Radiators - It is all in the reflection
March 21, 2009
Did you know that as much as 25% of radiant heat from a radiator placed against an outside wall is lost to the wall behind it? A simple solution that can reclaim possibly 50% of this wasted heat is by applying a foil-face expanded polystyrene lining to the wall behind the radiator to reflect the heat back into the room. This can be bought at most D-I-Y stores and is available as rolls, sheets or tiles. In terms of application, the best time to do this is when you are decorating and the radiator can be removed from the wall. Fear not, it can also be done with the radiator in place.
The beauty of this task is that it can be done by anyone whose only skill requirement is patience!
- Turn off the radiator and measure it, making a note of the position of the brackets.
- Use a sharp trimming knife or scissors to cut the lining to size, so it is slightly smaller than the radiator all round. Cut narrow slots as needs be, to fit over the fixing brackets.
- Apply a heavy duty fungicidal wallpaper paste to the back of the material and then slide it behind the radiator.
- Smooth it onto the wall with either a radiator roller or a wooden batten.
- Allow the paste to dry before turning the radiator back on again.
- An alternative to using paste is double-side adhesive pads.
To find a company who may assist you further, simply click on the free links located on the right hand side of the page.
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