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Original poster

Another radiator thread

16 replies

TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 21:53

Yep me again. Sorry.

We wanted the radiator pipes behind the wall but that didn't happen and instead come out of the side of the bath. It's a mess but I can't face having it ripped out to start again.

Boxing in is one option but there is no way I'm letting the current guys do that and I'm not sure when we'll be able to afford to have it done by anyone else. Also, realistically because of the bath, i'm not sure how it would work practically. So the pipes will be on show for probably a long, long time (forever?).

The plumber doesn't see what the issue is and he knows my brother professionally so it's all very awkward complaining about his work. My brother doesn't think it looks that bad so won't back us up with him. My husband is just fed up of the whole thing and wants them finished regardless of how it looks. So I don't have any hope of anyone supporting me kicking up a fuss.

So realistically, I need to make the best of a bad lot. I think there are 2 options:

Option 1. Drop the radiator. It can only go down about 6 inches or the bracket holes in the tiles will be on show. Then leave the pipes at the same height but have shorter vertical pipes. This is the easy option.

Option 2. Drop the radiator. Drop the horizontal pipes to almost floor height so they are less obvious but there will be longer vertical pipes. This will be more work because they will need to change the hole where the pipes come out from the side of the bath and I guess add some extra bends to make the pipe the right height. I also don't know how big the hole in the tile from the current radiator clip is but that will need filling.

I think it will make the pipes easier to box in at some point in the future. I think it might also look better for however long they are on show but my husband doesn't agree.

I will ask him to change the pipes to chrome.

Any thoughts or helpful suggestions?

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:07

Photo. Hopefully.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:15

I can't post pictures apparently. Link to previous photos here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3550543-Radiator-pipes-making-them-look-better

OP posts:
Vonnie44 · 09/04/2019 22:17

Could you take the flooring up and put pipes under and just have the vertical pipes on show.That's what my son in law did with his.

Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:19

Concrete floor.

OP posts:
MiniMum97 · 09/04/2019 22:22

Personally if I had asked for them to be in the wall I would get them to redo it until I was happy. Lot of difficult conversations though. I also can't bear pipes on show.

Vonnie44 · 09/04/2019 22:27

You could box in the horizontal pipes and leave the vertical on show covered in 'chrome wrap'.

Vonnie44 · 09/04/2019 22:30

Personally with the bad workmanship I wouldn't trust them to do any better, and could make it even worse.

Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:30

I just can't face that. We are over 4 weeks in and still nowhere near the end of what wasn't a particularly difficult refit. The thought of having to go right back to the wall again makes me want to cry.

Plus, because they'll argue we changed our mind (We didn't) we'll have to pay for it and we can't afford to.

OP posts:
Vonnie44 · 09/04/2019 22:35

Why had it taken nearly 4 weeks?

Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:36

If we box in, it will be by someone else at some future unknown date. The bathroom has used up most of our savings so I don't know when that will be.

We need to make it better for now really.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDarkOverload · 09/04/2019 22:38

Because they are slow and think it's OK to disappear every other day to do other jobs.

It took them 2 days to put up some batons. It would take me that long!

OP posts:
Vonnie44 · 09/04/2019 22:39

Boxing in is straightforward, you can look online and buy it to the dimensions you need. It's not ideal but will be an improvement in what you have now.

Wingedharpy · 10/04/2019 01:32

@TheDarkOverlord, I sympathise.
Sorry that I can't do the proper link but, if you go to
www.pendockdirect.co.uk/boiler-pipe-casing there are some tall, wide U-shaped ready made boxing products which can be trimmed down to fit underneath your pipework.
You would also need to cut out 2 small notches in the right hand side to accommodate the horizontal pipes as they come out from the bath panel.
I haven't used these products personally and have no connection with the company but saw them and thought they may help you.
I speak as a woman who has covered a cardboad shoe box with fancy fabric to hide my ugly cold water pipe and mains stopcock tap located in the sitting room!
As I said, I sympathise.

Wingedharpy · 10/04/2019 01:34

Underneath your radiator I meant.
No point sliding it underneath the pipework FFS.

Dottierichardson · 10/04/2019 01:44

Personally I'd go for the easy option of dropping the radiator, and since tiles are white would either paint visible piping or buy the lengths of cover for pipes that you can buy in any DIY shop, it's white and the tiles are white so would blend them in.

Also noticed on your other thread that the panel doesn't fit because of the enamel bath. We had a new enamel bath recently, our guy built a thin wooden frame that fitted under the lip of the bath, and fixed to floor and side wall, and fitted a panel to that. As he had to build and fit a frame round the wall to partially support the bath it was easy to add on. So something to bear in mind for the future. You can also buy ready-made frames to support a bath panel they cost about 40 quid.

Dottierichardson · 10/04/2019 01:46

But have had to dig pipes out of the wall to repair them, so easy access pipes a plus from my perspective.

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