Home D.I.Y

Cast iron radiators are fast becoming an increasingly popular item for many home improvement projects. Modern radiators don’t have any of the physical charm that an old one has, which is probably the reason why so many of us tend to park the sofa in front of them. With a cast iron radiator however, you’ll want it do be in full view as these relics from our recent past certainly look the part, especially in a period home or any public building from the late Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war periods.

Invented around 1850, the cast iron radiator was intended to replace the coal or log fire which were ubiquitous in homes and dwellings right across society. However seeing as the cast iron radiator would only work with some form of water heating such as a gas, oil or coal fired boiler, they were very expensive to install. For this reason only the very wealthy could afford cast iron radiators throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Seeing as these new fangled home heating appliances were being made for the wealthiest people in society, they featured more than their fair share of ornate decorations such as scroll work, leaf designs and other embellishments. People not only wanted the clean dust and soot free heating that these new radiators offered, they also wanted to show them off in all their glory. And being cast from iron made adding these ornate designs to an otherwise drab or bland radiator a straightforward process for Victorian or Edwardian ironmongers.

These early ornate radiators are highly sought after today and thanks to the ever growing reclamation and recycling trend, one can quite easily find an original Victorian radiator complete with all it’s ornamental splendour. Of course such objects will demand a premium price, but many of the more recent models which aren’t so grand or ornate, being intended for use in public buildings such as schools and hospitals can be found at much more affordable prices.

The great news about using reclaimed cast iron radiators in modern homes is that they can be used with many modern heating technologies. If you have an air source heat pump of a ground source heat pump, you can still use an ancient radiator with them. The same goes for many of the new breed of eco friendly and super efficient boilers, they do not need to be installed in conjunction with a new fangled radiator in order to work efficiently, and an old cast iron radiator will do the job equally well.

By Barry Summers and Carl Liver