Bathroom Remodeling - How To Box In Pipework

If you don't have fitted bathroom vanity units to hide your pipework, your pipes and connections are likely to be on display.  A nice finishing touch in your bathroom's makeover is to box in these unsightly areas.  Sections of MDF attached to a batten framework are commonly used for boxing in, as they can easily be painted or tiled to achieve a tidy finish.  Although it's relatively straightforward to box in your pipes, it's worth keeping the design simple as the whole process can be quite time-consuming.

Firstly, decide where on the floor to fix your first batten.  Remember to leave enough space for the MDF to cover the pipes, but at the same time you don't want the boxing to protrude any further into the room than necessary.  Fix the floor batten in place, then fix a batten on the wall above the pipework, using a spirit level to ensure it's totally level.  Measure the dimensions and cut your MDF to size.  You may have to scribe the edges to fit around obstacles such as a sink pedestal. 

Put the front section of MDF in place and nail or screw it to the floor batten.  Then fit the top section of MDF and nail it to the front section where the two sections join, making sure the nail heads are punched in below surface level. 

It may be necessary for you to incorporate an access hatch into your boxing so you can get to your sink trap or shut-off valves.  To do this, when you've cut your MDF to the required size for the boxing, use a template to draw round to mark where the hatch will go (a square wall tile is ideal for this).  Use a jigsaw to cut out the hole and screw two small blocks of wood on both inside vertical edges.  Using a workbench clamp to hold the MDF, secure magnetic catches to the wooden blocks.  Then cut out another piece of MDF, for the hatch, which will need to be the same size as the hole.  Fit the corresponding pieces of the magnetic catches to the hatch and attach a small handle in the middle before putting it in place.  You could use hinges instead of magnetic catches, if you prefer.  Or, if there are large sections of pipework that require access, it makes sense to make an entire section of the boxing removable, holding it in place with screws rather than nails.(shower room)