Can you walk on the grille in heels?

Ordinary walking, yes, that's pedestrian load. A stiletto presses on a small area, and we don't publish an allowable value for it. If heels are daily, check with an engineer for your series and material.

Can you put a chair or sofa on the grille?

No. The legs give point load on one or two slats, and the body blocks the warm-air flow, and the convector stops doing its job.

Can you wheel a trolley or suitcase over the grille?

Better to avoid it until an engineer has confirmed the load for your grille. Wheels collect the weight into a point, and there are no figures for them in the open data.

Does the convector heat if there's a carpet on the grille?

Worse. Warm air must pass freely through the slats, so don't put a carpet or runner over the casing: you can walk on them, but they choke the flow.

Can you step on a convector grille

The question is logical: the grille lies on the path to the window, and someone is bound to step on it. “Yes” answers walking. Everything that presses on a small area — furniture legs, stilettos or wheels — is a separate matter, and that is exactly where grilles get damaged.

What “pedestrian load” means

The grille sits in a frame flush with the covering and is rated for walking. Walking distributes the weight, a table leg collects it on a few square centimetres. We don’t publish “kg per slat” or “kg per metre” figures on the site: there is no confirmable datasheet value here. For a passageway in a shop or under chairs on wheels, it is requested from an engineer in writing before ordering.

Grille material: what to remember when it’s walked on

Grille	For which series	What to remember
Aluminium Hi-Tech	S/C 90, S/C 120, 4S, Hydro	Transverse profile; on the grilles page it is recommended for high traffic
Wood WR: oak, ash, walnut	S/C 90, S/C 120, 4S	Afraid of corner impact and constant moisture; it is not available in the Hydro series
Metal: Inox, black, RAL	All series; in M/C 65 only the transverse “65 New”	Transverse or longitudinal; for wet areas stainless steel is used
Stone	Declared for S/C 90 and 120	No load data, ask an engineer

What harms the grille

Furniture on legs. The weight is the same, but the contact area is many times smaller. Besides, a cabinet or sofa over the casing will block the warm-air flow.
Stilettos and wheels. A heel, trolley or suitcase gives point pressure on one or two slats.
A corner impact. A heavy object dropped on a wooden slat can crack it, just like parquet.
Moisture for wood. Near pools and in wet areas, aluminium or stainless metal is used.
Sand and small items. Abrasive in the frame groove scratches the covering, and a coin or key between the slats falls into the casing. In fan versions it is better to avoid this.
A carpet, runner, floor-length curtain. You can walk over such a spot, but warm air no longer escapes, and the convector heats to no purpose.

When to choose differently

A wet room: the Hydro series with aluminium or metal, wood is not used here (there is a separate review on a convector in a wet room). A passageway with trolleys: first the load figure from an engineer, then the material. The covering isn’t laid yet or the edge is uneven: a ZL frame with greater joint overlap. Our position is simple: when you hesitate between wood and aluminium, and water in the room is possible even once a year, take aluminium. Sizes, ZN and ZL, materials are covered in detail in the material on how to choose a convector grille.

How to check the grille after installation

Step on the grille in the middle and near both edges: there should be no play or knocking.
The top of the grille is flush with the covering, there is no step under your foot.
The gap around the frame is even, the joint is covered.
The frame groove and under the slats are clean, no sand.
The grille comes out without tools: check once and put it back.
Nothing lies or stands over the casing.

If the grille knocks under footsteps, first remove sand from the groove and check that it has seated evenly in the frame. It should not be trimmed in place or forced in: the channel and grille sizes are checked against the drawing together with an engineer.

A damaged grille is replaced separately from the convector, the floor doesn’t need to be taken apart. For a replacement, give the series, length, type and colour of the grille and add a photo. Once a season it is removed and the casing is vacuumed; how everything is arranged beneath it is described in the guide on the convector’s operating principle.