Boxing In Pipework in Ashington

Surface-mounted pipes are common in Ashington homes. Older colliery terraces were often re-plumbed long after they were built, so copper runs along skirting boards, down corners and across alcoves. Newer houses have their own culprits: a plastic soil stack in the bathroom or a cluster of pipes beside the boiler cupboard. They collect dust, they are awkward to paint around, and they make an otherwise finished room look half done.

Our team boxes in pipework with a light timber frame and MDF or moisture-resistant board, shaped tightly to the wall so you lose as little floor space as possible. We think about what sits behind the boxing, too. Valves, joints and drain-offs get a removable panel, so a future repair never means tearing the whole lot out. Once we have finished, the boxing is filled, sanded and ready for paint, tile or panelling.

What we box in

Most jobs fall into a few familiar types, and we tailor the build to each one:

• Heating pipes running along skirting boards or rising to radiators
• Soil and waste stacks in bathrooms, cloakrooms and kitchens
• Pipes behind toilets and basins where a slim ledge doubles as a shelf
• Boiler and cylinder pipework inside cupboards and utility spaces
• Gas meter and supply runs, boxed only where safe access and ventilation stay clear

In bathrooms we use moisture-resistant board and can prepare the surface for tiling to match the walls. Around soil stacks we can add a little acoustic insulation, which noticeably quietens the sound of water running down from upstairs. If you would like a shelf on top or skirting continued around the box, just mention it when you call.

How a boxing-in job runs

We start by looking at the pipes and asking how you use the room. That tells us how deep the boxing needs to be, where the access panel should sit and whether a shelf would be useful. We then fix a slim framework to the wall and floor, keeping fixings well clear of the pipes, and clad it with board cut to fit.

Corners are finished with a clean edge or beading, gaps are filled and the surface is sanded smooth. Access panels are held with screws or magnetic catches so they can be lifted off later without damage. A typical run of pipe along one wall is often done within a day, while a full bathroom with a soil stack may take a little longer if tiling is involved. We tidy up as we go and take offcuts away with us.

Things to sort before we box in

A little preparation saves trouble later. Before boxing goes on, it is worth making sure the pipes themselves are in good order:

• Fix any drips or weeping joints first. We can look at these as part of our plumbing repairs.
• Decide whether you want old, unused pipes removed rather than hidden.
• Think about where stopcocks and isolation valves are, so we can give them access.
• Choose your finish early, whether paint, tile or wall panelling.

Hot heating pipes need a small air gap, so the boxing never sits tight against them. Pipes on outside walls can benefit from lagging before they are covered. If you are redecorating at the same time, our painting and decorating service can finish the room in one visit.

Typical boxing in pipework jobs

• Boxing in radiator pipes along skirting
• Hiding a bathroom soil stack
• Slim box behind a toilet with a shelf
• Covering pipes in a kitchen corner
• Tidying pipework around a boiler
• Fitting removable access panels
• Moisture-resistant boxing ready to tile
• Boxing in exposed pipes on a landing
• Covering pipes in a utility room
• Adding insulation to quieten a stack
• Removing redundant pipes before boxing
• Continuing skirting around new boxing