What is the best material to put behind a radiator?

Author: Dr. Mittie Crist IV  |  Last update: Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Placing reflective foil insulation behind the radiator reflects this radiated heat into the room, enhancing the radiator's efficiency in heating the space.

What is best to put behind a radiator?

Ceramic tile is fine. Anything you put between the radiator and wall reduces the amount of heat absorbed by the wall.

Does putting foil behind radiators really work?

In Summary. Placing foil behind radiators can reflect heat into living spaces, potentially saving on heating bills, especially effective on external walls. However, kitchen foil isn't ideal as it degrades and crinkles over time. Specialized radiator reflectors like Radflek are more durable and effective.

What is the most efficient radiator reflector?

Radflek is one of the easiest and most cost effective methods of energy saving in the home - at least 23% more efficient than louvered or saw toothed radiator reflector panels and quicker and easier to install.

What should you not put around a radiator?

Do not place any large objects, curtains, or any other type of obstructions that could effect airflow in front of or next to the radiator.

#DIY- How Do You Install A Radiator Reflector Foil? - Do It Yourself - Orange Packaging

Can you put a couch against a radiator?

It's recommended to maintain a gap of at least one foot (12 inches) between your furniture and radiators. However, for extra protection, you can also use insulated or reflective barriers as heat protectors to safeguard your furniture from the adverse impact of radiator heat.

What do you put on a wall with a radiator?

One of the most popular decorative items to put above a radiator is a simple shelf. This provides a pretty surface area to display your favourite vases, candles, family photos, you name it. You could also put plants on the shelf above your radiator as long as you water them regularly.

Can I use Thermawrap behind radiators?

Thermawrap Radiator Foil is a highly reflective 1mm thick PE backed membrane which offers the same Thermal resistance as 30mm of EPS (Extruded Polystyrene). It can be used as reflective insulation for behind radiators, in suspended or floating floors or just general purpose insulation.

What material is a good reflector of heat?

Aluminum Foil: Aluminum foil is a widely used insulation material due to its excellent heat-reflective properties. It efficiently reflects heat radiation, reducing heat transfer and providing an effective barrier against radiant heat.

What is the most efficient radiator material?

Aluminium Radiators - The Kings of Efficiency

Aluminium is an excellent conductor of heat which means, when used as a radiator material, it's heats up to the desired room temperature very quickly. This means that less energy is used in bringing the material up to temperature when compared with other radiator metals.

How much difference do radiator reflectors make?

A Radflek sheet placed between the radiator and the wall will reduce the amount of heat being wasted in heating the wall by reflecting at least 95% of that heat back into the room. This means less energy is needed to heat the room to the required temperature.

Can SuperFOIL be used behind radiators?

The SuperFOIL RadPack Heat Reflective Radiator Foil Insulation provides an economical solution to prevent heat loss and reduce household energy bills. Installed behind radiators, SuperFOIL Rad-Pack works by reflecting over 95% of infrared energy away from the wall and back into the living space.

What are the disadvantages of foil behind radiators?

Tinfoil isn't rigid enough to slide easily behind any radiators so you would need to remove them from the wall to get tinfoil installed. Also, tinfoil creases very easily and it looks terrible. So if the radiator is in an area where it is seen you want something more aesthetically pleasing.

How to make your own radiator reflector?

Cheap Radiator Reflectors to Lower Your Fuel Bills
  1. Cardboard cartons or other source of corrugated card.
  2. Reflective silver coated material.
  3. Electricians' tape (preferably in a colour that matches the decor) or decorative silver sticky tape.
  4. Double sided tape or a stapler.
  5. File spines/binders of the slide-on type (optional)

Does ceramic tile reflect heat?

Aparici ceramic tiles, renowned for their exceptional quality, have a reflective surface, particularly in their light-coloured variants. This characteristic allows them to deflect a substantial amount of sunlight, thus preventing excessive heat absorption within the living space.

What is the best fabric to reflect heat?

Regardless of the colour of the fabric face, a white-backed fabric will be an excellent heat reflector. Both blackout and sunscreening fabrics are available with a white backing so you can have the added benefit of heat reflection regardless of how much light you want to let into a room.

Is aluminum foil a good heat reflector?

It is impervious to water vapor and convection currents, and reflects 95% of all radiant energy which strikes its air- bound surfaces. The performance of most aluminum insulation is unsurpassed for upward winter heat it has an added efficiency for downward summer heat because of the absence of convection currents.

Which is the most effective reflector?

The most popular are sunfire and soft silver. Soft silver is 50% silver and 50% white, whereas a sunfire is stripes of silver and gold. Sunfire reflectors are, in my opinion, probably the most useful of all reflectors and certainly create a very pleasing effect.

What can you put behind a radiator?

Radiator foil and radiator heat reflector foil are essential materials for improving energy efficiency in homes. Designed to reduce heat losses by reflecting heat back into the room, these foils are highly effective when placed behind radiators.

Which radiator reflector is best?

The amount of heat reflected back will depend on the radiator reflector you use, but Radflek and SuperFOIL Radpack are regarded as the most efficient – these brands claim that 95% of this lost heat can be reflected back into the room. Radflek says a single sheet could save nearly 9kg of CO2 and up to 83kWh per year.

How effective is insulation behind radiators?

Radiator foil, offered by Orange Packaging, provides premium insulation that reflects up to 95% of heat back into the room. These reflectors are not only efficient but also easy to install, durable, and inexpensive.

Where should you not put a radiator?

Keep it away from furniture

Wherever you choose to put it, try not to position your radiator behind large items of furniture, such as the sofa or cabinets.

Does foil behind radiators work on internal walls?

On external walls, tests have shown that it reduces heat leaking through the wall outside, stopping waste. On internal walls, it will have the same effect where the temperature of the space on the other side of the wall is low (such as in a hallway or a neighbouring home in a terrace).

Should there be a gap between radiator and wall?

A radiator should be positioned 2cm or more away from a wall. Our wall-mounted designer radiators come supplied complete with wall fixings, which will ensure your radiators are set at least 2cm from the wall once installed.

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