A hot water heater does the necessary job of… heating the home’s water.
A heater is a forgettable appliance until the water runs cold in the middle of a nice shower. Or, when it sticks out like a sore thumb from its clunky/ugly appearance.
Want to make the unit match the home aesthetics? Read on to learn some stylish home water heater coverup ideas.
But first…
Hot Water Heater Do’s and Dont’s
There are four common water heater types:
- Tank
- Tankless
- Electric
- Fuel/Fire
These units need ample open space because of their heating units.
A water heater can reach 120-140 degrees Fahrenheit. This keeps your water nice and toasty when taking showers and baths. The comfort easily answers the question of, “why should I use a propane water heater?”.
The problem, though:
The heat could make quick work of soft items like your favorite sweater. The boiling temperature and moisture can damage items too close in proximity.
Blocking full access to water heaters pose real problems, too:
- Inadequate maintenance creating dangerous operations
- Enclosed spaces compressing gasses and fuel
Understand your heater type to protect everyone before enclosing it with features. You never know if you’ll need to access it in rapid fashion!
Hiding a Hot Water Heater: Try One of These
Water heaters are rather unsightly when exposed to the rest of the home’s aesthetic. The heater’s designers factored function over form. Its necessity doesn’t give you a lot of options for blending it in…or does it?
Try one of these hot water heater cover up ideas.
1. Completely Enclose It
You can enclose tankless water heaters, though leave some space for ventilation. You could move the unit into a prefabricated area or build one yourself.
Build the enclosure:
- Plan the enclosure by drawing designs
- Buy supplies — 2×4’s, drywall, and door
- Frame the 2×4’s to the wall studs
- Frame the rest of the enclosure
- Nail the drywall in place
- Fit the door
The enclosure is a giant rectangular box not requiring a lot of DIY finesse. This project should cost no more than $50-$100 in supplies.
2. Use Louvered Doors
Louvered doors, the ones with slats, make for a visually pleasing way to hide the heater. You’ll need two doors and hinges to build this easy cover-up.
Build it:
- Buy your doors, hinges, and screws
- Match the doors edge-to-edge
- Connect the two using hinges
Stand the connected doors upright at an L-angle around the heater. You could connect one or two more to create a standing divider, too! Add a touch of paint to add a lively feature to your room.
3. Install a Curtain
A curtain is your cheapest and easiest option to hide a heater. Supplies shouldn’t cost more than $20 – $50 with the main expense the curtain fabric.
Get one of these curtain rod types depending room’s layout:
- Straight
- Curved
- Round
Mount the brackets get the rod in place, then add your curtain. Going with the curtain makes heater access easier than the other options.
Get Crafty, Go DIY
Hiding a hot water heater is an easy DIY project you’ll have no trouble doing. The project can turn a drab corner space into an eye-catching feature.
How would you turn the ugly unit into something aesthetically pleasing? If you have any suggestions, feel free to contact us and let us know your thoughts!