A modern alternative to radiators, built on radiant warmth.
ThermaSkirt replaces the panel radiator with a continuous low-temperature radiant emitter that runs around the perimeter of every room. The result is a quieter, cleaner, more even kind of heat that works just as well on a heat pump as it does on a conventional boiler.
The panel radiator was a clever idea, for the heating systems of 1960.
Heating has moved on. Flow temperatures have come down, expectations of comfort have gone up, and the way we use the rooms in our homes has changed completely. The radiator has not. Four problems follow from that, and they compound the lower the flow temperature gets.
It is a convector, not a radiator
Despite the name, a panel radiator delivers most of its output by heating air. That air rises, crosses the ceiling and falls on the far side of the room, leaving a cold draught at floor level and a hot ceiling that does no useful work.
It needs hot water to perform
Radiator output drops sharply as flow temperatures fall. A radiator sized for 70°C loses roughly two thirds of its output at the 40°C flows a heat pump prefers, which is why retrofits so often end up two or three times the original size.
It dictates the room
Every panel takes 600 to 900mm of usable wall, plus the depth that pushes furniture into the room. Across a typical home that is five to seven metres of compromised wall before you have even considered how it looks.
It distributes dust
The convection current that carries heat from a radiator also carries dust and pet dander, depositing it on the wall above as a dark stain and circulating it around the room as an allergen.
Independently tested, installed across 85,000+ properties.
Replace one hot box with a perimeter of warmth.
A radiator concentrates the entire heat load of a room into a single small panel, then relies on a fast air current to spread it. Take that same heat load and stretch it around the room as a continuous low-temperature emitter, and the air current is no longer needed.
Heat radiates outwards from every wall at floor level, warming the surfaces of the room before it warms the air. Occupants feel the radiant warmth on their skin, not a hot draught from one corner. The thermostat can come down by a degree or two and the room still feels the same.
Four things move, all at once.
Removing radiators and installing ThermaSkirt is not a like-for-like swap. It changes comfort, space, future heat-source compatibility and indoor air quality together. The combined effect is what people notice on day one.
A perimeter of warmth, not a single hot spot.
ThermaSkirt emits radiant heat from every wall at floor level, raising the mean radiant temperature evenly. BSRIA thermal testing recorded less than 2°C variance across a typical room, compared with nearly 5°C for a single radiator delivering the same kilowatts.
- Even floor-to-ceiling temperature gradient
- No cold corners or draughty perimeters
- Feels like underfloor heating, without the delay
Walls and floors come back to you.
At 20mm deep it projects less than ordinary timber skirting, so sofas, beds and desks can sit flat against any wall. Floors stay untouched: there is no screed to pour, no boards to lift, and no door heights to alter.
- Full furniture freedom in every room
- No floor height change on retrofit
- Radiator-free homes typically command a 10 to 15% market premium
Built for low flow temperatures.
A continuous run of perimeter emitter provides the large surface area that low-temperature systems need, without the eyesore of an oversized radiator. The same property runs comfortably on a heat pump, biomass boiler, solar thermal, or a conventional gas boiler at condensing temperatures.
- Works at 35 to 45°C heat pump flows
- Lets condensing boilers actually condense
- Above-ground retrofit, no foundations to dig
Cleaner air, no hot surfaces, no sharp edges.
Because the heat is radiant rather than driven through fins, the system does not circulate dust. The smooth aluminium face wipes clean in seconds. Surface temperatures are well within touch-safe limits, with no protruding pipework or hard edges for children or older residents to catch on.
- No wall staining or dust deposition
- Touch-safe surface temperatures
- Trusted in healthcare and care home settings
A 17th-century townhouse, in two states.
A residential refurbishment in central London. The radiator was originally fitted under the front window of the lounge, dictating where the sofa could sit. The owners removed it, ran ThermaSkirt around the perimeter, and freed the wall back up for the way they actually use the room.
Wet or electric, the same alternative either way.
Most properties replace radiators with the wet version, which plumbs into the existing central heating loop. Where pipework is impractical, or in a single room, the electric version delivers the same skirting-level radiant heat without a drop of water.
The wet system.
Connects to any wet central heating system: gas, oil, biomass, heat pump, solar thermal. Replaces radiators with a continuous perimeter emitter. The original ThermaSkirt, in production since 2007 with over 85,000 installations.
Explore ThermaSkirt H₂OThermaSkirt-eThe electric system.
No pipework, no plumber. The heating element is built into the same skirting profile and wired in like a standard electric heater. Ideal for flats, off-grid properties, garden rooms, and any project where running new pipework is impractical.
Explore ThermaSkirt-e"I installed water-heated ThermaSkirt some 16 years ago when this was a relatively new company. Found it easy to install and it has worked very efficiently with no problems, much better than radiators."
Where to go next depends on who you are.
ThermaSkirt is specified, installed and lived with by three different audiences. The right detail for each is in its own hub.
For Homeowners
See ThermaSkirt by room, by heat source and by project type. Cost guides, samples, and a route to a qualified installer.
Open the homeowner hubFor Specifiers
Output tables, BSRIA and Energy House 2.0 data, HEM and SAP performance, application case studies and CPD bookings.
Open the specifier hubFor Trade & Installers
Installation guides, training, the Approved Installer programme, distributor stock locations and trade pricing.
Open the trade hubThe questions we hear most about replacing radiators.
Is ThermaSkirt a direct replacement for radiators?
Does it heat the room as effectively as a radiator?
Will I need to replace my boiler too?
How disruptive is the installation?
Is it available for electric-only properties?
How much does it cost compared with replacing radiators?
Ready to replace your radiators?
See ThermaSkirt up close, get an itemised quote, or talk through your project with the specification team.