Renovating Your Home? Add Beautiful Cast Iron Radiators for an Authentic Feel

Renovation can be a difficult task if you have a period property. Many people are keen to embrace new modern conveniences but still retain the charm of the original period features. The great thing about Victorian cast iron radiators is that they not only look authentic for period properties but they are also effective heating systems.

Planning Cast Iron Radiator Systems

These days cast iron is not so regularly used for domestic purposes. This is because it is a very dense, heavy material that requires specialist skills. However the dense properties of cast iron make it ideal for heating. Victorian cast iron radiators can retain a lot of heat and take a long time to cool down. This makes them very efficient as they can produce a lot more heat per square inch than conventional radiators using the same amount of energy.

Before you install Victorian cast iron radiators in your home you will have to consider the following issues:

• Existing Heating System – you will need to review your existing heating system to see what will be compatible with the new Victorian cast iron radiators. In some cases you may need to replace your boiler if you want to switch to a cast iron system.

• Heating System Requirements – you will also need to assess your home carefully and see how many radiators you need (and what sizes). Victorian cast iron radiators are very efficient so it may be the case that you need fewer radiators than with your previous system. It is important to work out your heating requirements. Not only will this ensure your new system is effective but it could also save you money on purchasing and installation costs (you will not be putting in more radiators than you actual need).

Radiator Sizes

An important issue for Victorian cast iron radiators is output. The larger the radiator is the more heat it will provide for a room. You don’t want to have radiators that are too large for your room as this can be a waste of both energy and space.

• It is easy to measure exactly how much heat output you need for your rooms using online radiator calculators.

• Heat output is measured in both BTU and watts. You will be able to work out the ideal output for your rooms and then buy the radiator size that can provide this.

• If you are unsure about using radiator calculators then you can get a professional heating engineer in to assess your heating requirements.

• They will be able to offer advice on what size Victorian cast iron radiators you will need for each room.

• It is best to overestimate your heating requirements slightly rather than to underestimate then.

• If radiators do not provide enough heat output for your rooms then you can find it difficult to heat your home properly.