7 ways to hide pipes in the bathroom

Installation and maintenance

Plastic boxes, despite the fact that they have less decorative appeal, can be more versatile. They are easy to mount on any type of surface, including horizontal and vertical areas. A different section of the box will allow you to place the required amount of pipeline, make allowances for future changes or reconstruction. If there is a leak of coolant from the heating circuit or water from pipelines, the emergency area is very quickly found and eliminated, since most often the boxes have a collapsible structure.

Plastic boxes are used both in a commercial enterprise and to protect pipelines in private houses or apartments. For example, thinking about the next repair or interior design change, you can get rid of the unsightly appearance of pipelines by installing decorative elements or boxes.

Diagram of a pipe box

For the homemaker, keeping the plumbing clean is another critical issue. The cylindrical shape, the presence of additional fittings, turns and structural elements can make it difficult to clean the pipe from dirt, dust or other contaminants. Boxes for heating pipes are usually rectangular in shape, which will greatly please your office cleaner or housewife. If you don’t like the color, you would like to embellish the interior - you can always paint the boxes. This is not always possible with pipelines, since, for example, paint adheres reluctantly to plastic pipes or worn steel pipes and is applied unevenly.

The rational way of heating is the purchase and installation of plastic boxes. They can be easily installed by almost every do-it-yourself master savvy in the construction business. It's no more difficult than installing skirting boards or decorative electrical wiring boxes.

There are a lot of options to hide and reliably protect heating pipes, from a drywall frame to galvanized and plastic profiles. In each case, this issue should be approached responsibly, since their operating period depends on the attitude to heating pipes.

plastic box

In places with a high presence of people (eg in offices), as well as in bathrooms and corridors, pipes can be hidden in boxes made of plastic panels. Installation is recommended to be carried out in parallel with the sheathing of the entire room. This will ensure the possibility of predicting the rational consumption of material.

Installation is carried out in the following order:

first, a crate is installed on the ceiling and walls. Most often, wooden beams with a cross section of about 40x40 millimeters are used for its manufacture.
fasten the bars to the ceiling and walls with dowels equipped with a plastic sleeve. Then align them horizontally and vertically.
install additional support bars at the place where the heating main passes to the floor and walls. Horizontal and vertical racks of the frame will be attached to them.
after finishing the sheathing of the main planes of the ceiling and walls, sheathe the frame of the box with panels.

Plastic box - an aesthetic and modern solution for hiding pipes

Useful advice! To make the junction angles look much more aesthetic, use special skirting boards in which there is a groove for plastic panels.

First, the side plane is sheathed by installing panels cut to the height of the box. When performing this operation, they must be in a vertical position. It is allowed to fasten plastic using special adhesives, a construction stapler or small nails.

Sheathing the upper plane can be done with both long longitudinal panels and short plastic pieces, placing them across.

Completion of the work involves attaching special elements to the corners that will hide all the cut edges.

Outer shell material

As a finishing material, you can use:

eurolining,
mdf panel,
plastic,
perforated metal plates (grids).

The most popular material for finishing boxes is (considered to be) gypsum board (SML). This is explained by the fact that in the future the surface of the GKL box can be decorated with facing tiles, film, wallpaper, or simply painted in any color of your choice or in accordance with the design project. Despite the fact that masking communications screens and boxes have a sufficient amount advantages:

Very low cost (during self-assembly). You can make them from the remnants of the material left over from the repair.
Arbitrary sizes. This is especially true for hard-to-reach areas and non-standard pipe layouts.
They also have a number of disadvantages:
In the event of an emergency with a water (heating) pipe, to eliminate it, you will need to remove the entire casing of the box.
Restoration of the skin will require new (partially or completely) materials.

Outer shell material

As a finishing material, you can use:

eurolining,
mdf panel,
plastic,
perforated metal plates (grids).

Very low cost (during self-assembly). You can make them from the remnants of the material left over from the repair.
Arbitrary sizes. This is especially true for hard-to-reach areas and non-standard pipe layouts.
They also have a number of disadvantages:
In the event of an emergency with a water (heating) pipe, to eliminate it, you will need to remove the entire casing of the box.
Restoration of the skin will require new (partially or completely) materials.

Decorative box and lining for heating pipes, the better to close communications

You will not surprise our contemporaries with the presence of various pipes in the living room. Their network often interferes with the implementation of design projects aimed at creating comfort, beauty and lightness in individual rooms. However, in order to improve the interior of the room, the pipes can be hidden in the original design. Of course, to make a decorative box for heating pipes, you will have to spend time and money, but the result can exceed even the wildest expectations.

With the help of a decorative box, you can not only hide all heating communications, but also add a stylish touch to the interior

Pipe hiding options

There are other ways to hide engineering communications of this type from the eyes of the inhabitants of housing and their guests.

Immured in the walls all the heating circuits passing through the apartment. It would seem that everything is very simple: it is enough to make strobes, lay pipes in them, and then seal them with mortar and plaster. But before starting work, it is necessary to exclude even the most insignificant communication errors and provide for possible scenarios for the development of events. This is especially true for plastic pipes that are connected with fittings. Yes, and steel, if the welding technology is not followed, can also leak.

Disguise communications with furniture. In the kitchen, this is how things usually happen. But in rooms with a minimum of furniture (for example, an open studio can be such), it is almost impossible to do this.

In view of the foregoing, decorative boxes for heating pipes are the most reliable way to hide such elements of engineering communications. The right approach will not only allow you to disguise the heating system, but also add interesting accents to the interior design.

The easiest way to hide heating communications behind furniture

Today, boxes are made mainly from the following materials:

plastic lining. It is fixed on a metal or wooden frame;
brickwork. It is not always possible to implement this method of masking unsightly pipes, since it is characterized by great labor intensity;
drywall. To date, decorative boxes made of this material are most widely used;
prefabricated plastic boxes. They are simply placed around the pipes and attached to the wall on a metal frame.

Plasterboard box

Hide all pipes of the heating system are the easiest to gypsum structures. Ease of manufacture and relatively low cost - this is what predetermines the high demand for this material.

Helpful information! Drywall is nothing more than the usual drywall for us. He received this name "thanks" to the Russification of the English name of his most popular brand - Gyproc.

To make a drywall box, you will need:

wooden bars or metal profile;
drywall itself. If you are going to decorate pipes in the bathroom, it is better to purchase a moisture resistant one, while for all other rooms, a standard one will do;
fasteners - self-tapping screws and dowels;
materials for putty, as well as finishing;
accessories that allow you to cover the joints of the structure with the floor and walls. In this case, we are talking about decorative sockets for heating pipes, overlays, plugs, rings.

You can build a pipe box from the most popular material for such purposes - drywall

Installing a drywall box includes the following steps:

First you need to determine its dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to exclude the contact of heating pipes with walls and frame elements;
cut wooden beams or profile strips in accordance with the selected dimensions;
we fix the starting profile on the floor. Then a frame is assembled on this basis. To connect the elements, it is enough to use self-tapping screws and tighten them with a screwdriver;
we cut off the necessary fragments from the plasterboard, taking into account the dimensions of the frame. Having processed the edges with a drywall planer, we apply them to the crate. Fixation is made with self-tapping screws;
to protect the edges of the plate from damage, it is necessary to stick a special overlay made of perforated metal on the corners of the structure;
the joints between the plates and the entry points into the material of the self-tapping screws are treated with putty
primed the box and proceed to the finishing.

The final stage in the creation of a decorative structure is the installation of a plinth at the junction of the box with the wall and floor.

Application features

The main prerequisite for the use of plastic, metal or any other ducts is the linear expansion of the materials from which the pipeline is made under the influence of elevated temperature. This means that fixing in a rigid way inside a wall, ceiling or in a monolithic floor is simply unacceptable. Such an oversight will lead to deformation of the material surrounding the pipe (most often concrete) or to the destruction of the surface of the pipe itself. Linear expansion is not typical only for a metal-plastic pipeline, in other cases it can reach from 5 mm to several centimeters for every 10 m of the pipeline. Partially, this problem can be removed by using pipe insulation, however, with high expansion coefficients, large horizontal sections, such a measure will not fundamentally affect the risks of pipe deformation.

The box should allow the pipe to expand slightly, provide free air circulation, prevent the pipes from possible mechanical damage or negative influences, such as moisture. The most affordable and versatile can be considered plastic boxes, which simultaneously perform both a decorative and protective function. They do not lend themselves to corrosion, fungus or moisture, are easily and quickly mounted, and have an attractive cost. Such a perforated profile can not only provide air circulation to increase the safety of heating pipes, but also allow convection and heat exchange with the main volume of the room to be achieved.

The use of decorative overlays for heating pipes

When carrying out a major overhaul, neat polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes are installed in place of old, obsolete, steel engineering communications. But, even having an attractive appearance, they are not always able to harmoniously fit into the interior of a modern living space. And here, in order to make them less noticeable or, conversely, to give them the missing notes of sophistication and leave them in sight, you can use decorative overlays for heating pipes.

Decorative rosettes are made from a variety of materials, but wood looks best.

Currently, there are several varieties of products of this type on sale. However, many home craftsmen opt for the so-called sockets. And there are reasons for this.

When laying the floor covering, it is necessary to solve the problem of the gap that occurs where it is adjacent to the pipe. Such a gap does not seem to interfere, but it does not look the best.

If a laminate is used as a floor covering, leaving a gap of up to 10 mm is simply necessary. Thus, you will form a space, the volume of which will be sufficient to accommodate this material during its thermal expansion. Therefore, it is recommended to close the gap using a special device that can hide a cosmetic defect without compromising the functionality of the floor covering. At the same time, decorative rings for heating pipes, commonly referred to as sockets, will become the optimal and universal solution. This product is simply put on the pipe, after which it is inserted into the slot and snaps into place.

Decorative overlays must be installed so that the place where communications enter the ceiling looks aesthetically pleasing

The main advantages of decorative sockets for heating pipes include:

aesthetic appeal;
ease of installation;
acceptable price;
a wide variety of standard sizes;
a variety of textures that imitate the surface of natural wood, and color designs;
versatility. Sockets can be used with various types of coatings.

No less attention deserves the relevance of the use of decorative caps for heating pipes. This is due to the peculiarities of the scheme for transporting the coolant through engineering communications, which directly determines the method of connecting radiators. Most of these products in modern design are designed for 4 options: one-sided, diagonal, saddle and bottom connection. That is, at each of the corners of the batteries there is one hole, but not all 4 are involved, but only 2 - one for the input of the coolant, and the other for its output. Obviously, the remaining "unemployed" two of them must be closed. In this case, decorative caps will come to the rescue. These products differ not only in color, but also in shape. A metal plug can be the simplest spherical or even with a protruding part resembling an autumn oak leaf. But corks made of polymeric materials can only be called decor with a big stretch. Such stubs are for the most part strictly functional.

By closing the heating pipes, you ennoble your home and get a harmonious interior.

Home | With your own hands | How to mount a decorative pipe box

Plastic decorative boxes for heating pipes

the most affordable boxes and decorative screens (lattices),
practical to maintain
do not need painting
universal for gas, sewer and pipes with cold water.

Due to the popularity of such boxes, manufacturers often use low-quality plastic. Not resistant to prolonged exposure to high temperatures (hot water supply, heating pipes). As a result, a decorative box:

deformed,
changes color
become brittle.

A plastic box in the form of a plinth deserves special attention. But it belongs to another, higher price category.

Advantages and disadvantages of masking pipes

An alternative to special plastic boxes in the realities of domestic construction and repair are boxes made of drywall or plastic. They are mounted, as a rule, at the stage of repair and immediately cover the unsightly appearance of pipelines. The advantages of this method of masking pipelines:

Organic design - your guests or visitors will not be able to distinguish a decorative design from a technological channel for laying heating systems.
Relative inexpensive cost - the internal area of \u200b\u200bthe room, which is planned for plasterboard finishing, will require not much more material to organize decorative steps or thresholds.

Flaws:

Having mounted such boxes once, you will not be able to inspect and diagnose the condition of the pipeline. Moreover, in the event of a leak or pipe failure, it will not be possible to quickly respond to the leak. To eliminate the need to dismantle a large area.
When installing a skirting board, there is a risk of damage to pipelines, communications and other engineering systems, since the builder or installer cannot know what is behind the wall.
Boxes mounted in this way will not allow upgrading or partially replacing the heating or water supply system.

Plasterboard box

It is easiest to hide all pipes of the heating system in gypsum constructions. Ease of manufacture and relatively low cost - this is what predetermines the high demand for this material.

Helpful information! Drywall is nothing more than the usual drywall for us. He received this name "thanks" to the Russification of the English name of his most popular brand - Gyproc.

To make a drywall box, you will need:

wooden bars or metal profile;
drywall itself. If you are going to decorate pipes in the bathroom, it is better to purchase a moisture resistant one, while for all other rooms, a standard one will do;
fasteners - self-tapping screws and dowels;
materials for putty, as well as finishing;
accessories that allow you to cover the joints of the structure with the floor and walls. In this case, we are talking about decorative sockets for heating pipes, overlays, plugs, rings.

You can build a pipe box from the most popular material for such purposes - drywall

Installing a drywall box includes the following steps:

First you need to determine its dimensions. In this case, it is necessary to exclude the contact of heating pipes with walls and frame elements;
cut wooden beams or profile strips in accordance with the selected dimensions;
we fix the starting profile on the floor. Then a frame is assembled on this basis. To connect the elements, it is enough to use self-tapping screws and tighten them with a screwdriver;
we cut off the necessary fragments from the plasterboard, taking into account the dimensions of the frame. Having processed the edges with a drywall planer, we apply them to the crate. Fixation is made with self-tapping screws;
to protect the edges of the plate from damage, it is necessary to stick a special overlay made of perforated metal on the corners of the structure;
the joints between the plates and the entry points into the material of the self-tapping screws are treated with putty
primed the box and proceed to the finishing.

The final stage in the creation of a decorative structure is the installation of a plinth at the junction of the box with the wall and floor.

Plastic decorative boxes for heating pipes

the most affordable boxes and decorative screens (lattices),
practical to maintain
do not need painting
universal for gas, sewer and pipes with cold water.

deformed,
changes color
become brittle.

A plastic box in the form of a plinth deserves special attention. But it belongs to another, higher price category.

How to mount a decorative pipe box

The answer to the question, for what purposes are decorative boxes for heating pipes (gas, water pipes), already laid down in the question itself. Very often, carried away by global changes during repairs in an apartment or a private house, at the end of it, we are surprised to find that all our efforts to restore beauty in the bathroom, kitchen, if not gone down the drain, are significantly damaged by radiators and heating pipes, plumbing, etc.

This is especially true for apartments, old housing stock during their cosmetic repairs. That is, without replacing communications. But, the repair is completed, but the problem with the pipes remains. It is precisely for such cases that screens and decorative boxes for heating pipes in the photo are intended.

Pipe hiding options

There are other ways to hide engineering communications of this type from the eyes of the inhabitants of housing and their guests.

The easiest way to hide heating communications behind furniture

Today, boxes are made mainly from the following materials:

plastic lining. It is fixed on a metal or wooden frame;
brickwork. It is not always possible to implement this method of masking unsightly pipes, since it is characterized by great labor intensity;
drywall. To date, decorative boxes made of this material are most widely used;
prefabricated plastic boxes. They are simply placed around the pipes and attached to the wall on a metal frame.

Advantages of drywall constructions

Actually, why do anything, 30% of the adult population will object. Previously, back in Soviet times, pipes did not interfere with anyone. Yes, and few people could have thought of hiding them, since the pipes were only metal and could become unusable at any moment.Yes, and the materials for performing such work in those days have not yet been invented. Now the situation is different - the beauty of the interior and convenience - in the first place. Is it better to make a drywall box and hide the excess? For example, if you are going to change the tiles in the bathroom, and at the same time install a new shower stall, but it turns out that the pipes spoil all the beauty. In this case, it would be more expedient to hide the pipes in a drywall box, and lay tiles on top of it. This solution is a great option to hide unnecessary pipes. Another advantage of sewer and water pipes in the bathroom is that since they are most often laid below, closer to the baseboard, it will be problematic to wash them and remove dust particles and other clogged debris. The best solution than to make a drywall box for pipes has not yet been invented. Of course, you can immediately close all communications and lay them in the wall, but if you have to replace pipes, what should you do in this case? It turns out that we again come to a single opinion - the affairs of a drywall box.

Decorative protective boxes for home communications made of MDF and natural wood

Products made of MDF are very popular in design renovations of premises, due to the huge number of colors and imitation of textural textures of almost any material. A modern material that does not change its qualities (color, strength, shape), when temperatures change. Natural wood is an excellent solution for style design.

The disadvantage of wooden and MDF boxes is the high cost. Moreover, for a box and screens made of natural wood, the price is really very high. Both materials are sensitive to external mechanical influences.

Installation of a decorative box

Regardless of the material from which the box is made, it consists of two parts:

A guide chute with fastening holes in which pipes are laid.
Closing the gutter, with the help of side latches, covers.
Installing the box, proceed as follows:
On the floor (wall, ceiling), pencil markings are made for the passage of pipes.
To the area marked by the line, a gutter is applied and holes for its fastenings are marked on the wall (from 25 to 50 centimeters between each other).
Holes of the required diameter, depth and quantity are drilled with a perforator with a pobedite drill.
By means of dowel-nails, the gutter is fastened along the entire length of the route.
Pipes are laid inside the gutter.
Both parts of the box (cover-chute) are interconnected.

We hope that our article will help you make the right choice of a decorative box for pipes for home communications, based on their technical characteristics by type of material.