Make Your Own Radiator Cover To Give It An Update

There’s really no way around it: radiators are necessary but quite an eyesore. In older buildings, they’re there to heat up the place (and many times, overheat) and that’s pretty much as good as it gets. Most city dwellers know how ugly and bulky these radiators can be, and everyone is always looking for ways to make it look better.

Old, Bulky Radiator

Here’s a great way to cover up that eyesore without having to buy one, which can run up to $200. It’s time to use your DIY skills and improve the look of your apartment.

What You Need

-tape measure

-scissors

-staple gun

-power drill and screws

-wood glue

-decorative aluminum sheet

-MDF boards

-touch-up paint

What To Do

Start out by measuring out your radiator so you can shop for the proper materials. Make sure to make note of where the pipe connects to the radiator as it can sometimes make a difference in how you will cut your materials. You need to make sure to leave room to the pipe. Also, never work with a hot radiator, make sure it is off and completely cooled before working with it.

Choose your design and shop for your materials. You can keep things minimalistic or go all out – it’s really up to you. You can even opt for pre-primed MDF boards if you don’t feel like painting yourself.

Once you have all your materials, lay out the pieces on the floor. Start to work in sections. First, glue the boards together and secure them with screws. The framing of the front is now done, which is the most difficult party.

Secure The Sides Together Using Screws

Next, cut the screen to fit inside the frame, making sure to leave only a little bit of overlap. Staple the screen to the inside of the frame.

Next you need to attach the sides. Screw them into the sides of the frame and then stand it up. Put the three sided radiator cover around the radiator. You can choose whether or not you need a back to the radiator cover depending on your radiator and your space.

Decide If You Need A Back Or Not

Using the wood glue, secure the top of the radiator cover. If you want more security, you can screw it to the the rest of the cover.

You can now use paint to touch up any spots and screws so everything blends in seamlessly. If you use MDF primed boards, you can touch up the ends that are unprimed.

Now you have your very own radiator cover to hide that unsightly bulk of heating.

The Final Product