How to hide heating pipes in a house or apartment

Which way is better

The choice of method is determined by the material of the pipes of the heating system. If it is a copper alloy, stainless steel, i.e. durable materials that regularly serve for the full life of the building, they can be immured into the wall under a layer of plaster.

A good option for masking pipes of any material is to install screens. They are simply indispensable in rooms where metal risers extend a long distance from the plane of the walls.

The advantage of this method of decorating heating pipes will also be a wide color palette and a variety of screen shapes, from which you can choose a copy that is in harmony with the style of any interior.

It is easy to install, does not interfere with heat transfer, which is very important for both private houses and apartments with central heating.

Factory Ready Devices

Such devices are purchased in specialized stores, where a large assortment of products of different colors, sizes and designs is presented. In shape, such structures can be angular, rounded or rectangular.

The first option is especially convenient in the corners of the room to mask risers, and also if the heating system is located close to the ceiling or floor. Other modifications are perfect for pipes that are laid along the perimeter of the walls and a free-standing riser.

There are a variety of options for such products. The most common are plastic boxes that are easily installed around pipes on a metal profile frame.

When choosing such options, it is advisable to pay special attention to the quality of the material, since low-grade polymers under the influence of heat can turn yellow, swell and lose their appearance.

Boxes made of ordinary or perforated metal look very impressive. If a practical goal is pursued, it is better to give preference to the second option, since thanks to the holes, metal elements provide better heat dissipation.

Another option is budget MDF structures, which have an attractive appearance and good performance.The disadvantages include a small model range, which is dominated by "deaf" devices without holes, which reduces heat transfer.

Decorative screens for heating pipes

This fixture is great for decorating. It successfully hides bulky radiators, perfectly complements the interior. However, it is inconvenient in practical terms. The screen prevents free access to the battery, impairs heat transfer, and slows down the circulation of warm air masses. Therefore, if you decide to purchase something similar, then it is best to give preference to perforated panels - you will not have a problem with thermal conductivity with them.

For a classic interior, a wooden screen with curly elements is perfect.

The wooden panel is fixed on magnetic latches

The appearance of the screen should be in harmony with the overall interior of the room.

Here, the pipes themselves are hidden behind a drywall construction, and for access to the joints, the rack screen is made removable

Models of such panels usually have magnetic latches, hooks, a hidden lock, with which the product is fixed in place. But it is necessary that the screen be dismantled without problems.

It is recommended that you do not ignore this advice, because your batteries will still need to be inspected, serviced by a professional (not to mention the possible occurrence of force majeure, such as a sudden rupture of a pipeline), an impractical decorative canopy can prevent this.

A lattice panel made of thin wooden slats that covered the heating pipes along with the battery

What are battery shields made of?

As a rule, these are: wood, metal, plastic.There are also perforated, non-perforated, designed to cover one radiator, or bulky, located along the entire wall.

Metal mesh box slightly reduces heat transfer

If heat dissipation is not important, pipes can be laid in a plastic plinth box

Wooden box can be made by yourself

To mask a boring section of the wall, a stained glass decorative screen will do. Due to the many gaps, it will serve as an original design solution, will become a feature of your interior.

Plastic panel construction

In places where a large number of people stay (for example, in public buildings), as well as in corridors and bathrooms, structures made of durable plastic panels look appropriate, where heating systems are hidden.

It is desirable to carry out the installation of such devices in parallel with the cladding of the room, since in this case it is possible to predict the rational consumption of the finishing material. Installation of boxes is carried out in stages.

Step 1: fixing the frame

First of all, a crate made of wooden beams with a cross section of approximately 40x40 millimeters is attached to the ceiling and walls. These elements are fastened to the walls and ceiling using dowels equipped with a polymer sleeve. After attaching the bars, they are aligned in the horizontal and vertical directions.

In places (on the floor and walls) where heating communications are located, additional support bars are installed, to which frame racks will be attached, located along and across.

Step 2: paneling the frame

Having installed the frame, you can proceed to paneling, which is done as follows.Panels cut to the height of the box are installed on the side plane so that they are in a vertical position. You can fix polymer parts with small nails, special adhesive mixtures, and a construction stapler.

The last stage is the installation of special elements at the corners, designed to hide the cut edges, thanks to which the plastic boxes for heating pipes acquire a neat appearance.

Features of decorating pipes in a private house and apartment

The options for how to hide heating pipes are most in a private house. The internal communications of private buildings are in no way connected with neighboring ones and, accordingly, if necessary, they can be laid and shifted as they please. If changes in the configuration of the heating system are planned in an apartment building, then it is necessary to take into account the interests of all residents and coordinate with the operating organization.

Pipes can be completely hidden only during construction or major repairs. For this, a hidden gasket is used in the walls or in the floor. Pipelines with thermal insulation are placed in strobes and covered with mortar or hidden under moldings. In individual heating systems, floor heating can be arranged. In private houses it is convenient to hide communications between the logs of wooden flooring. It remains only to cover the intersections of the pipes with the floor with decorative overlays, as shown in the photo.

The main inconvenience to apartment residents is caused by main transit pipelines, which are difficult to hide due to their large size. In addition, overdoing it with shelter, you can lose part of the heat entering the room.To disguise them, only external decoration techniques are suitable.

decorating heating pipes in your house, you don’t have to worry about changes in their heat transfer. In individual systems, room heating will remain the same, only the ratio of the amount of heat coming from pipes and radiators will change. But in apartments with centralized heating, you have to save every kilocalorie of thermal energy and leave pipelines as open as possible.

One way or another, any actions in relation to the elements of the heating system affect its functioning. Before taking drastic measures to move pipelines out of sight, you should study the complete scheme of the existing wiring and analyze the possible consequences.

Important! Hidden gasket can only be used if new quality pipes without threaded connections are used. All collapsible sections and fittings must remain accessible for maintenance

This is especially important in apartments where the occurrence of an emergency is fraught with flooding of neighbors.

In some cases, the best option is to decorate openly laid pipelines and radiators. This allows you to make them invisible at minimal cost, without violating the integrity of the walls and floor and without changing the configuration of the heating circuit. At the same time, all design parameters of the heating system and free access for ease of operation are preserved. When choosing how best to decorate a heating pipe in a room, one should be guided by both aesthetic considerations and maintaining functionality.

How to decorate a heating pipe

The text of the apartment and cottage "How to decorate a heating pipe":

Before starting a renovation, you should decide how closed pipes and radiators. When closing the heating pipes, make technological removable hatches in those places where the hot water control valves are located. Also, do not forget to leave enough wide openings at the radiators for the inflow of cold and outflow of heated air. You can quite simply close the heating pipes with laminated chipboard.

You will need

• - wooden beam with a section of 30 by 30 mm;
• - electric jigsaw;
• - screwdriver and screws;
• - perforator with a drill with a diameter of 6 mm;
• - yardstick;
• - dowels "quick installation" 6 × 60;
• - laminated chipboard 16 mm thick;
• - drill;
• - drills for wood with a diameter of 4 mm and 6 mm;
• — decorative plastic corners 25×25 mm;
• - copper nails 2 × 20 mm;
• - a hammer.

Instruction

1 Measure the distance from the floor to the top edge of the radiator, as well as the distance from the outer edge of the radiator to the wall on the side of the heating pipes. Find out the maximum depth to which the radiator and heating pipes recede from the wall. According to this size, assemble a rectangular L-shaped frame from a wooden beam. The upper and inner edges of the frame should not reach the plane of the window by 60 mm in the plane of the window sill and 16 mm in the plane of the side slope. Collect the corners of the frame "butt", if necessary, reinforce with inserts from the same beam. Drill holes for all screws with a 4 mm drill bit.

2 Drill holes in the timber from the side of the wall with a 6 mm drill, stepping back 50 mm from the edge of the frame. In the middle of the frame, drill holes at a distance of 400 mm from each other. Attach the frame to the wall.Through a 6 mm hole in the frame, mark the location of the holes in the wall for the “quick installation” dowels. Leave the frame. Using a perforator with a drill with a diameter of 6 mm, according to the markings on the wall, punch holes for the dowels “quick installation.

3 Position the frame and fasten it to the wall with the “quick fix” dowels. Determine the location of the technological hatches opposite the valves for regulating the supply of hot water and air discharge. Assemble from timber and install frames under removable hatches in these places.

4 Step back 50 mm in height from the top and bottom of the frame opposite the radiator and screw two horizontal bars in these places. These gaps will be used for cold air inflow (bottom) and hot air outflow (top).

5 Cut the laminated chipboard into pieces of the required size with a jigsaw. Screw on Chipboard with screws at a distance of 10 mm from its edge. Nail decorative plastic corners onto the docking corners with copper nails. Beat the edges of the openings for technological hatches with the same corners.

6 Cut out the chipboard for the manholes. Make the chipboard size smaller than the size of the technological hatches by 5 mm (measure the size from the installed decorative corners). Beat the resulting pieces with decorative plastic corners. Put them in place. If necessary, hang on decorative or hidden small-sized loops.

Sent by: Vasilyeva Svetlana . 2017-09-15 19:49:53 Share

Drapery fabric

Playing with PVC and old metal vertical communications with fabric is considered quite elegant. This is a cost-effective solution for living spaces or rooms where cooking is carried out. Usually, translucent tulle is used to close communications. The same canvases should be used to close windows.You can completely copy the curtains on the windows and use both light and dense canvases for drapery wiring. In order for the chosen method to look harmoniously indoors, the cornice should be extended to the corner where the vertical communications are located and mounted next to them (on the adjacent wall). Thus, canvases in the floor will cover not 1, but 2 walls at once. Dense canvases can be hung on one side of the window opening and near communications. And you can use them near the pipe and on both sides of the window. The rest of the space is covered with translucent canvases.

Finishing price

For many people who decide to decorate pipes in their apartments, the question arises which method is the most economical. Answering this question, we can immediately say about painting. If, for example, you choose alkyd enamel as a painting material, then the can will cost you no more than 200 rubles.

Available material for decoration is drywall. The cost of sheets of this material starts at 200 rubles. But only them will not be enough to decorate heating pipes. You will also need profiles, the average price tag for which starts from 50 rubles. Skirting boards will also be needed, the cost of which starts from 20 rubles.

In order for the drywall construction, behind which the pipes are hidden, to look aesthetically pleasing, putty is necessary. Prices for such compositions start from 100 rubles. If you decide to arrange a false wall, then in this case you will have to spend much more on the material. You can't get by with drywall.You will also need to purchase wall panels, prices for which start at 150 rubles. for 1 sq. m. You will also need screens for radiators, which in stores costs 300 rubles.

It is also possible to arrange a decorative design for heating pipes in an apartment through the use of a jute rope. This material is quite inexpensive. The maximum price for it is 120 rubles. for 1 running meter. You can also use a hemp rope, the prices of which vary from 10 to 880 rubles. The most expensive way is stained glass. If you choose this option for decorating pipes in your apartment, you will have to pay several thousand rubles for this pleasure.

Pipe box

Very often there are situations when the heating system is already installed. In deciding where to hide the pipes, the arrangement of boxes will help.

Stages of the box device:

1. Preparation of frame elements. They can be from a metal profile or a wooden bar.
2. Drawing markings on structures depending on the location of the pipes.
3. Installing the frame with fixing it to the wall.
4. Frame cladding.
5. Decorative finish of the box.

If the distance between the extreme racks is more than 0.5 meters, additional racks are introduced between them. If the height of the racks is more than 1.5 meters, it is necessary to install horizontal jumpers.

Before facing the frame, you should put on a special cover on the heating pipe, which will reduce the heat loss of the system.

Disguise methods

There are many ways to close heating pipes in a private house or apartment. The most radical ones are to hide them altogether, the least - to decorate them with decorations.

At the same time, in individual heating systems, the volume of heat is distributed between radiators and pipes, and in apartments with central heating, pipe insulation often results in heat losses. But there are ways to avoid this problem.

Place inside walls or floors

Pipes can be hidden inside walls or floors. It is very comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. For laying the highway, a strobe is made, the pipes are wrapped with heat-insulating material and placed in a recess in the wall, then they are sealed up or sewn up with drywall.

In no case should all connections and valves be immured into the wall - in the event of a breakthrough, it will have to be broken. It is impossible to isolate old pipes in this way.

Hide in a box

Another way is to remove the pipeline into a drywall box on a metal profile. The box can be painted, plastered, wallpapered - this gives a huge selection of options for decorating heating pipes. You can choose perforated metal - and it looks stylish, and the heat dissipation is good. It is also possible to hide the gas line under the finished plastic box.

If plastic is chosen for masking, it must be of good quality: some types of this material turn yellow and swell when heated, so its technical characteristics must be clarified.

It is important to remember the rules: the pipe must be at least 5 cm from the walls of the box, and it is also necessary to provide access to taps and fittings

Coloring and decorating

The pipeline is painted with paint, picking it up in the color of the walls or, conversely, in contrast. Decorate the risers with a tourniquet and rope. Sometimes a bamboo bypass is made for them.Later, applications made of paper, leather or fabric can be placed on top - this is a decoupage technique that is widespread in modern design.

It is necessary to paint the heating elements only when they are in a cold state - with the heating turned off. If heated too quickly, the paint may crack.

furniture disguise

Disguise with furniture is the easiest way: push the riser with a closet - and no money and hassle. It is convenient to do this in the kitchen and bathroom, where furniture most often stands along the perimeter of the room close to the walls. Special holes are made in the back and side walls of kitchen cabinets.

At the same time, it is problematic to mask pipes with furniture in living rooms: risers and radiators are usually located on the wall where the window is located, and you can’t put a cabinet there.

close screen

Decorative screens are a great way to hide not only risers, but also radiators. The screen can be made of glass or transparent plastic, or even decorated in the form of a stained-glass window - beautiful, intriguing, stylish. If there is a backlight, it will add mood to the interior and can serve as a night light.

To avoid problems with heating, there is an option to make decorative grilles through which heat will still flow. All screens must be removable.

Prices for screens for radiators

screens for heating radiators

Building a false wall

The false wall also allows you to hide all communications from view. Behind an artificial wall, not only heating risers can pass, but also a gas main, and electrical wires, and a coaxial cable for a TV.

It should only be remembered that a false wall reduces the space of the room. And some elements cannot be left without access.For example, gas workers are very unhappy when they try to hide a gas pipe.

Hide behind a false ceiling

This method is not so popular. However, in a private house it can be used if the heating wiring of the first floor is made under the ceiling, and the second - under the floor. In this case, a stretch ceiling is installed. Although he, for all his practicality and elegance, also reduces the space of the room, this time - the height.

Prices for different types of suspended ceilings

suspended ceiling

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Masking heating pipes in the wall

Pipes, risers and radiators can be disguised in several ways. A fairly popular option is to hide communications in a wall or in a field.

At the same time, it is important to replace old pipes with new ones in the apartment before such work. It is better to choose plastic communications. Otherwise, leaks will occur, which are quite expensive to fix.

Otherwise, leaks will occur, which are quite expensive to fix.

The sequence of installing pipes in the wall:

1. First, a communication layout diagram is created. At the same time, the cross-section of pipes, thermal insulation and the thickness of the wall layer to be sealed are taken into account.
2. Next, you need to make a hole in the wall. This is a special recess in which communications will be placed. Provide space for bends and tees.
3. Then the insulation is put on the pipe and mounted in the provided niche. Communications should be well fixed, ensuring a secure fit.
4. Pipes are fastened with brackets. To do this, holes with dowels are made in the wall.They will fix the device.
5. Next, you should check the performance of the pipes. Only after that close up the niche.

The second method involves sealing pipes in the floor. First, think over the laying scheme. A strobe is made in the floor. The top of the pipe should be slightly below floor level. Next, pipe insulation, inspection and installation are carried out. Communications are closed with concrete mortar. For normal water circulation, a pump is installed.

But hiding the pipes in this way, you should be prepared that in the event of a leak, you will have to completely disassemble the floor or wall

That is why it is important to minimize all risks. Solid pipes or with a minimum number of joints should be selected. This option can be called a warm floor

This option can be called a warm floor.

Decoration methods

If the pipes in your house or apartment are already old, it is better not to hide them. Firstly, during the installation of various crates, the pipeline can be easily damaged, since old materials usually acquire some fragility. Secondly, such pipes are more prone to leaks, so it is advisable to keep them in sight in order to detect the problem in a timely manner.

But this does not mean that nothing can be done with them. With a little imagination, you can easily turn these elements into a wonderful interior detail. There are several simple ways to do this:

• painting. The most obvious method is to give the pipe the desired beautiful color. In this case, you can choose a shade that will blend in with the surroundings, due to which the pipeline will not be conspicuous. But you can also make a knight's move and play on contrasts - try turning the pipe into a bright spot that matches the color of the walls in an interesting way.It is likely that this will become a kind of "chip" in your room. Often such a simple option gives a very advantageous effect. The main thing is to choose the right not only color, but also the quality of the paint. It must be heat-resistant, not harmful to the environment and resistant to mechanical stress. Enamel based on acrylic or alkyds is perfect for this;
• finishing. It all depends on your imagination. You can wrap the battery with beautiful ropes, threads, rope. Jute cord will also work, but it is quite possible that the design will be appreciated by cats and will not live long. You can decorate with fabric or a light garland. Artificial plants will also work - but make sure they are made from heat-resistant, non-melting materials. You can also arrange a bamboo finish, or even make a kind of “reminder” out of the pipe, fixing multi-colored stickers with notes on it - then it will have another practical meaning. And if you have experience in making furniture, you can connect circular shelves. Naturally, they will not be mounted on a pipe, but on a vertical support, but the disguise will come out great, and the benefits, again. In general, there are a lot of options. It is quite possible that you will come up with some of your own - then share your ideas with your friends on social networks, showing them this article at the same time.

As you can see, heating pipes are not such a terrible element at all. They can be quite easily hidden, or even completely turned for good, turning them into a bright and interesting detail of the element. Just do not forget in the process that the main function of the pipe is still heat transfer, so do not get carried away with the total closure of the element from all sides.It is advisable to leave some gaps for heat to escape: perforation, grating, etc. In general, a little imagination and work - and anyone will envy your design. Good luck!

We recommend reading:

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Arrangement of ventilation in the toilet of a private house: just about the important

What to do if the boiler is leaking from below or above: the correct methods for identifying and troubleshooting

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The videos below demonstrate the manufacturing process of the most commonly used ducts for masking heating systems: plastic and drywall.

Video #1 Instructions for masking pipes behind plastic panels:

Video #2 Compact box made of waterproof drywall:

To hide heating pipes, it is important to choose the most effective way of masking correctly. It will allow not only to remove engineering communications from the eyes, but also to decorate the apartment

Having invested taste, imagination, creativity, you can choose a unique finish for decorating pipes, even without special skills in repair and construction work.

Please write in the box below. Tell us about how you hid the pipes of the heating system in your own city apartment or country house. It is possible that your valuable recommendations will be useful to site visitors.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The videos below demonstrate the manufacturing process of the most commonly used ducts for masking heating systems: plastic and drywall.

Video #1 Instructions for masking pipes behind plastic panels:

Video #2 Compact box made of waterproof drywall:

To hide heating pipes, it is important to choose the most effective way of masking correctly. It will allow not only to remove engineering communications from the eyes, but also to decorate the apartment

Having invested taste, imagination, creativity, you can choose a unique finish for decorating pipes, even without special skills in repair and construction work.

Please write your comments in the box below. Tell us about how you hid the pipes of the heating system in your own city apartment or country house. It is possible that your valuable recommendations will be useful to site visitors.