Radiator Foil & Reflector Insulation
Help direct more radiator heat back into your room instead of towards the wall behind it.
Our reflective radiator foil is designed for fitting behind household radiators, creating a reflective layer between the radiator and wall. Lightweight, easy to cut and simple to install, it is an inexpensive DIY improvement for radiators throughout the home.
- Reflects radiant heat back towards the room
- Cut to size for your individual radiators
- Simple DIY installation behind existing radiators
Sale price£12.74
Regular price
£14.99
In stock
£12.74
Need help choosing?Watch: How Radiator Reflector Foil Works
Why put reflective foil behind your radiators?
A radiator heats the room in front of it, but heat is also radiated towards the wall behind the radiator.
Radiator reflector foil creates a reflective surface behind the radiator to help redirect radiant heat away from the wall and back towards the room.
It can be particularly useful where radiators are fitted against external walls, where reducing unnecessary heat transfer towards the wall is desirable.
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Reflect heat towards the room
A reflective surface helps redirect radiant heat away from the wall behind the radiator.
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Ideal for external walls
Particularly useful behind radiators positioned on colder outside-facing walls.
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Quick DIY improvement
No specialist tools are normally required. Measure, cut and position the foil behind the radiator.
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One roll — multiple radiators
Choose the roll length that suits your project and cut individual pieces for different radiators around the home.
How radiator reflector foil works
How to fit radiator reflector foil
Radiator foil is designed to be a straightforward DIY job. For most installations there is no need to remove the radiator.
Allow the radiator to cool before working behind it. Take care around hot surfaces, pipework and electrical fittings.
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Step 1 — Measure
Measure the width and height of the area behind your radiator. The foil should normally sit behind the radiator where it is largely hidden from normal view.
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Step 2 — Mark the foil
Transfer your measurements onto the foil. Allow for radiator brackets, pipes or other obstructions where necessary.
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Step 3 — Cut to size
Cut the foil carefully using suitable scissors or a utility knife.
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Step 4 — Position behind the radiator
Place the foil behind the radiator with the reflective face directed towards the radiator/room.
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Step 5 — Secure it
Secure the material so that it remains flat and located behind the radiator. The original folded listing includes self-adhesive pads for fixing to the wall. Leave a small air gap behind the radiator where practical, as advised on the original listing, and do not obstruct the radiator or its airflow.
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Step 6 — Check the finish
From normal viewing angles the foil should be largely concealed behind the radiator.
Tip: Measure each radiator before cutting. Different radiators in the same house may require different-sized pieces.
Where can radiator reflector foil be used?
It is suitable for use behind many conventional wall-mounted household radiators, including in:
- Living rooms
- Bedrooms
- Hallways
- Dining rooms
- Home offices
- Kitchens
- Rental properties
- Older properties
- Radiators mounted on external walls
Where is it most useful?
Radiator reflector foil is especially worth considering where a radiator is mounted against an external wall. Instead of leaving the wall immediately behind the radiator as the receiving surface, the reflective foil provides a reflective barrier facing the radiator.
Which radiator foil size do I need?
Measure the area behind each radiator you want to cover, then calculate the total amount of foil required. If covering several radiators, add the widths required together and allow a little extra for cutting. All current options are 60cm wide.
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25 Metres x 60cm Roll
£26.34
A longer radiator foil roll for covering several radiators around the home.
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10 Metres x 60cm Roll
£16.14
A useful general-purpose roll when you have more than one or two radiators to cover.
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5 Metres x 60cm Roll
£12.74
A smaller roll for one or two radiators, or a first installation.
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5 Metres x 60cm Folded
£12.74
The same 5 metre × 60cm coverage as the 5 metre roll, supplied folded for more compact storage and handling.
For one or two radiators
Choose the smaller roll that provides enough material for your measurements.
For several radiators
A longer roll may offer a more convenient way to cover multiple radiators around the home.
Folded option
The 5 Metres × 60cm Folded option is the compact folded format of the 5 metre length. Use it when you want the shorter length in a format that is easier to store and handle before cutting.
Measure before you order
- Measure the width behind the radiator.
- Measure the required height.
- Multiply/total this across all radiators you intend to cover.
- Choose the roll length that gives enough material for the job.
- Allow a sensible amount for trimming and cutting.
Good to know
- Lightweight and easy to cut
- Designed for positioning behind radiators
- Useful for individual radiators or whole-house projects
- Can be trimmed around brackets and pipework
- Reflective surface should face towards the radiator
- Measure before ordering
- Allow the radiator to cool before fitting material behind it
- Radiator foil is not a substitute for proper wall or property insulation
Radiator reflector foil explained
Radiator reflector foil is a reflective insulation material made to sit in the narrow space between a household radiator and the wall. A typical radiator warms the air and surfaces in front of it, but it also radiates heat backwards. On an internal wall that may matter less; on an outside-facing wall, more of that rearward heat is simply directed into the masonry instead of the room you are trying to heat.
Fitting foil behind radiators gives that rearward heat a reflective surface to meet. The idea is not complicated: the shiny face of the heat reflective foil for radiators should look towards the radiator, so radiant heat is encouraged back towards the room rather than being absorbed by the wall. Used this way, it is a radiator heat reflector rather than a full insulation system for the building.
People usually look at radiator reflective foil when they notice a cold patch on the wall around a radiator, when a radiator sits on an external wall, or when they want a small DIY improvement that does not involve draining the heating system. Because the material is lightweight, it can be marked, trimmed and slid into place for many conventional wall-mounted radiators without taking the radiator off the wall.
External walls are the most common reason to consider reflective insulation behind radiators. The wall behind the radiator is often the coldest nearby surface. A radiator reflector insulation layer does not change how the boiler works, and it does not claim to replace cavity wall insulation, solid-wall insulation or any other building fabric measure. It simply puts a reflective barrier in the place that would otherwise receive heat from the back of the radiator.
Fitting radiator foil is a measuring and cutting job. You record the width and useful height behind each radiator, mark the sheet, and cut around brackets or pipes so the piece sits flat and largely out of sight. The original product listings describe a small air gap behind the radiator and warn against blocking airflow. Keep the finish neat: from normal viewing angles the sheet should disappear behind the radiator rather than show around the edges.
Measuring radiator reflector foil before you order avoids shortfalls. Add up the widths you intend to cover, check the height you can actually hide, and allow extra for trimming. A radiator foil roll is then chosen by length. A shorter roll suits one or two radiators; a longer roll is often more convenient if you are cutting pieces for several rooms on the same job.
Using one roll for multiple radiators is straightforward because you cut what you need as you go. Measure the next radiator before you cut the next piece — sizes are rarely identical throughout a house. The folded 5 metre option is the same width and length as the 5 metre roll, supplied folded so it is easier to store and handle until you are ready to cut.
Among DIY radiator efficiency improvements, this is one of the simpler ones: no plumbing, no specialist tools in most cases, and a clear place to put the material. The benefit you are aiming for is practical and local — reducing heat directed towards the wall behind a radiator, and helping more of the radiator’s radiant heat stay associated with the room in front of it.
Frequently asked questions
What does radiator reflector foil do?
It creates a reflective layer between a radiator and the wall so radiant heat directed backwards has a surface that can send it towards the room instead of into the wall.
Where should radiator foil be fitted?
Behind conventional wall-mounted household radiators, sitting in the space between the radiator and the wall so it is largely hidden from normal view.
Which way should radiator reflector foil face?
The reflective surface should face towards the radiator and the room, not towards the wall.
Do I need to remove my radiator to fit reflector foil?
Usually no. For most installations the foil can be measured, cut and positioned behind the radiator without removing it. Allow the radiator to cool first and work carefully around brackets and pipes.
Can I cut radiator reflector foil to size?
Yes. It is lightweight and intended to be cut to the width and height you need with suitable scissors or a utility knife. Trim around brackets and pipework where required.
Can I use one roll for several radiators?
Yes. Cut individual pieces from the same roll. Measure each radiator before you cut, because sizes often differ from room to room. A longer roll is often more convenient for a multi-radiator job.
Is radiator foil useful behind radiators on external walls?
That is where it is especially worth considering. An external wall behind a radiator is a cold surface that otherwise receives heat from the back of the radiator. The foil provides a reflective barrier facing the radiator instead.
How do I measure how much radiator foil I need?
Measure the width and useful height behind each radiator you want to cover, add those widths together, then choose a 60cm-wide roll long enough for the total, with a little extra for trimming.
Can radiator foil replace wall insulation?
No. It is a reflective layer for the space behind a radiator. It does not replace cavity wall insulation, solid-wall insulation or other property insulation.
Is radiator reflector foil easy to install?
For most people it is a straightforward DIY job: measure, mark, cut and position. No specialist tools are normally required. Let the radiator cool, and take care around hot surfaces, pipework and electrical fittings.