Published on: Jun 30 2014

Things to bear in mind when buying new Skirting Boards

When you are building from new, or renovating and improving your home, one of the items that is often over looked or not budgeted for is new skirting boards.

Any new home or substantial improvement project would be incomplete without a nice, clean set of suitable skirting boards to compliment the freshly plastered and painted walls.

There are a million-and-one designs and profiles of skirting boards, and a wide range of materials, with MDF and hardwood being the two most popular medium.

But what about aluminium?

Here’s an interesting thought for you to consider; what if your skirting boards were also you heating system? Here are just some of the advantages of skirting board heating.

• Takes up no wall space – instantly creating more useable floor space by not cluttering your walls with bulky radiators. Did you know that radiator-free properties can command up to 15% more than similar properties with radiators?¹
• Very responsive – unlike under floor heating which heats the concrete and floor coverings 1st, skirting radiators start heating the room instantly, saving time and therefore money.
• No dust marks – unlike conventional radiators that rely on air currents to move the heat around, skirting radiators gently radiate the warmth ensuring there are no dust or dirt marks on you walls above.

• Health and Safety – Did you know that radiators are responsible for over 25,000 impact related injuries a year², mostly to the very young and the very old? Skirting board heating provides a smooth and sudden edge-free profile that prevents falls and trips resulting in a trip to A & E!
• Breath easy – circulating dust and spores (see #3) not only has a negative effect on your décor, it can also exacerbate respiratory illnesses such as asthma and other lung conditions. Skirting board heating has been endorsed by the UK Asthma society as a way of reducing symptoms.
• Cleanliness is next to godliness – skirting board radiators are now being extensively used in the NHS and other critical care environments due to their natural easy-clean characteristics.

• A simple wipe down eliminates the bugs and germs that love to live and breed behind your conventional radiator.
• Ease of installation – Imagine having to empty your room of furniture, remove your floor coverings and possibly rip up your floor just to fit under floor heating? Now imagine simply removing your existing skirting boards and replacing them with skirting radiators that connect onto your existing heating circuit. Simple, cost effective and minimal disruption.
• Never paint them again (unless you want to..) – unlike conventional timber skirting boards, radiant skirting heating is pre-finished in a tough, epoxy powdered coating that should never need painting (unless you fancy a change of scene).

• Peace of mind – imagine the nightmare of a leak in your under floor heating? Imagine the headache if you ever have to redesign the layout of your home and the heating is literally ‘set in stone’? No problem with skirting heating. Being above ground, even in the highly unlikely event of a problem it’s all easily fixable, and even moveable and re-useable if you decide to change the layout of your home.
• Energy efficiency – being more cosy and comfortable at lower energy levels means real energy savings and reduced bills. Independent tests have shown that skirting heating is up to 50% more effective than conventional radiators³ and typically 13~20% more energy efficient⁴ as a result.

And one more: imagine how useful it would be if the skirting radiators also had a built in cable duct to hide you speaker and data cables, and a removable top caulking strip that would make painting and redecorating a doddle. Well that would be point #11 to bear in mind!

So there you have it – a short and by no means comprehensive list of the advantages that radiant skirting board heating can bring to your project. Now available in a range of attractive profiles and a potentially limitless number of colours and finishes, skirting radiators can provide a uniquely flexible, responsive and above all energy efficient heating solution to your new build or refurbishment project, all neatly tucked away in the skirting boards. Who would have thought it?

¹ Source: Mckann Erikson 2000 report
² Source: RoSPA Hass & LaSS report 2000~2002
³ Swedish Institute of Climate Research 'Baseboard Radiant Heating' 2013
⁴ BSRIA Test 51379/1