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How to measure for a radiator cover

Updated: 22 October 2026

The expensive mistake is the wrong width. The box arrives flat-packed, you build for an hour, then the thermostatic valve fouls the back by a centimetre. Measure the whole envelope: panel, valves, tails, skirting and floor pipes. Compare that with the external size on the amazon.co.uk listing, not the word medium in the title. Do this before a row in the [radiator cover comparison](/hub/heating/radiator-cover). Style sits on the [radiator cover buying guide](/hub/heating/radiator-cover/sub/radiator-cover-buying-guide). Peter F. checked the listings and public UK sources. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The expensive mistake is the wrong width. The box arrives flat-packed, you build for an hour, then the thermostatic valve fouls the back by a centimetre.

Our top picks

Vida Designs Vida Designs Milton 78 cm

Best overall

Vida Designs Vida Designs Milton 78 cm
7.8/10about £29.50
View offer
Vida Designs Vida Designs Oxford 111 cm

Rank 2

Vida Designs Vida Designs Oxford 111 cm
7.7/10about £36.00
View offer
Vida Designs Vida Designs Chelsea 152 cm

Rank 3

Vida Designs Vida Designs Chelsea 152 cm
7.6/10about £39.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What to measure
  2. 2.Height, depth and width in order
  3. 3.TRVs, skirting and floor pipes
  4. 4.Match the numbers to a ready-made size
  5. 5.Before you order

What to measure

Height runs from the finished floor, or the top of the skirting if the cabinet must clear it, to the highest point inside: the radiator top, a high TRV head, or an upward pipe bend. Depth runs from the wall to the furthest point forward, usually the valve at the setting you use in cold weather, not the flat panel. Width spans the outermost left and right, including valves and angled tails. A listing such as 19D x 111W x 82H centimetres is the finished cabinet. Your envelope has to fit inside it. Blogs suggest rough tolerances. Only the item dimensions, and any diagram, are binding. Internal width is rarely quoted. If you are in doubt, ask the seller or take the next band up.

Height, depth and width in order

Use a steel tape. Measure the valves as they sit in the heating season. A head turned for summer will lie about winter clearance. For height, measure from the floor to the highest fixed point. Flat-packs rarely notch skirting, so many buyers sit the carcass slightly forward or accept a gap. Under a window, note the sill. The shelf must not foul it. For depth, measure wall to the furthest point, with the TRV at the cold-weather setting, on both sides if the pipes differ. Depths here run about 17.5 to 20.5 cm. If you exceed the listing, no slatted front shrinks the valve. You need a deeper bespoke cabinet, or a professional to move the pipework. For width, measure outermost left to outermost right, including heads that stick out sideways, and note how far floor-fed tails project. If the floor is uneven, record left height, right height and centre width. Photograph the tape against the radiator.
Vida Designs Vida Designs Milton 78 cm

Testsieger

Vida Designs Vida Designs Milton 78 cm
7.8/10about £29.50
View offer

TRVs, skirting and floor pipes

Valves belong in the width and depth, not in a maybe column. If enclosing the radiator traps the head behind the slats, the valve can sense warm air inside and close early. The room stays cool while the box feels hot. Leave the head outside, or fit a remote-sensor TRV with a heating engineer. That behaviour is on TRVs, heat, and radiator covers. Skirting steals depth at the bottom corners. Cutting the side exposes raw core unless you reseal it, so most people sit the carcass proud of the skirting or accept a step. On an uneven floor, shim. Forcing a twist racks the screw holes. GHC buyers report trimming panels around floor pipes. That is possible, and it ruins the factory edge if you do not reband and paint.

Match the numbers to a ready-made size

About 78 cm external width is the small hall. About 111 cm, or GHC at 112 cm, covers many double panels. About 152 cm is the full bay. The adjustable Chelsea is the only Yes for adjustable width, starting at 140 cm, for a measure between those bands. Most heights are 82 to 83.3 cm. The FATIVO at 92 cm is for a radiator that would show above a standard carcass. Open the exact ASIN. A medium label is not interchangeable across brands. Adjustable width forgives some span error. It does not forgive depth or height. If you are more than a few centimetres under 78 cm, a ready-made cover can look too wide even when it fits.

Before you order

Write down maximum height, depth and width, the TRV position, and the skirting and floor-pipe plan. The listing should be equal or larger on each axis, and wall fixings must be allowed. If the numbers are tight, dry-fit before the final screws. The best radiator cover page is the shortlist once the envelope is written down. It does not replace the tape.

Common questions

Do I measure the radiator or include the valves?
Include valves, heads and tails in the width and the depth. The steel panel alone is not enough.
How much extra height does the carcass need?
Compare your floor-to-top measure with the listing height, 82 to 92 cm in this set. The cabinet needs to meet or exceed your highest point, plus any clearance the manufacturer states.
What if the floor is uneven?
Measure both sides, shim at install, and avoid racking the carcass. Uneven torque splits MDF around the dowels.
How do I account for skirting boards?
Measure depth from the wall above the skirting. Decide whether the cabinet sits forward or you accept a step. Flat-pack kits rarely notch the skirting.
Will an adjustable cover forgive a measurement error?
Within its stated minimum and maximum span, it forgives width error more than a fixed size does. It does not fix a depth or height mistake.
What if pipes come up through the floor at an angle?
Note the projection in width and depth. Trimming is risky on veneered MDF if you do not finish the cut edge. A major clash is a pipework job, not a cabinet job.

Related pages

MDF radiator cover assembly

Radiator cover

Best radiator cover UK: hall, wide bay, adjustable

Radiator cover buying guide: size, slats and valves

Do radiator covers block heat? Slats, dust and TRVs

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these 12 listings were taken from the listing files. Page updated October 2026.

  1. B&Q Ideas & Advice — Do radiator covers block heat? (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Frenger Systems UK — Do radiator covers stop heat? (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Plumbworld — TRVs inside or outside covers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. DecoHome UK radiator cover buying guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Heat Adviser — How to measure for a radiator cover (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK Approved Document L, conservation of fuel and power (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk listings for the 12 compared ASINs (retrieved 21 October 2026)