Clever boxing for radiator pipes above concrete floor?

Hi

We are in a basement flat and have around one half of the flat the copper radiator pipes running horizontal against the wall (concrete floor so not beneath floorboards). The pipes were originally boxed in with square wooden boxing which looked awful so have taken out leaving pipes exposed for the time being.

I've installed a parquet floor and would like the pipes as hidden as possible again running horizontal around the room at floor level. so . . . I plan to remove the plaster where the pipes meet the wall creating a space for most of the pipe but not chase into the brick and then install the pipes almost touching each other at very low floor lever in this void. Skirting with a recess routed out of the back with create another centimeter or so to fit over the top. At worst I might need to block out the skirting by a centimetre or so.

I would either paint on an aluminium roof reflecting paint onto the wall and back of skirting and or use a thin foil insulation against the wall.

Can anybody see a problem with doing this?

1. how low/close to the floor can the pipes go?

2. can the feed and return pipes be touching and are there brackets available for this?


best

Do what you like, it`s the radiator that radiates the heat not the pipes, that`s why it`s called a radiator, as long as your not going to bury the radiator in the wall you should be fine.

charliechaplinspants said:

Do what you like, it`s the radiator that radiates the heat not the pipes, that`s why it`s called a radiator, as long as your not going to bury the radiator in the wall you should be fine.

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But make sure you're careful when nailing the skirting board on

Or use `no more nails`

charliechaplinspants said:

Do what you like, it`s the radiator that radiates the heat not the pipes, that`s why it`s called a radiator, as long as your not going to bury the radiator in the wall you should be fine.

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No that's not correct. Although its called a radiator only about 25% of the heat emitted is actually radiated. The rest is distributed via a convection current.

In reality, a radiator should be called a convector.

When i did bg installs down in Beruit,i mean Leeds they used this stuff.

a lot neater than boxing or trunking

http://www.pendock.co.uk/Products/Pendock_Linea/default.aspx?id=316

I had to run some heating pipes along the side of one room. I joined two strips of 1x1 planed timber to the back of the skirting board, ran the pipes along the bottom of the wall, and placed the new, deeper 'skirting board' over the top. You can see the difference but it goes with the rest of the room well and doesn't look out of place.

charliechaplinspants said:

Do what you like, it`s the radiator that radiates the heat not the pipes, that`s why it`s called a radiator, as long as your not going to bury the radiator in the wall you should be fine.

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Do what you like, it`s the big white rectangular part that gets hot and heats the room. as long as you`re (spelling rectified) not going to bury large white rectangular part then you should be fine.

Thanks for all the replies - I'll try to post some pictures of the work in progres and also completed,

best

to be a be more thorough in response - If nobody can see a problem with this I'll stick to the plan...

Yes 1x1 timber on the back of the skirting board would work and be quick but I want to minimise the amount the skirting looks 'boxed' or hiding something - hence the removal of plaster and routing a bit off the back of the skirting - more time etc, but I'm going to be looking at it if I don't do this thinking . . . could be better



I've heard about heat loss into the walls from radiators so assumed that pipes also would do the same - seems cheapish option to put some foil insulation behind the pipes - wouldn't go amiss I reckon

If nobody can see a problem with this I'll stick to the plan...

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OK, stick to the plan.

I've heard about heat loss into the walls from radiators so assumed that pipes also would do the same - seems cheapish option to put some foil insulation behind the pipes - wouldn't go amiss I reckon

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Quite right, make sure you lift all flooring in the house and whack tinfoil around them also. Heatloss through floorboards Dontcha know.