Hiding 22mm copper pipes behind skirting boards?

[clk320x]

Hi all,

Currently having a property renovated and central heating is being installed, my plumber says chasing the 22mm pipe runs into the wall will result in a lot of brick needing to be chiselled out (all masonry walls) so I have decided to have the run surface.

My idea was to hide them under the skirting board, you seem to be able to buy skirting with a ‘rebate’ cut out, like below:

This is 30mm deep skirting, and the recess seems to be 60mm high x 24mm deep… will this be enough for a pair of 22mm pipes? Surely there will be clips used to hold them to the wall which may add ‘depth’ if that makes sense…

These are the only clips I’ve found which seem to add minimum depth, surely they’d still add more than 2mm though? Talon Nail in Clip 22mm

30mm deep seems to be the maximum size of skirting I can find, which already looks a bit odd so not sure I’d want a deeper size even I did find one.

Also not sure how to get a neat finish where the 22mms would go into a 15mm reducer/tee to go to/from rads?

Any ideas guys?

Cheers!

 

[LTD]

You could run spacer pieces along the wall above and below the pipes and then fit the skirting to that - issue could be the final fit and finish

@Happytalk73 might be the man for the answer

 

[190]

The need for 22mm pipes should be limited to the initial feeds to and from the boiler with the majority of the pipework within rooms only needing to be 15 mm. Typically there would be two 15mm circuits one for upstairs and one for down stairs or in my case of a large bungalow one down the front of the bungalow and one down the back. Mine are buried in plywood covered floor channels in the concrete floor. My understanding of the regs is that pipes can be hidden as long as they are not actually buried in plaster or the floor screed.

You can find extra depth by removing a narrow channel of plaster from behind the skirting boards and then getting creative as to how the skirtings are fixed in place.

 

[Darrell]

Has the place got a concrete or timber floor?

 

[Scooby_Doo]

You can get 5mm thick formed ply skirting from a companies like Pendock or Encasement , much neater and easy to fit.

 

[clk320x]

Has the place got a concrete or timber floor?

Concrete

 

[Meldrew2]

If you fit the pipework at floor level, and then fit the skirting to the wall ABOVE the pipes, it would be relatively simple to fit a thin layer of plywood in front of the pipework. Either the skirting will be about an inch taller, or the skirting could be cut down before fitting. Maybe a bit more work, but the materials should be cheaper...

 

[Petrol Pete]

Is it a Bungalow ?

 

[clk320x]

Is it a Bungalow ?

this is a ground floor maisonette, the entire project has been a pain!

 

[Petrol Pete]

OP , is it a Bungalow or a 2 story house ?

 

[bob6600]

Could you screw the clip into the skirting?

 

[Petrol Pete]

OP wants the pipes hidden , good call. 2 x 22mm running along the wall looks $hite. My solution (although different to the OP's needs) was to run the 22's up the side of the dining room chimney breast to feed upstairs CH loop . I then boxed them in (along with various copies of newspapers that day along with my take on the world scribbled on the wall with a sharpie. I did that because I found all types of period correct stuff in and about the house during the refurb and the next bloke will have the same , although There should never be a need to knock the box down and you wouldn't know it was there unless yo gave it a knock...but I am rambling here.)

That's why I ask if its a Bungalow. Running 22's up into the roof space is an option and dropping 15's down in the room corners (boxed in or using some of the good stuff available these days to hide them) might be an option. Running 22's all around the house sounds a bit drastic to me .

Downstairs I have 2 x 22's running along the hallway with 15mm flow and return stabbings feeding the radiators , same on the landing upstairs. Works fine.

 

[andyR43]

If you had to have 22mm pipes just use the skirting you have identified with a rip of 6mm MDF glued to the back of the top edge of the skirting to make the rebate 30mm.

 

[flying haggis]

these clips might be shallower than the plastic ones(and the slight hump in the middle of the rounded bit could flattened)

Saddle Clip

Copper.

www.toolstation.com

 

[clk320x]

these clips might be shallower than the plastic ones(and the slight hump in the middle of the rounded bit could flattened)

Saddle Clip

Copper.

www.toolstation.com

Brilliant this is the exact sort of thing I was looking for! Thanks!

 

[wrdcc01]

Have you considered just using 10mm microbore or do your radiators really need 10,000 liters per hour flow?

 

[Darrell]

Have you considered just using 10mm microbore or do your radiators really need 10,000 liters per hour flow?

We’ve got microbore.

 

[clk320x]

Have you considered just using 10mm microbore or do your radiators really need 10,000 liters per hour flow?

I have no idea, the plumber advised 22mm for the main circuit and 15mm to the rads. As its a ground floor property with concrete floors, and masonry walls it makes burying pipes a bit of a pain!

 

[wrdcc01]

I would have speaks with your plumber and get him to do it the way most would, which is 22mm (or 27) from the boiler to a manifold and then 10mm from the manifold to below the rad's with a final bit of 15mm to finish. Easy to hide behind things and only a small trench if needed to cross hallways and entrances. Easily within the capabilities of a small power chasing tool. 22mm all over the place is a waste unless the rooms are half a mile away from the boiler.

 

[Piff]

Currently building 2 new builds. 22mm to manifolds then 16mm PEX pipework to each radiator.

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If you have to use 22mm, fix a 25x38 batten to walls below pipes then another 25x38 batten with a planed top edge level with top of skirting. Then fix skirting to battens