Hiding Pipes and Services

Buildings are becoming more and more complicated these days — not just because of changes in the structure and Building Regulations requirements, but because of the facilities and services we expect to be available in our homes. No longer is it unusual to have several en suite bathrooms, not to mention all the media devices and electronic gadgets that seem obligatory in modern households. All of these facilities require pipes or cables and although the bulk of these can be buried in walls and floors, emergency access can be difficult and routes poorly planned.

In small-scale new build and renovation projects it is unusual for architects to concern themselves with the mundane task of planning pipes and cable runs. This is usually left to the individual tradesmen, and whilst the end result is hopefully functional, quite often pleasing rooms may have their clean lines marred by intrusive pipes or boxing that could have been easily located elsewhere with a little forethought.

If possible at the design stage, group kitchens, utilities and bathrooms together. This will reduce the pipe runs and will enable shared water and soil pipes, and also provide pipe routes that can be conveniently hidden behind baths, kitchen and vanity units, airing cupboards and so on. This sharing principle can also be applied to electric cables where light switches and power outlets can be sited in the same position on either side of a wall with a short connecting cable through the wall. A meeting with the builder before the work becomes too advanced will allow minor adjustments in the positioning of drains and the inclusion of service ducts within concrete and screed floors, or even studwork — flexible plastic ducting is probably the most convenient. As pipes and cables are rarely considered to be objects of beauty it is customary to conceal them —however, the two instances where services are commonly visible are high tech buildings which make a feature of prominent pipes and ducts, and also traditional cottages where expediency and a reluctance to disturb finishes quite often results in surface- mounted services painted to match their surroundings. After years of painting, usually in treacly gloss, a very comfortable and homely appearance results. Even modern pipework in similar situations needn’t look out of place if neatly fixed and painted — one obvious benefit being easy access for maintenance or modifications. For this reason boiler rooms and service cupboards take advantage of surface fixing. Don’t forget to finish the walls up tot he painted finish, whether plastered or ply boarded — this saves much time and bother later on.

Conventionally, floor voids and attic spaces are used to hide away large quantities of pipes and cables,but do try and avoid underfloorjoints in either if at all possible.Notches and holes will need making in joists but in order to maintain strength, any notches should have a depth of less than an eighth ofthe joist’s depth and be within the zone of one fourteenth to one quarter of the joist’s length from the supporting wall. Likewise drilled holes should be drilled on the centre line of the joist, not be of greater diameter than a quarter of the joist’s depth and be within the zone of a quarter to four tenths of the joist’s length from the supporting wall.

If services require access at a later stage, a screwed access panel should be allowed. Within timber floors this can be formed out of a single floorboard with the projecting section below the groove removed for future ease of removal. In other instances ducting can provide the means of renewing or additions without extensive disturbance. Ducting is widely available in both rigid and flexible plastic from a diameter of 25mm upwards from either electrical wholesalers or builders’ merchants.

Future-proofing for media cabling is a common pursuit for new build homes and whilst the notion appears to be sensible, the requirements and specifications for future computer and media systems can only be guessed. A more logical approach is to buildin plenty of ducts enabling future wiring to be pulled through when required. You will still need to assume the future siting of equipment but hopefully all the cable ducting will be installed. Should the larger ductings be used externally for incoming utility services, make sure that the correct colour coding (blue for water, yellow for gas and black for electricity) and the correct size is used together with a securely fixed draw cord — otherwise a supply may be refused. Inside, boxed skirting can provide an ideal unobtrusive and relatively accessible route way for pipes, especially if constructed before plastering, to maximise the space available for pipes; remember that hot and cold pipes boxed together require some form of insulation to minimise the initial flow of hot water from the cold tap — not to mention wasted energy!

Soil pipes and other services need access to upstairs floors and can be located within floor-to-ceiling cupboards, kitchen units and especially in the corner void of bookshelves. Soil pipes in this position can be embarrassingly noisy and will benefit from being wrapped in mineral wool prior to boxing in to lessen unwanted sound transmission. If all else fails and exposed boxing is the only option, consider siting in an unobtrusive position such as behind a door. Lessen its impact with the smallest possible size and in older properties especially, a carefully detailed construction with a corner bead moulding will always help new work blend into existing surroundings.

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