Banquette seating with radiator behind?

[Doug71]

I have a kitchen wall panelling job coming up which will incorporate some banquette seating. The seating will go round a corner (so like an L shape) and one section of the seating will have a radiator behind it.

I have seen similar done in pubs etc and a quick Google brings up radiator covers in the style of benches but I'm a bit worried that bespoke joinery and radiators don't tend to mix very well!

It will all be painted so MDF can be used and I plan to put some kind of vent in the bottom of the bench and the same at the top/back of the bench to let the heat out.

Anyone done similar before? The back of the benches won't be upholstered or padded so I wondered if it would be beneficial putting some insulation on the back of them so they don't get too hot?

Photo of the corner below, the customer is happy to change the radiator if a lower one is needed or I wondered about maybe 2 radiators so there is one smaller one behind each bench? There isn't really any other suitable place for a radiator so looking like one needs to be incorporated in the seating somehow.

Thoughts, ideas?

 

[Bingy man]

Something like this would look decent and allow heat to leave the enclosure but you would need similar at the bottom as you have stated . Mdf is quite forgiving when it comes to heat and with radiators its convected heat not direct . Can’t see any point in insulation as you want the heat to leave and not get trapped . You could cover anything you want to protect with aluminium foil or that radiator foil that folk used to put behind radiators years ago ..
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Edit - quite late when I posted this last night - meant to add that any design would have to take account of any future maintenance or replacement of the radiator ( s ) and pipework .

 

[Fishandchips]

how about putting some ventilation at the bottom and fans in the top? The heat might struggle to escape with vents alone.

 

[johnnyb]

Definitely need a rethink here maybe install a plinth heater into the side of the L.

 

[johnnyb]

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[Jarno]

The efficiency of the radiator will go down if you enclose it, but then again, it's not great with the couch pushed up against it anyway. How hard do you need it to keep the room comfortable?
As others have mentioned, adding mechanical ventilation will help a lot to replace the natural convection radiators need to work. Do need to think about easy access to be able to remove dust, or else you'll blow around a lot of dust which is not healthy.
Don't think the seat will get to hot, I made a little bench in front of a radiator in the kitchen, where the kids take off their dirty shoes, and it is quite nice if you've just been outside in foul weather, cats love it too

 

[Sean33]

I have a kitchen wall panelling job coming up which will incorporate some banquette seating. The seating will go round a corner (so like an L shape) and one section of the seating will have a radiator behind it.

I have seen similar done in pubs etc and a quick Google brings up radiator covers in the style of benches but I'm a bit worried that bespoke joinery and radiators don't tend to mix very well!

It will all be painted so MDF can be used and I plan to put some kind of vent in the bottom of the bench and the same at the top/back of the bench to let the heat out.

Anyone done similar before? The back of the benches won't be upholstered or padded so I wondered if it would be beneficial putting some insulation on the back of them so they don't get too hot?

Photo of the corner below, the customer is happy to change the radiator if a lower one is needed or I wondered about maybe 2 radiators so there is one smaller one behind each bench? There isn't really any other suitable place for a radiator so looking like one needs to be incorporated in the seating somehow.

Thoughts, ideas?

View attachment 168918

If it helps any I am about to do similar at home. What we have decided is to do away with our rad and replace in the banquette a plinth heater and on the opposite wall an electric rad, was far cheaper than having the floor up, pipes added etc and still gives us the flexibility

 

[TomGW]

Plinth/toe space heater for sure. You will gain extra space too.

 

[Jake]

I stuck two of these into kitchen cabinets and have had no problems at all with the MFC cabs or laminated MDF face panels (with mesh-filled cut outs top and bottom for airflow). Built-In - Invisible power - Jaga

I then stuck a big encased version on the wall in our living room behind a big sofa, they are convection so the heat mainly comes out the top rather than the side so the sofa is fine. Much quieter than a plinth heater. I have fan assisted ones but they only come on in really cold snaps and then only for a bit to boost output.