Incorporating Historic Home Design with Radiators
When you’re updating a historic home, every detail matters, including the radiators. While modern heating solutions are usually efficient, their look can sometimes clash with the character of period properties. Luckily, we have various radiator options, including modern Victorian-style radiators, that let you have the best of both worlds, with efficient warmth and classic period style.
Whether you live in a Victorian townhouse, an Edwardian terrace, or a Georgian country home, there are radiator options that can blend seamlessly with your property’s original design. Let’s explore how to choose radiators that complement traditional interiors while delivering the comfort and efficiency of modern heating technology.
Cast Iron Radiators
Cast iron radiators are a perfect choice for historic homes, effortlessly blending functionality with timeless elegance. Their intricate designs and classic finishes make them a striking feature in any period property.
Cast iron radiators are typically available in traditional column styles or more ornate decorative patterns and can serve as a focal point that enhances the character of your space.
Beyond the aesthetic, a cast iron radiator is also highly practical. Unlike modern steel radiators that cool down quickly, cast iron retains heat for much longer. This means even after your heating system switches off, these modern Victorian-style radiators continue to radiate warmth and provide a steady and efficient heat source.
Traditional radiators, particularly those from the Victorian era, were typically cast iron. By choosing modern Victorian-style radiators for your 19th century home, these historic home design radiators will perfectly compliment the original look of your house.
Lined Front Panel Radiators
Lined front panel radiators emit heat directly into the room, which helps provide faster and more effective warmth compared to traditional radiators. If you’re looking to install a lined front panel radiator, it’s important that you consider the placement. Putting the radiator in certain areas will lead to poor heating and could cost you more in heating bills as the radiator is having to work overtime to warm the room.
Lined front panel radiators are ideal for high-use rooms, such as the living room. They can be placed along an exterior wall or under a window to counteract cold air and provide consistent warmth throughout the room. These historic home design radiators are also a great choice for bedrooms, as they can provide consistent heat, without overheating the space. It’s best to place lined front panel radiators away from the bed to prevent overheating and prevent the bed from blocking the heat circulation.
Wherever you place your lined front panel radiator, you should avoid blocking it with furniture to help maintain efficient air flow. You might also want to consider a model with thermostatic control for better energy efficiency and slimline or vertical radiators if the room has limited space.
High BTU Radiators
If you have a large room or open plan layout, it’s a good idea to opt for high BTU radiators. These radiators are designed to have a large heat output, which also makes them a great option for old and poorly insulated homes.
High output radiators provide more warmth compared to standard radiators and ensure even heating over large spaces. You can get a high output radiator with double or triple panel designs to maximise surface area and provide the required heat to your room. This prevents cold spots and ensures there is even heat circulation and flow throughout the property.
To choose the right BTU radiator for your room, it’s advisable to use our heat loss BTU calculator to work out how much heat output is needed for the room. Larger spaces and rooms with poor insulation need radiators with high BTU ratings, while smaller rooms and spaces with good insulation are able to retain heat better and can have radiators with lower BTU ratings. You might also want a radiator with double or triple panels to maximise heat distribution, or a vertical radiator if you’re limited on space.
Cast iron radiators are great for long-lasting heat thanks to the material’s heat retention, while aluminium radiators have a quick response and are ideal if you want fast heat. Aluminium radiators also typically have lower running costs, although cast iron radiators remain a good choice if you need to heat large spaces and period properties.
Where to buy radiators for your historic homes
When it comes to choosing a historic home design radiator for each room in your property, you can get radiators that prioritise both efficiency and the classic aesthetic. Just because a radiator complements the interior of your period home, doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice efficiency or sacrifice the aesthetic look for an energy efficient radiator.
Here at Stelrad, we’re on hand to help you find the best historic home design radiators for your home. Whether you want modern Victorian-style radiators or 20th-century style radiators, we’ve got plenty of inspiration to help you find the perfect historic home design radiator for your period home.
We have a wide range of standard radiators, column radiators and vertical radiators to suit both period and modern homes. Our range of radiators include high BTU radiators, which are ideal if you have an open plan space or poorly insulated rooms that require more heat to warm them.
If you need any help choosing the right historic design radiator for your home, get in touch and a member of our friendly team will be more than happy to help.
