Warm Up Your Home For Christmas

The best Christmas gifts for the home are the ones a household uses every day for years, and warmth is one of them. A cast iron radiator is a gift for every winter evening, built to order in the finish you choose. Order early because each one is hand assembled and sized to a room.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Key takeaways

  • The best Christmas gifts for the home are the ones a household uses every day for years, and warmth is one of them.
  • The best gifts for the home are the ones that last, such as radiator valves, wall stays and air vents.
  • The best gift for someone who has everything is a radiator made to their room and their colour.
  • Cast iron radiators are a good investment when you value long life over the lowest price.
  • Cast iron radiators are a good way to keep your house warm in winter because they hold heat and release it slowly.
  • The right choice for a home with central heating is a column cast iron radiator, and for a room without it an electric one.
  • The way to get a warm home for Christmas is to check the boiler, the radiators and the draughts before the cold arrives.

What are some good Christmas gifts for the home?

The best gifts for the home are the ones that last, such as radiator valves, wall stays and air vents. These are the small parts that usually finish a radiator, and they come in real metal finishes.

Our luxury air vents come in antique brass, antique copper, black nickel, brushed nickel and chrome. Belgravia thermostatic valve sets come in a wide run of metal finishes. Luxury wall stays and pipe sleeve kits match them, so a household can choose one finish and carry it across the room. They suit anyone who’s fitting or replacing radiators, and most households choose one finish for the whole room.

What to get for Christmas if I have everything?

The best gift for someone who has everything is a radiator made to their room and their colour. It can’t be bought off a shelf. Each radiator is built to order at our Lincolnshire factory.

You can match it to Farrow & Ball, Little Greene or Edward Bulmer paint, or choose an antiqued or highlighted paint effect. You can also have a hand polished finish. It does need a measured room and a plumber, so make it a decision you take with the recipient rather than a surprise.

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Are cast iron radiators a good investment for the home?

Cast iron radiators are a good investment when you value long life over the lowest price. They cost more upfront but they can last far longer than steel panel radiators which are often quoted as lasting somewhere between 10 and 20 years, and many Victorian originals are still in use.

We pressure test every radiator before it leaves. Each one carries a 10 year guarantee. A cast iron radiator won’t cut your heating bill on its own, because heat output depends on the BTU rating and not the material. The investment is in a radiator you only buy once.

How do cast iron radiators help keep your house warm in winter?

Cast iron radiators are a good way to keep your house warm in winter because they hold heat and release it slowly. The iron and the water inside are slow to cool, so a room keeps getting warmth after the boiler switches off, which is why a sitting room full of guests for hours is exactly where it works best. It’s a bit like a slow cooker: slow to get going then steady for a long time.

It doesn’t suit a ten-minute boost, because a cold cast iron radiator takes time to warm through. A radiator also can’t make up for a draughty room, and the Energy Saving Trust says an uninsulated home can lose around 25% of its heat through the roof.

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Should I choose a column or electric cast iron radiator for my home?

The right choice for a home with central heating is a column cast iron radiator, and for a room without it an electric one. A column radiator runs from your boiler or heat pump. An electric radiator has a 240V element that warms the liquid inside the casting.

Our electric range runs from around 420 to 2,800 watts, and the larger ones usually carry an element at each end, each on its own fused spur. The element is fitted at the factory, so choose electric or central heating when you order. Electricity also costs more per unit than gas – electric suits rooms such as a garden office or a loft conversion.

How do I get a warm home for Christmas?

The way to get a warm home for Christmas is to check the boiler, the radiators and the draughts before the cold arrives. Book a boiler service if you haven’t had one this year, because the Energy Saving Trust advises checking your boiler before a cold snap and it’s far easier to arrange a service now than to wait for a breakdown in the cold.

Bleed any radiator that’s cold at the top and draught proof old doors and windows. Choosing a radiator is one thing. Getting it fitted before Christmas is another, so ask about lead times early.

If you’re not sure what size suits the room, use our free heat calculator and then contact our team.

Check current lead times, finishes and any offers with our team before you order, because they change through the year. A radiator needs sizing to the room and fitting by a qualified installer, so it works best as a shared gift or one chosen with the person receiving it.  

“I want to say thanks and how fantastic the radiators look along with the cast quality and the excellent painting and polishing finish. I now can’t wait to get them installed! Many thanks again for all your help and assistance.”

“Thank you for all your help, we will definitely recommend Paladin to anyone we know who is looking for cast iron radiators and will get in touch when we’re needing radiators for our ground floor.”