Decorating Around Baseboard Heating Boxes??? (bureau, floor, drapes, paint)
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We are looking at homes in a different state. Many of them have what is called baseboard heating which involves a metal box/cover running along most of the baseboards extending out about 2 -3 inches from the wall. One home we liked was empty and these things looked really ugly. They were beige colored; while the walls were white. Is it okay to paint these to match and blend in with the walls? Or is there some kind of fire hazard involved? Also, I assume you have to place furniture out away from these strips to not block the heat and doesn't that mean that you end up with less functional room space? Anybody familiar with this type of heating that could provide some feedback would be appreciated! TIA.
Thanks for the info. I think its hot water but am not 100% sure...Does it make a difference regarding painting them?
Either one can be painted.
I grew up in a house built in the 50's that had hot water heat and baseboard heating. My mother's house was a Parade of Homes house... it was beautiful.
Hers were painted to match the walls.
I have electric baseboard heat in my current house. They were original to the house and ugly. I'm replacing mine as I renovate with new ones that have a beautiful, shiny factory finish. I will not be painting them!
We've painted them without a problem and just used ordinary latex paint to either match the walls or match the trim in the rest of the room.
They do distribute heat more evenly in a room - that's one of the benefits; however, decorating around them is a royal pain. Blocking them with furniture does mean that the heat from them has to find a longer path to the room's airspace. They also cause the problem of not being able to put furniture right up against the wall such as bookcases. Long drapes should end above them. Having been-there-done-that, it is possible to live with them.
In an empty house the baseboards would indeed stick out like a sore thumb! However, once a house is full of furniture and such, they're truly not so noticeable!
We've painted them without a problem and just used ordinary latex paint to either match the walls or match the trim in the rest of the room.
They do distribute heat more evenly in a room - that's one of the benefits; however, decorating around them is a royal pain. Blocking them with furniture does mean that the heat from them has to find a longer path to the room's airspace. They also cause the problem of not being able to put furniture right up against the wall such as bookcases. Long drapes should end above them. Having been-there-done-that, it is possible to live with them.
In an empty house the baseboards would indeed stick out like a sore thumb! However, once a house is full of furniture and such, they're truly not so noticeable!
Yikes! I never even thought of the bookcase issue - maybe thats why we saw so many built-ins! And the even heat distribution is definitely a good thing. Hmmmm. Lots to think about. Thanks for all the good info. P.S. Don't the drapes stopping above them make them look like flood pants?!?!
The lack of dust, drafts and cold spots in your rooms will outweigh any decorating issues. The only down side I remember to hot water baseboard heat was dusting the danged covers.
LMAO at the "flood pants," but it wouldn't look too silly unless maybe the curtains start at the ceiling. Your curtains should stop above the baseboard, but it's not any kind of hazard if they go to the floor (ignore me if it's electric baseboard heat). Hot water pipes don't get all that hot. Especially if the curtains are thin, or if you're going to leave them open all the time anyway, there's not much heat being blocked.
The lack of dust, drafts and cold spots in your rooms will outweigh any decorating issues. The only down side I remember to hot water baseboard heat was dusting the danged covers.
LMAO ME TOO!! at the "flood pants," but it wouldn't look too silly unless maybe the curtains start at the ceiling. I agree. Your curtains should stop above the baseboard, but it's not any kind of hazard if they go to the floor (ignore me if it's electric baseboard heat). Hot water pipes don't get all that hot. Especially if the curtains are thin, or if you're going to leave them open all the time anyway, there's not much heat being blocked.
My curtain/drape lengths varied - in some rooms they were only as long as the window sill, but in the rooms where they went from window top to the baseboard radiators, they looked absolutely fine.
Reiterating what I posted before, yes, baseboard radiators can be a pain, but not impossible to decorate around. With furniture such as bookcases and bureaus that couldn't be placed flush against a wall, I used a variety of ways to mask the gap if it was visually bothersome - in most cases it wasn't. One "mask" I used in the guest room to hide the gap between the bureau and the wall was a medium-tall plant placed next to the bureau - gap gone (visually :-)
My curtain/drape lengths varied - in some rooms they were only as long as the window sill, but in the rooms where they went from window top to the baseboard radiators, they looked absolutely fine.
Reiterating what I posted before, yes, baseboard radiators can be a pain, but not impossible to decorate around. With furniture such as bookcases and bureaus that couldn't be placed flush against a wall, I used a variety of ways to mask the gap if it was visually bothersome - in most cases it wasn't. One "mask" I used in the guest room to hide the gap between the bureau and the wall was a medium-tall plant placed next to the bureau - gap gone (visually :-)
I like the idea of hiding the gap with a plant!
But how do you anchor the bookcases to the wall if they are out a couple inches??? Thanks for the response again.
It's my understanding that they place baseboard heat under windows intentionally so that the cold air from the window will be warmed by the heat -- They're rarely on walls that you'd be putting a bookshelf on.
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The only down side I remember to hot water baseboard heat was dusting the danged covers.
