the size of the future structure should be larger than the area of the created free space. The slats should be smaller in comparison with the gaps between them, whereas when closing the cast-iron radiator, the slats should be placed vertically. As for standard batteries, the screens for them must be fixed at the level of the lower part of the nozzles, which are located on top.
More about markup
If you decide to make a decorative screen on the battery, it is important to correctly markup. As soon as it is possible to measure two sides of the battery - height and width, 10 cm should be added to the last parameter, while 5 cm should be added to the first parameter. The front part of the structure is made using these parameters.
Quite often, a steel mesh is used for this, which at the next stage is decorated with a MDF profile. Next, you can measure the depth of the battery, to which 2.5 cm should be added. This parameter will become the width of the side elements. Their height should be equal to the height of the front screen. It is necessary to measure the screen cover, but its dimensions should be 1.2 cm larger than the side elements.
Cutting parts and screen assembly
The screen on the cast-iron battery can be made of MDF sheets. To form the front profile, it is necessary to cut rectangular parts, the width of which will be 11 cm. An angle of 45 ° should be made on them using a hacksaw. This manipulation must be carried out in the place where the elements will be in contact with each other. It is important to remember that on one of the profiles from below, you should make multidirectional angles. This forms the inner grid.
You can fix the elements with the help of carpentry glue, which is complemented by finishing nails. If you decide to make a hinged screen on the battery, then after all the previous steps can be mastered, you can proceed to the assembly. For the front part, a mesh is used, which must be cut to size, you can use a hacksaw for this. The edges are finished with a profile of fiberboard, which is located around the perimeter. The same principle should be used for side parts. From a decorative beam, a frame should be created that must be fixed as firmly as possible, otherwise the design will be mobile and unstable.
Pipe openings are cut in the side faces. It is important to ensure that the center of the radius from the width and height of the side bar is 7.5 cm away. The screen device on the battery assumes the location of a metal sheet at the rear wall of the heating equipment. The dimensions of the canvas should be equal to the dimensions of the decorative lattice. This will eliminate heat loss and redirect heat flow inward.
The decorative screen can be fixed to the wall using a stable frame or anchor collets. However, there is another method, but it is more expensive and complex, in addition, it requires the additional purchase of expensive parts. Such metal screens for batteries are sometimes closed by rails and mounted on legs made with the help of special corners. This part is usually made adjustable so that it is possible to adjust the height of the structure.