apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's hard to tell in the photo if the top of the radiator is flat or at an angle. If it's flat, you could lay a piece of wood on the top to create a shelf. We had an extra shelf from Ikea that we decided to use on the radiator rather than hang up on the wall and it's great.

The challenge is in the fact that the vents are on top, so you might want a shelf with legs so the vents are not covered.

You can paint those radiators. You may want to paint them in the summer when they're turned off, because the heat of the radiator could cause the paint to dry too fast. Find out the temperature of the surfaces to see if you need high-temperature paint.

I had mine pained the same color as the walls. In my opinion that is what works best - they blend in and you really don't notice them.

I've just painted the radiator cover-thing in my dining room along with the walls and I agree it should be painted, especially when using a bold wall color. What's the use of having it stick out?

I've had the same problem. Although my vents are on top, there is air intake on the bottom. I was surprised how much custom covers cost. It probably is a fairly simple DIY project, just need good planning and a willing lumber yard who can help you with your cut list. Maintaining access to the controls, vents and removal for servicing seems to be the biggest problem.

Personally, I hate painted covers. I made that mistake on my last apartment. If you decide to go that route, be sure to use a heavy enamel, preferably specifically for metal. A spray gun will help create an even coat without it getting that paint build-up look.

Also, I've always been told that you should use high-heat paint or you'll end up with months of paint fumes. Not sure I entirely believe this, but I've never tested to see if this is true. You can buy high-heat paint at Lowes and HD, but I've only found white, which kind of limits you. If I were you, I'd probably just take a chance and paint it the same color as the walls, like some others have mentioned above. Still, might be worth checking to see if you can get your wall color in a high-heat base. Anyone else have any experience with the issue of high-heat vs. standard paint?

We painted ours and it came out great. We used a tons of cardboard, painter's tape, and plastic to surround all surrounding areas of the heater. We used a can of spray-paint from 12-inch distance and put on a very light layer. Once it dryed, we repeated this technique several times until it was evenly covered in paint. You get a nice even finish with no build-up without having to buy a spray gun.

Regarding high-heat paint--can't most any paint be tinted? I'm not sure, but might be something to investigate.

I feel like you could find a thick slab of wood to sit on top as a modern shelf. The trick would be to provide away for air to exit the radiator. Perhaps the shelves could have some feet (try doorstops, like http://tinyurl.com/2fcmdg that would keep the shelf from sitting right on the top, thus allowing room for air movement. Make a three-sided wood wrap that attaches to the wall on either side of the radiator, allowing it to float off the floor (allowing room for air to enter the radiator).

High heat? Dang, those radiators must really cook! I'd use regular old paint.

I have the same radiators in my apartment - air out the top - filter on the bottom - and unfortunately none of the inexpensive radiator cover companies can accommodate this. The only people I found who would - wanted to charge me $3,000 which was so ridiculous - I almost started laughing over the phone.

I'd paint it - but part of what I hate about it is the industrial "office" look. The last thing I want in my apartment is something that looks like it belongs with cubicles and fake potted plants. I would be eternally grateful for a solution.

FYI - those are Fan Coil Units (FCUs for short). Think of a car radiator with a fan. It can run chilled water in the summer for AC and heated water in the winter for, well, heat. We have the same things in our building. The air coming out of mine is 130 degrees F right now (35 degrees outside.)

Several people in the building have painted theirs, and I don't know what type of paint they used, but I suspect some have used plain old latex paint (they painted the covers when they did the walls.)

I am trying to get ideas for my FCUs, too. It does have to be accessible to change filters, which limits the options a bit. I really hate the generic beige that came on the things. Also, mine are flush mounted - just a flat metal plate with vents and a couple of access covers. It also has a zillion screws which have to be dealt with for the aforementioned filter changes.

Best of luck!

Jeff