Black Finish Radiators

The heated towel rail replacement market is a good opportunity for installers in 2013, according to Nick Whitwell, managing director of Quinn Radiators, who is predicting a rise in demand for painted finish towel rails as consumers realise heating function is just as important as form. Originally invented in the 1920s as bath radiators, after a period of absence heated towel rails re-emerged at the end of the 1990s. Initially seen as a luxury product, they have increased in popularity and decreased in price, becoming a standard feature in modern bathrooms. The last decade has seen consumers favouring chrome finishes to complement contemporary bathroom styling. However, this may be about to change, as design trends shift towards painted finish towel rails. Nick Whitwell, from Quinn Radiators, explains: "Chrome plated towel rails are still a popular design feature but many people who have them as the only heat source in the bathroom are noticing that they are generating enough heat to dry towels but not to heat the room. This is because chrome plating acts as an insulator, so the towel rail gets very hot but doesn't radiate much heat. Chrome is also more prone to rusting than other finishes such as stainless steel or paint. That's one of the reasons we're starting to see an increase in demand for paint finished towel rails, as well as the fact they can be colour matched to the rest of the bathroom which is a growing design trend. While white continues to be popular, we are seeing a particularly strong trend towards black painted rails but really the colour options are endless." Towel rails with traditional painted surfaces are not as hot to the touch, so can be a safer option with small children in the family, while radiating heat more effectively than chrome. Nick Whitwell continues: "Because towel rails have been popular since the late 1990s, there is a growing replacement market and many consumers are looking for an alternative to the popular chrome plated finish because they want a rail that will heat the room as well as their towels. There is also an increasing home improvement market as home owners look to improve rather than move. Installers have an important role to play in educating consumers about the different towel rail finishes that are available and their respective heat outputs. There is a growing realisation that towel rails need to be a functional part of the heating system as well as an attractive feature - particularly when they are the only heat source in the bathroom. So there is a significant market opportunity for those installers that can help consumers achieve the right heat and aesthetic balance in their bathrooms and take advantage of the increasing interest in painted finish towel rails. "We're continuing to invest in research and development to help those consumers who still want a metallic finish towel rail but with better heat output and reduced chance of rusting. As well as trialling different types of metallic paint finish, we have recently introduced a stainless steel product range which radiates heat better than chrome and won't rust."