Boxing In

Why Box In Pipes and Services?

Every home has pipework, waste pipes, cables and other services that need to get from one place to another. In older East Kent properties especially, these services are often surface-mounted or exposed, having been added or modified over the decades as plumbing and heating systems were updated.

Boxing in conceals these services behind plasterboard enclosures, giving your rooms a clean, finished appearance. It is particularly common in:

• Bathrooms - where hot and cold supply pipes, waste pipes and soil stacks are often visible
• Kitchens - where gas pipes, water supplies and waste runs may be exposed
• Hallways and landings - where soil stacks and heating pipes run vertically through the house
• Utility rooms - where boiler pipework and flues need concealing
• Any room where pipes run along walls or across ceilings after plumbing work

Lee on the most common boxing jobs

The most common boxing-in jobs are covering pipes in various rooms, predominantly bathrooms, but also front rooms and kitchens. Bathrooms are the bulk of it because that’s where you’ve got the most exposed pipework, soil stacks, supply pipes, waste runs from the bath and basin. Front rooms come up when there’s pipework running along a wall to a radiator. Kitchens when there’s plumbing for a sink or washing machine that needs tidying up. Older East Kent properties tend to need more boxing-in because the plumbing’s been added to and modified over the years and a lot of it ends up surface-mounted.

What We Box In

Pipe Runs

Hot and cold water pipes, central heating flow and return pipes, and gas supply pipes that run along walls, across floors or under ceilings. These are typically small-diameter pipes that can be boxed in tight, neat enclosures.

Soil Stacks and Waste Pipes

The large vertical soil stack (usually 110mm diameter) is one of the most common things homeowners want hidden. These run from ground floor to roof level, often through bathrooms and kitchens. Waste pipes from basins, baths and showers also frequently need boxing.

Boiler Flues and Connections

Modern boilers have flue pipes that run through walls and multiple connections underneath. Boxing around the boiler area tidies up the installation and gives a finished look.

Cables and Trunking

Electrical cables, network cables and TV aerial runs that are surface-mounted can be concealed within boxing. We ensure any boxing around electrical services complies with regulations regarding accessibility and fire safety.

Lee on the unusual ones

Media walls are probably the most common “unusual” request, and they’ve taken off in the last few years. The customer wants a flat wall with the TV mounted, cables hidden, sometimes a fireplace built in below. I’ll build a timber frame off the existing wall, coordinate with the electrician to run all the cables behind it, then plasterboard and skim the front so you end up with what looks like a clean, deeper wall but with everything tidy behind. It’s effectively the same technique as boxing in pipes, just on a bigger scale.

Our Process

Planning

We discuss what needs boxing, where access panels are required, and what the final finish will be (painted, tiled, or a combination). We measure the pipe runs and plan the framework to be as unobtrusive as possible while meeting practical requirements.

Framework

We build a framework using treated timber battens or metal stud sections, depending on the situation and location. In wet areas like bathrooms, we typically use treated timber or metal to prevent any moisture-related deterioration. The framework is fixed securely to the wall, floor and ceiling as appropriate, and built square and plumb.

For boxing that needs to support tiles, the framework is built more robustly with closer batten spacings to prevent flex or movement under the weight of the tiles and adhesive.

Boarding

We fix plasterboard to the framework:

• Gyproc Moisture Resistant (MR) board in bathrooms, shower rooms and kitchens
• Standard Gyproc WallBoard in dry areas
• Tile backer board (such as Hardie Backer or Wedi) where heavy tiles will be applied

Boards are cut precisely to fit and fixed with screws. External corners receive metal angle bead for durability and a clean edge, which is especially important on boxing that protrudes into a room where it might get knocked.

Access Panels

We install access panels at critical points:

• Stopcocks and isolation valves - so you can shut off water supplies
• Boiler controls - for maintenance and servicing
• Inspection points - where regulations require them
• Any point you want accessible - we are flexible and will install access wherever you request it

Access panels are available in various sizes and can be plastered or tiled over so they sit flush with the surrounding surface.

Lee on access panels

I prefer screw-fix access panels. They sit flush, they’re robust, and there’s no spring mechanism to fail over time like you get with push-to-open. If a stopcock or boiler valve needs to be accessed in five years, you want to be able to find it and open it without fighting a tired magnet. Screw-fix means a couple of screws come out, the panel comes off, the job’s done. They’re not as instant to open, but they last and they’re reliable, which matters more on the things you want to access in an emergency.

Finishing

In painted rooms, the boxing is finished with scrim tape on all joints and then skimmed with Thistle Board Finish to match the surrounding walls. Once dry and decorated, well-built boxing looks like a natural part of the room.

In tiled areas, the boarding surface is left ready for the tiler, with all edges clean and the framework rigid enough to support the tile weight.

Acoustic Considerations

Soil stacks and waste pipes can be noisy, particularly during the night when the house is quiet and someone flushes a toilet or runs a tap. Boxing alone provides some sound reduction, but for better results we can incorporate acoustic insulation within the boxing. Wrapping the pipe with acoustic lagging or packing the void with mineral wool significantly reduces the sound of water flowing through the pipe.

This is particularly worth considering if the soil stack runs through or adjacent to a bedroom, which is a common layout in many East Kent properties.

Lee on acoustic boxing

Acoustic insulation in boxing is an upgrade I’ll offer rather than do by default, because it adds cost and not every customer needs it. The conversation usually comes up when the soil stack runs through a bedroom wall or adjacent to one, and someone in the house is bothered by hearing the toilet flush at night. In those situations I’ll pack mineral wool around the pipe inside the boxing, and it makes a noticeable difference. Worth doing if it’s relevant, not worth doing if the boxing is in a downstairs WC where nobody cares.

Boxing in Bathrooms

Bathrooms are where boxing-in work is most frequently needed. A typical bathroom renovation might require:

• Boxing around the soil stack in the corner
• Boxing along the back wall to conceal supply pipes and waste runs
• Boxing to create a shelf or ledge behind the WC for the cistern
• Boxing to conceal pipework to and from the bath or shower

We work closely with bathroom fitters and plumbers to ensure the boxing is planned and built to accommodate the final layout. Ideally, we carry out the boxing after the first fix plumbing is complete but before the bathroom suite is installed.

In walk-in showers and wet rooms, all boxing must be fully waterproofed using tanking membrane or tape systems before tiling. We ensure our boxing is compatible with whatever waterproofing system is being used.

Cost Factors

Boxing-in is generally one of the more affordable plastering services we offer. The main factors affecting cost are:

• Length and complexity of the pipe runs to be boxed
• Number of access panels required
• Type of boarding (standard vs moisture-resistant vs tile backer)
• Finish required (skimmed and ready for paint, or left for tiling)
• Acoustic insulation if requested
• Height and accessibility - high-level boxing or work in tight spaces takes longer

We provide a fixed price quote before starting and there are no hidden extras.