How to hide pipes in the bathroom: an overview of the best ways to mask the pipeline

A radical way to hide pipes

One of the most time-consuming ways is piping in the bathroom in a hidden way. But it makes it possible to "kill two birds with one stone": hide unsightly communications and make the bathroom more spacious.

When choosing a radical way to hide pipes, keep in mind that, according to building codes, it is not allowed to ditch brick and thin-walled partitions of panel houses

In addition to labor intensity, the key disadvantage of this method is the inability to quickly get to the pipes in the event of an emergency.

When implementing the method, it is very important to provide for measures that minimize the risk of leaks:

• there should not be any detachable connections in the wall;
• for laying, use polypropylene pipes and fittings, which are convenient to solder into one;
• strobes for laying hot and cold pipes must be equipped with sleeves made of thermoflex or foam rubber.

The use of a sleeve made of insulating material will rid the cold pipes of the resulting condensate, and allow hot pipes to expand under the influence of temperature.

Pipe box

The most obvious way to close the pipes in a toilet is to simply sew them up in a box so they can't be seen or heard. In addition, the advantages of this solution are also:

• More holistic and harmonious design of the toilet as a whole;
• The ability to hide even an intricate pipe system;
• Possibility of simultaneous organization of useful space.

Here, for example: the pipes are located vertically in the corner, as well as behind the toilet. Thanks to the simple organization of space, they are securely hidden, and an additional shelf has even formed behind the toilet bowl. The same applies to ventilation, whose channel was hidden behind a wall.

As a rule, the pipe box is calculated at the very beginning of the repair. Because of this, it can be made even in the most complex forms, and this does not particularly affect the final cost of the structure.

The modern approach to creating a pipe box, as a rule, comes down to building a wall from sheets of drywall or similar materials. In the simplest version, this will require 1-2 sheets of plasterboard, a metal frame and fasteners. After creating a false wall, it is only necessary to tile it.

From this arise the corresponding disadvantages of the design:

• To access pipes or meters, you need to make a hatch
• In case of any problems with the pipes, there is a risk of demolition of the box for full access to them

Therefore, if it comes to Khrushchev, before repair, make sure that the pipes are replaced and, in general, their condition is not satisfactory.

Plumbing conventional

In the simplest version, a hatch from a hardware store will be enough to access the pipes. It's just a white door that needs to be cut in. A fairly simple and cheap solution, but not everyone will like it because of the appearance. Here's what it might look like in practice.

Hidden tile hatch

More advanced in terms of design will be an inspection hatch with the possibility of tiling. In fact, this is just a strong hatch made of steel or aluminum, which opens by pressing and is designed for high loads. Inspection hatches are quite large, and therefore they will provide access to meters and fittings without any problems.

Unfortunately, for all the elegance and beauty of this method of hiding pipes, it is not the most pleasant cost: if the simplest and smallest models can be found for a conditional 1,500 rubles, then the cost of more massive, large and reliable options can reach up to 10,000 rubles.

As you know, beauty requires sacrifice and financial investments, therefore, if you want to hide the pipes in the toilet with really high quality, as if they were not there at all, then you can hardly do without an inspection hatch. Although there are options - more on that later.

Video how to close the riser

If your own experience for a quality repair is not enough, you can always seek qualified help from specialists.Professionals will quickly evaluate all possible options, make calculations and permanently hide the ugly sewer from their eyes in the most appropriate way.

Is it possible to close the sewer riser? Yes, you can, the main thing is to do it right. There are several ways to get this job done.

The use of a false wall. This is the most capital method. In order to make it, you will need plywood or chipboard

We also recommend that you pay attention to drywall. Before mounting the ceiling, completely remove all rust and paint the structure. Use galvanized profiles to frame the false wall

Fasten the profiles to the walls, then to the floor. There should be a distance of 3 cm between the partitions. The drywall is fixed to the frame with self-tapping screws. The sewer pipeline is hidden in the box. This design can be trihedral and tetrahedral. Sometimes multi-level boxes are mounted. This method is the best option if you close the riser in the bathroom. If you have a separate toilet, you can use wooden bars instead of galvanized profiles

Use galvanized profiles to complete the false wall frame. Fasten the profiles to the walls, then to the floor. There should be a distance of 3 cm between the partitions. The drywall is fixed to the frame with self-tapping screws. The sewer pipeline is hidden in the box. This design can be trihedral and tetrahedral. Sometimes multi-level boxes are mounted. This method is the best option if you close the riser in the bathroom. If you have a separate toilet, you can use wooden bars instead of galvanized profiles.

Plastic panels.This is a very practical material, which is not affected by external irritants such as humidity, temperature changes, mold. They are also easy to disassemble and assemble, no need to paint and putty. It is enough just to pick up plastic panels of the required color. You will need to build a frame for the wall and box, lay the panels.

Roller shutters. If you do not want to waste time on complicated ways, you can close the sewer pipes with roller shutters. They do not require finishing, they are easy to install, as they are ordinary blinds, and they provide maximum access to the riser. Now there are special designs, for example, with sound insulation and heat saving.

• Drywall or plastic box. Use a metal profile and just sheathe it with plastic.
• Household closet. This is a great option to disguise faucets, filters, meters and pipes and store cleaning products, household items. Make a frame from wooden bars, fix it with dowels to the walls of the toilet, install hinges and doors. For the manufacture of the locker, laminated chipboard and plywood are suitable.

Two main ways to cover pipes located horizontally

The first method is to hide pipes under drywall, the principle of work remains the same as when laying vertically. During a major overhaul, water pipes can be hidden in the floor screed. This is not as difficult to do as it seems.

Required tools:

• level;
• shovel;
• rule.

Materials used:

• waterproofing material for the floor;
• pipe insulation;
• lighthouses;
• cement-sand or concrete mixture.

1. Do piping.

2. Lay waterproofing on the floor.

3. Set up beacons.

4. Cement-sand or concrete mixture is poured between the pipes.
5. Focusing on the beacons, level the mixture.

The horizontality of the screed is checked with a level

The pipes in the bathroom can be left open or hidden. From an aesthetic point of view, the second option is preferable. But with this method, the reliability of pipes and their connections is of great importance. If there is a risk of emergency situations, it is better not to pack the pipes hermetically. In this case, they can be hidden behind roller shutters or furniture doors. Selected correctly, such elements will give the bathroom an interesting modern look.

5. Pros and cons of masking pipes in the bathroom

Naturally, like any process, there are both positive and negative sides. Let's start with the good:

• First of all - the aesthetic interior of your room.
• When hiding in the wall - saving the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room.
• When disguised by furniture elements - the appearance of additional storage space and the possibility of creating a beautiful interior.

Now for the sad stuff:

• In the case of using unsuitable or low-quality pipe materials, a breakthrough is inevitable.
• In any case, except for the option with roller shutters, access to communications will be limited.
• In the event of an accident, to eliminate it, you will have to completely destroy the structure, especially from drywall. It's a shame to do this if it is tiled.
• Disguise in the walls generally threatens to start a new repair in which case. In the meantime, you will find the cause and get to it, repairing the neighbors at your expense is not excluded.
• In the case of using furniture, the disadvantage will be constant contact with water of its individual elements.And even moisture-resistant chipboard will swell over time. True, this can be avoided by treating the walls of the shelves with silicone and wiping them regularly.

That's all the main points. But you should not completely abandon such an idea. After all, it requires only a competent and responsible approach to itself.

What other options are there without repair?

In order to hide the wall with pipes at no extra cost, it is recommended to use conventional blinds. This budget method is perfect for those who do not want to build complex structures or are considering a temporary option. Wooden blinds fit perfectly into the eco-style, and plastic ones into the modern one. But if the interior of the bathroom is made in a classic style, the products are unlikely to fit into the overall design.

Plastic blinds will last as long as possible: they are practically not afraid of water, they are easy to care for. On the modern market there is a wide range of products that allows you to choose a design for the color of the finish. Unfortunately, the blinds do not have sound insulation, and also do not completely close the pipes - a separate box will have to be built for the bottom.

If a major overhaul is not planned, and the pipes do not fit into the interior in any way, you can order a special wall cabinet. Its installation will not take much time, but part of the communications will be hidden.

Many women will appreciate another idea for decorating pipes in the toilet: an ordinary roller blind will help to hide unsightly elements - the main thing is to purchase a product that is suitable in width and height. With its placement there will be no difficulties. Roller blinds are available in a wide range of colors, and the material is protected with special antistatic and antibacterial compounds.

In the photo, bright blinds located at an angle successfully hide communications. In an emergency, they will instantly shut off the water supply.

For connoisseurs of the loft style, the situation is even simpler: if the toilet is designed in an industrial style, pipes can serve as an excellent decor that goes well with the chosen style. It will only be necessary to put communications in order by eliminating defects, cleaning off old layers or simply replacing them with modern ones.

In the photo there is a loft-style bathroom - brickwork serves as a finish, and black pipes near the sink are painted in a single color. Standing out against a terracotta background, open pipes become one of the main highlights of the interior.

How to close the heating battery in the room with a screen (photo)?

Often, special screens are used to hide the heating radiator, which can be purchased ready-made or made independently.

In pursuit of the attractiveness of the interior, it is important not to forget about the main function of batteries - heat radiation.

Therefore, when choosing decorative panels, it is necessary to pay attention not only to external attractiveness, but also to the ability to pass heated air, otherwise the heating efficiency will decrease significantly.

Types of screens by design features

Remember that ideally at least 40% of the decorative panel should be occupied by various openings through which warm air will pass. However, when using any screens, the heat transfer of heating devices will decrease somewhat, which must be taken into account when calculating the number of sections.

As for design features, these decorative elements can be divided into three types:

1. Hinged screens

- the simplest, but not the most aesthetic solution.Such panels do not need complex installation, they are simply hung on the heater. Hiding the radiator, properly selected suspended models have little effect on the level of heat transfer and convection.

2. flat screens

- an option for decorative design of radiators located in a niche. Often they are a lattice, but there are also more interesting models with carvings, various patterns and forging. The surface of the flat panel should consist of at least 60% holes, otherwise the battery hidden in the niche will be of little use.

3. Box screens

- the most practical solution that allows you not only to decorate the heater, but also to get an additional piece of furniture. For example, a box can serve as a shelf, stand, and even part of a furniture set. The main thing is not to force the upper part of the screen with various objects.

Having decided to hide the radiator under the panel, add 1-2 more sections to the resulting number of fins, which will make up for heat losses.

Types of screens according to the material of manufacture

Radiator panels are made from a variety of materials, which not only affect the aesthetic characteristics of the decor, but also have a significant impact on its service life. When choosing a material, first of all, its ability to quickly heat up and give off heat is taken into account. What screens are popular right now?

1. metal panels

- practical, but not too aesthetic option. Often produced in the form of hinged products with frequent perforation. Thin metal heats up very quickly and has good heat dissipation.

2. Wooden screens

A classic that is always in fashion. From the point of view of practicality, this decor is not very attractive, but environmental friendliness and excellent appearance ensure its stable popularity.

3. Plastic grids

- budget and not too durable products. When choosing plastic models, the main thing is to purchase truly high-quality products, because handicraft decor can release toxic substances into the air when heated.

4. glass panels

- original decor, which is actively used in the creation of modern interiors. Screens made of durable heat-resistant glass can be very attractive if they have some thematic pattern applied to them. Models with photo printing are especially popular now.

Basic rules of disguise

Disguised pipes in the bathroom.

When masking communications, the following recommendations are taken into account:

1. Reducing the number of connections. Such areas quickly lose their tightness, so they should be as small as possible. This can be achieved by entrusting the installation of plumbing or sewer systems to specialists. Correct wiring diagram is required.
2. The use of the same materials. Sometimes it is impossible to do without connecting parts. In this case, fittings made of the same material as the pipes are selected. So you can not be afraid of uneven expansion and loss of strength.
3. Manhole construction. This moment is mandatory in the presence of metering devices. Access to them must be fast. The solution to the problem is the construction of a small hatch with a removable door. The same elements are placed at the junctions. This will allow you to control the condition of problem areas.
4. Use of insulating materials. They prevent the formation of condensate on the pipes of cold water supply. Details can be wrapped with foam rubber or thermoflex. These materials enable safe expansion of hot pipes.

Plumbing cabinet

This is an ordinary box that masks access to pipes, inside which shelves are installed. This protective design creates optimal conditions for using a small space, although the size of the bathroom is not of decisive importance when choosing a sanitary cabinet to mask the pipes in the toilet.

Masking cabinets are sold in the distribution network, but their design is simple, so it is quite possible to assemble a box with shelves to your liking.

Design and marking are carried out in the same way as for the box. The sanitary cabinet is best placed behind the toilet. For ease of installation and increase in capacity, it is worth making a design for the entire width of the wall.

Before starting the assembly, it is necessary to clearly understand what the product will be at the output. To do this, you can make a sketch and mark on it the placement of shelves, the location of the hinges on which the cabinet will hang, the mechanisms for fastening and opening doors.

There are several types of material from which a sanitary cabinet can be constructed:

• Chipboard;
• MDF;
• wood;
• plastic.

All materials are subject to the same requirements - water resistance and the possibility of an exterior finish that is in harmony with the bathroom.

At home, it is preferable to use chipboard 16 mm thick. You will need a simple set of tools - a drill, an electric jigsaw, a screwdriver and screws, a level, a measuring tape. You need to purchase accessories:

• hinges and handles for doors;
• fastening devices;
• magnets;
• shelf corners.

You should not save on trifles, that is, on fittings. Quality products from trusted manufacturers extend the life of the cabinet.

It is better to immediately replace old plumbing elements with new ones, clean the walls from the previous coating. After that, you can start assembling the frame from four components:

• two side;
• back;
• top.

The side elements perform the function of a support - they are placed on the floor with their lower ends, and the roof of the cabinet is attached to the upper ends. The rear wall occupies the entire useful height of the cabinet.

The side walls should be installed strictly vertically in level. Doors will be attached to them, and in case of curvature of the side panels, the sashes will warp and not close tightly.

Do not place them at the same distance from each other. The height between the shelves is determined by the size of the items that will be stored in this cabinet. The width of the shelves should be 2-3 centimeters narrower than the side racks. This will ensure the desired tightness of the door or hatch.

Otherwise, the shelves will not be able to be inserted into their places, or large gaps will appear in them as a result of corrective trimming.

After that, they begin to manufacture doors, which can be made of chipboard or louvered.

Roller doors

Louvred doors are suitable for providing access to pipes and devices for water use hidden in the sanitary cabinet. They do not spoil the design in the bathroom, promote air circulation in the closet, and are easy to use. For the toilet, plastic blinds are better suited, since this material is water resistant.

The trading network offers a wide range of blinds to decorate cabinet doors. Their typical dimensions are taken into account already during the design.Installation of the door comes down to carefully fixing the blinds in the opening of the plumbing cabinet.

Wardrobe with chipboard doors

If chipboard is chosen as the material, then it is most reasonable to order doors in the workshop according to the dimensions of the assembled frame or buy ready-made ones. These options do not require time, special knowledge and skills.

The number of doors and their size depend on the model and location of the sanitary cabinet. It is easier to make swing doors with one or two leaves on your own.

Handles are selected and fixed after exterior finishing work, so that these accessories fit into the design of the bathroom. False panels often sew up possible gaps between the main walls and the sides of the cabinet after it has been made back wall in the toilet.

Installation of new systems during construction or overhaul

This situation simplifies the solution of the issue, since installation "from scratch" with a properly thought out sequence of repair work allows you to repair the bathroom with less effort and time.

Installation of plumbing for tiling

The layout of water pipes to hide the plumbing system is carried out along the walls before the production of leveling plastering. So that the plaster layer for covering the pipes does not have to be made unnecessarily thick, channels for plumbing are ditched in the walls of the bathroom. Using a grinder with a “dry cutter”, according to the markings previously made on the walls, parallel cuts are made at a distance of the diameter of the pipes used, after which the material is cut down between the cuts with a perforator or a chisel with a hammer.

Hidden pipes under the tiles must be of excellent quality, then their service life will be as long as possible

Before plastering, the pipes in the channels are fixed with temporary clamps, which can be removed after the first grout has cured. Modern nylon and metal-plastic pipes, which, due to their indisputable advantages, have replaced steel material, do not need thermal insulation. After leveling plastering, ceramics are laid on top of the wiring.

Features of mounting a drywall box

A bathroom is a room in which there is constantly high humidity. This means that drywall to create a box should be selected moisture resistant. As a rule, it is commercially available in green sheet format. Drywall itself has many advantages as a reliable and environmentally friendly finishing material:

• easy to cut;
• forms an aesthetically attractive and durable surface;
• allows you to create a reliable and safe false wall or partition;
• goes well with plaster or ceramic tiles.

What will be needed?

• profiles;
• moisture resistant drywall;
• silicone sealant;
• screws;
• dowels;
• knife;
• perforator.

What is the secret to successfully installing a drywall camouflage box in a bathroom? Strictly following the detailed installation diagram below will help you quickly and efficiently hide the pipes in the bathroom without mounting them into the wall:

1. think in advance how the box will look like, make sketches on paper, give your notes the appearance of a clear and well-thought-out scheme;
2. take the necessary measurements to find out how much material you need;
3. calculations are made that determine the required amount of materials;
4. at the points of contact of the pipes with the wall, use a puncher and dowels with screws to fix the guide profiles - this is how you set the boundaries of the frame of your future structure;
5. fix the same profiles on the floor and ceiling - for perfect fixation of the upper and lower parts of the box;
6. install the corner outer profile and fix it with stiffeners for stability, they can be made from the same guide profiles by connecting the corner profile with the obtained fragments with what is fixed on the wall;
7. sheathe the frame with drywall, cutting out the necessary fragments with a knife and inserting between the profiles;
8. after sheathing, treat all joints with sealant;
9. it remains only to finish the surface of the box - paint, plaster, overlay with ceramic tiles.

plastic panelsconsistent execution of all installation points will lead you to a good result

And a small selection of photos with drywall boxes in the bathroom.

Mounting methods for various structures

Box installation

The principle of mounting the structure for the subsequent closing of pipes in the toilet is simple. Even an inexperienced builder can build such a structure. The basis of the structure is made of a metal profile or wooden bars. Then, depending on what will be used to mask the pipes, it is sheathed with the appropriate building material - in whole or in part.

If the pipes are closed with a box, the structure can be sheathed with plastic panels, sheets of waterproof plywood or drywall. Tiles are usually glued onto drywall. This is done so that the back wall does not stand out against the background of the side walls and the floor, lined with tiles.The box can be bought ready-made and mounted on the back wall of the toilet. But this option can be more expensive than making a drywall or plywood box. And you have to tinker with the pipes connected to the toilet.

box

The box can be of several configurations:

• In the form of a false wall. If the toilet is small in size, then it is better to make the toilet hanging. Access to pipes due to a false wall will be difficult.
• Square. If the risers are in one corner. The window is made at the level of valves and counters, which gives access to them at any time.
• In the form of an oblique false wall. It is done at an acute angle to the back or one of the side walls. With such a box, you can close thinner pipes that extend from the side of the main riser. Mounting the box on the entire wall in this case does not make sense - you can just “bevel” the one that already exists a little.
• Multilevel. It is mounted if the pipes in the toilet are located so that in order to close them, you will have to fence off half the space of the toilet. Such a box closes at a certain height a specific part of the pipe or pipes.

Blinds in the toilet close the niche with pipes

The rear wall can be fully sheathed with plastic panels. They are mounted on a special frame using metal profiles or wooden bars. First, markings are made on the back wall. Then profile guides are attached. After that - the profiles are installed on the side walls - a frame for the panels is obtained. The profiles are attached to the walls with dowel-nails and a perforator. The distance between the fasteners should be 30–40 cm. After the profile is fully assembled, panels are attached to it using self-tapping screws.

If the box is made under the blinds, then its main part is mounted to the ceiling. At the same time, the back wall can be closed with blinds completely - from ceiling to floor or partially. If the blinds partially cover the wall, the box will have side panels.

Masking pipes with furniture

The easiest way to mask pipes is to use furniture. Lockers and pencil cases are quite large, allowing you to hide communications inside them. Of course, this method is not suitable for small rooms, as they do not have enough free space.

Pipe decoration options

Thus, there are a huge number of methods that allow you to hide pipes in the bathroom without mounting them into the wall (photos confirm this). The choice of method depends on the following factors: the dimensions of the room, the features of piping, financial capabilities and the preferences of the owners.

What methods of masking pipes in the bathroom do you know?