Radiator Love

Have I mentioned that I love our steam heat?  The radiators heat up quickly and our smaller rooms stay toasty warm long after the heat turns off.  When we lived in Massachusetts, we had forced air which I hated. The apartment was so dry and the rooms never reached a comfortable in-between temperature.

Of course, steam heat isn't prefect. It requires some tinkering and fills the house with clangs, whistles, and other noises. Our system seemed so loud this winter that I kept making K check the cellar for explosions and intruders. The radiators in our house are flaking and rusty and it's impossible to clean around them. Also, exposed radiators get so hot that they could burn your skin. So, we decided to make some improvements...

First, we had a plumber service both systems. He cleaned the boilers, checked everything, and added a new steam valve to every radiator in the house. It was pricey but I'm really glad we had a professional come in. The radiators have been super quiet and we have a better understanding of the system. He said our boilers were great but they had not been serviced in a while.


We also shopped around for radiator covers. Custom covers are pretty expensive, about $300 per radiator. We found a few on Craigslist but none that would fit really well. So, K decided to make some. He's made two so far and already learned a lot. His first attempt was the kitchen radiator He used pine for the bottom, oak for the top, and an aluminum radiator screen for the front. All of the supplies were around $125.

I think it looks amazing but K wishes he did some things differently. Before starting the cover for the living room radiator, he borrowed my dad's Kreg Jig. A Kreg Jig is a tool that easily makes pocket holes when joining two pieces of wood (so says The Google). K really likes how the living room cover came out and kind of wants to redo the kitchen one No, right? It looks fine. The living room radiator does look really, really nice. We have three more radiators upstairs and five in P's apartment. This will definitely be a slow project since the materials aren't cheap, but I think the covers make a huge difference.

~E