When you have measured your radiator as in step 4, you should add the recommended minimum clearances to each measurement as below this will give you the cabinet size.
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RadCabinets |
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Step 5: Cabinet Measurements
When you have measured your
radiator as in step 4, you should add the recommended minimum clearances to
each measurement as below this will give you the cabinet size.
| Width: | ADD 132mm | = 2 x (30mm actual clearance + 18mm side +18mm skirting |
| Height: | ADD 100mm | = (70mm actual clearance + 30mm top board) |
| Depth: | ADD 66mm | = (24mm actual clearance + 6mm screen + 18mm frame + 18mm skirting) |
| The cabinets can be made slightly smaller or much larger to suit your circumstances. For example, you may want to have a much larger cabinet to sit centrally under a window or you may need a slightly smaller cabinet because of the position of a wall socket etc. | ||
| Step 1- Choose Style |
| Step 2- Choose number of Panels |
| Step 3- Choose Grille Pattern |
| Step 4- Measure your Radiator |
| Step 5- Work out cabinet size |
| Step 6- Look at Variations |
| Step 7- See cost charts |
The following drawings show some common problems and how we resolve them. In each case we've shown a radiator cabinet, but the same situations apply to bookcases and cupboards in exactly the same way.
Make reference to the above drawing, which shows our standard clearances, and use it to compare the standard clearances to the special cases shown below.
Side Fitting
Much of the time a radiator is placed near to a corner or in an alcove (between two walls). However, on a standard cabinet (shown above) the top and skirting boards overlap the main body of the cabinet by 18mm on each side, which would leave an untidy gap between the cabinet body and the wall.
This can be solved by using the 'side fitting' option, which we provide at no extra charge. The upright section at the front of the cabinet (with the decorative vertical fluting) is extended to the left so that it becomes flush with the wall you're fitting the cabinet up to. It can even be scribed on site if the wall is uneven, so that it matches perfectly. An example is shown below.
In addition, on radiator cabinets only (not bookcases or cupboards), the side panel is cut away from the wall to allow for any pipes to pass through unrestricted.
Clearances used for Side Fitting
(Remember that for a normal radiator, you measure the width of the radiator and add 132mm to get the cabinet width.)
The picture below shows a radiator that is close to the corner of the room. A side fitting on the left is ideal for this situation.
Instead of measuring the radiator as a whole, measure from the wall on the left to the outside of the right-hand valve on the radiator (as shown by the red line). Let's say that this measurement is 850mm, which would make the cabinet size:
850mm (wall to outside of right-hand valve)
+ 66mm (standard clearance for right-hand side only)
= 916mm (overall size of cabinet).
This above drawing shows the finished, fitted radiator cabinet. Note that the side fitting option allows the left-hand edge of the cabinet's skirting board to be cut on site to fit perfectly into the existing skirting board in the room.
Power sockets and other obstructions
There is 36mm of material at each side of a radiator cabinet, made up of two layers of 18mm: the skirting board and the side panel itself. The picture below left shows a cabinet where just 41mm (36mm+5mm) has been added to the side clearance instead of the usual 66mm (see previous page for the standard clearances). This is so that the cabinet doesn't block the plug socket.
The right hand picture shows how you could further reduce the width of the cabinet if the wall obstruction is even closer to the radiator.
The picture on the left shows how a similar treatment has been used to keep a thermostatic valve outside the cabinet. Alternatively, you could extend the size of the cabinet to enclose a thermostatic valve (and a power socket) as shown on the right.
© Acorn
Webs - Last updated March 2004
