How to hide pipes in the bathroom: effective ways to hide communications

The problem of bathrooms is a limited area and a large accumulation of communications. Usually, there is a water distribution system, sewer pipes, which does not look very aesthetically pleasing and sometimes interferes with freedom of movement. To give the interior a solid look and remove pipes that stand out from the general style, the owners try to hide them in all sorts of ways. But it should be borne in mind that not every pipeline can be walled up in a concrete screed or plastered in a wall. Consider how to hide pipes in the bathroom wall, taking into account their current state and location.

The most profitable way for residents in terms of saving space is to brick pipes into the floor or wall. The interior retains complete freedom, and nothing prevents you from arranging cabinets and decor at your discretion. But complete isolation is frowned upon by utilities (if you live in an apartment building). In this case, the opportunity to monitor the state of the pipeline and eliminate leaks at the stage of their early occurrence is lost. And if a pipe break occurs, then the neighbors from below will be the first to feel the consequences, on which water will begin to drip or pour on their heads. And in order to eliminate the leak, it will be necessary to completely dismantle the floor covering, destroy the concrete screed in which the pipe is “buried”, and only after that deal with the gust. So the case will “smell” with a major overhaul of the bathroom.

Laying pipes in grooves

Another thing is the owners of their own houses. They can hide the pipes anywhere, because if there is a leak, then other people will not be affected by it. But even in private homes, there are restrictions on walling up the water supply:

• So, it is impossible to completely concrete metal and plastic pipes that are connected by threads. Over time, the thread weakens, which leads to a violation of tightness and the appearance of leaks.
• It is not recommended to wall up metal pipes, because their outer walls can form condensate, which leads to corrosion and gradual destruction of the walls. In a concrete screed, this process is accelerated, since the condensate has nowhere to vent.
• The most approved pipe option for insulation is plastic. They are not afraid of moisture, as they are not able to corrode, and the condensate on their walls settles much weaker.

Using roller blinds to mask pipes is a convenient and practical option.

Bricking technology: used at an early stage of repair

If you have finally decided on the concrete insulation of the pipeline, then it must be done at the very beginning of the bathroom renovation, when there is still no furniture and finishing. In this case, you can move the pipes to another place if they are inconveniently located, consider a different wiring, etc.

Features of pipe insulation in walls

You can hide communications in the bathroom both in the walls and in the floor. For the first option, you will have to ditch the wall. But there's a catch: not every wall is thick enough to cut through. For example, in prefabricated houses, the internal partitions are made very thin, besides, horizontal gating in the panels is prohibited. It is also impossible to hide the pipes in the wall for half a brick.

If the thickness of the wall allows for gating, then first the future grooves are marked with a construction pencil, and then they are cut with a grinder or hollowed out with a chisel. Try to think over the trajectory of the pipe so that it goes the shortest way, and there are fewer bends. If pipes are run simultaneously for cold and hot water, then they are not placed in one groove, but separate, at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. This will reduce the chance of condensation forming.

Separate niches for pipes with hot and cold water to avoid condensation

The diameter of the cuts should be approximately 5 cm larger than the diameter of the pipe being laid, so that during the passage of hot water the pipe can expand freely without affecting the material of the walls and lining.

When communications are laid, all grooves are sealed with a cement composition, and covered with a finishing coating on top.

Screed concreting

Hiding pipes into the floor is easier than into the walls, but keep in mind that the thickness of the concrete screed will be greater than the diameter of the pipe, and if a heated floor is also planned, then the whole structure will “steal” about 15-20 cm from the height of the bathroom.

Pipes lead the shortest way. In large bathrooms, it is desirable to pack them in a corrugation so that metal or plastic can "play" when expanding. In small areas, this is not so significant.

Pour the screed only when the heating is off and do not use hot water until the solution is completely dry. In case of violation of the temperature regime in places where the screed envelops the pipe, cracks will appear.

It is better to concrete pipes made of plastic, as they require less control than metal pipes.

Masking pipes in boxes and cabinets

An easier way is to mask communications using all kinds of boxes or cabinets. It retains free access to the joints, and in case of leaks, it allows you to fix the problem in a matter of minutes.

You can close the pipes in the bathroom with both specially created drywall boxes and furniture. The first option involves the creation of a false wall, which can then be tiled. But with this method, precious centimeters of space are wasted.

The false wall, lined with tiles, does not stand out from the general style, and the door allows you to control the condition of the pipeline

It is much more profitable to hide communications in lockers that you can use to store hygiene items. Such furniture is made to order or picked up in the store. The main requirement is moisture-resistant materials.

Disguising pipes in cabinets is convenient because the furniture can be used for its intended purpose.

An interesting option would be to create a podium in which they hide pipes that run along the floor. It looks great in large bathrooms, and if you add a side door, you can store household chemicals inside the podium.

The podium looks original, but takes up a lot of space, so it is better to create it in large bathrooms.

Try to close communications so that the most problematic places (connections) remain in the access zone. This will help control the condition of the pipeline and avoid major floods.

How to close the pipes in the bathroom: video