Window Seat And Bookshelves In Fonr Of Baseboard Heating

Richie-C

Hey guys--I'm good for another perplexing question or two...this time it's personal!

Babies (twins!) on the way and some how I roped myself into building a window bench and some bookshelves to surround a window for their nursery. Never did it before (that's a whole other problem!) but my dillema for this post is that the wall I want to build these in front of is an exterior facing wall with baseboard heating. This is the only wall with a window (which you kind of need for a window seat). Is this a common problem, and if so, how do you handle it?

I was thinking of making the window bench "open" with bays for some storage baskets or bins. THis way the heat will at least escape through the openings.

Any tips would be appreciated (as always)

Richie

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Richie-C

Tom R

Jeez, Richie, - - sounds like you get all the 'fun' jobs!!

Not something I've run into, - - and maybe someone else knows better, - - but my initial reaction would be to relocate the baseboard heating 'forward' so that it can fit into a pre-planned recess in the window-seat cabinet/unit, - - and I would also 'angle' the top part of the recess (for better heat flow) and line it with decorative metal or similar to keep the heat from shrinking and moving the wood all the time.

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Richie-C

Hey Tom...you know--it never dawned on me to move the heat forward to become part of the shelving rather than burying it. Hmmmm--I'm not sure how that would work, but that might work nicely--I guess I'll have to post in the Plumbing forums too...

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Richie-C

Riversong

Short of moving the baseboard radiation, you can include a decorative wooden grating in the outside 3 inches of the window seat to allow the warmed air to rise, as it's supposed to.

There's a reason that baseboard units are mounted on outside walls, especially below windows - to counteract the cooled air falling down those walls, causing cold feet.

If you're building shelves above the baseboard, you can mount the uprights tight to the wall but space the shelves a couple inches off the wall and place 3/4 inch stops on the backs of the shelves to keep things from slipping back and blocking the air flow.

- Robert

sage

Install a toe kick heater in the bottom of your window bench. Easy Cheesy

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Tom R

Hey, - - I didn't even think of that, - - can I 're-submit'??

And the worst part is, - - I even installed one in my kitchen!!

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King of Crown

what are these things you guys keep talking about? you call them heaters? I have never heard of them.

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Real nice guys

Richie-C

Do these things give off a lot of heat?

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Richie-C

slowsol

They're pretty good for heat. We had a ton of them installed in a commercial kitchen in an old house (got converted) because there was no room for baseboard heat like the rest of the building. Ours were controlled by adjusting knobs on the wall.

Eric K

This is extremely weird but I'm doing the exact same thing to a house this week. I'm just building a custom toekick that will be about 12" tall and making it so the air will flow right through it to a decorative oak panel on the front. In the new made "duct-toekick" I am going to line the wood with a thin gauge aluminum or galv. I'm thinkin this is going to be the easiest way. They should be done or close to it by the end of the week. I'll post pics.

I was wondering to which would be best to use?
-Galvinized metal liner
-Aluminum (coil stock)

Richie-C

KBK--that would be awesome if you could post some pics. I have to get this project in high gear!

Thanks!

Richie

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Richie-C