Pipes of various kinds of communications on the walls are more commoneverything cannot be moved even during a major renovation, and this problem can only be solved by creating a plasterboard box on the wall. Modern finishing materials allow you to create a high-quality European-style renovation.
You can hide it using a plasterboard boxpipes, wiring or ventilation system. A plasterboard box is not the only possible solution. You can also hide pipes in a frame made of plastic, plywood or chipboard. But experts agree that plasterboard is the best material to work with, even a beginner can work with it. The plasterboard surface can be finished with tiles, wallpaper or painted, it will be a strong and reliable box.
Gypsum board box: necessary materials and tools
By making such a box, you can not only improve the aesthetics of the bathroom, but also to some extent protect the pipes from mechanical damage. For work you will need:
Tools for making a box.
- sheet drywall;
- Wooden beam;
- antiseptics for wood;
- putty;
- spatulas;
- plumb bob;
- mites mounting;
- roulette;
- level;
- drill or perforator;
- corner;
- knife;
- a hammer;
- dowels;
- eurosurf;
- self-tapping screws;
- pencil.
One sheet of standard moisture-resistant gypsum boardthe size for wall treatment is usually sufficient. For work in the bathroom or kitchen, it is best to choose a moisture-resistant option, since condensation on the pipes almost always forms. Both in the bathroom and in the kitchen area, humidity is most often high, so the effect of moisture in this case will come from both sides. Wooden bars with a cross-section of 40x40 or 50x50 can be used for the frame or fastening of walls along with a metal profile. The profile is specially designed for work of this nature, and it is recommended to pre-coat the wood with antiseptics so that its service life increases, and the surface does not become a breeding ground for rot and mold. Therefore, in some cases, a metal profile is the best option and it is much more convenient to work with it. You will need 2 types of profiles: a guide and for forming a frame.
Scheme of a plasterboard box.Dowels and Euro screws, which are hammered in, are used to attach the frame elements to the walls. Special self-tapping screws are used to connect the parts of the box together; for wood, they must be hardened. Drilling holes in some types of concrete walls is very difficult, and a drill will be useless. You will have to deal with such walls using a hammer drill. Return to contents</a>
Making of plasterboard box: marking of walls
Marking begins on the floor.A guide profile (or support bars) will then be laid along the marked line. The final size of the box will differ from the size of the marked contour by the size of the plasterboard sheet, since the material is sewn on top of the frame. This should be taken into account when marking. The perpendicularity of the applied lines to the walls, ceiling and each other is checked with a level, plumb line and square. The finished plasterboard box should not touch the pipes with its casing even in a small area, the distance should be at least 3-5 cm. The width of the outer frame is selected taking into account the subsequent finishing. When finishing with ceramic tiles, the size of the box can be adjusted so that the tiles for laying do not have to be additionally cut, if the width of the box does not contradict the previous points. It is convenient to use a plumb line to transfer the markings from the floor to the ceiling. If additional marking is required for the walls, it is done using a thread stretched between the floor and the ceiling, which is located between two points set at an equal distance. Return to contents</a>
Gypsum cardboard box: fixing the frame
Types of metal profile for a box made ofplasterboard. The box is a fairly simple structure fixed to the frame, but the features of all the pipes that can be closed with its help are different. Therefore, during installation, you need to know and take this into account. The profile or bars located along the walls are laid out first. After them, the posts are fixed, which form the protruding front part of the box. If the width of the box is more than 25 cm, and its height exceeds 1.5 m, it is recommended to make jumpers between the support posts to increase the strength. The distance between each jumper should not be more than a meter. If a wooden beam is used, then, in addition to the initial coating with antiseptics, it must also be treated in the places of cuts. Specialized mastics for wood cope with this very well, since they are easy to apply and they dry very quickly. In addition to high-quality wood protection, such mastics guarantee the absence of creaking during deformations from heat and humidity, since when using them, the box will not creak and will be more stable. If the box is located in the corner of the room, the profile is first attached to the wall with dowels. After this, the guides are placed on the ceiling, checking that the angle is 90° in any direction. Then, where the profiles intersect at a distance from the wall, another section of the profile is installed, which is fastened with self-tapping screws. The next step is to install lintels, if they are needed. If the box is not in the corner, but in the center of the wall, the initial stage of fastening the frame remains the same: the profile is attached to the wall using dowels. The profiles on the floor and ceiling are installed next, strictly monitoring the observance of the 90° angle wherever necessary. The lintels on the floor and ceiling are installed at the required distance from the walls, checked using a level and secured. The vertical posts are installed at the intersections of the guides, if necessary, lintels are installed. Return to the table of contents</a>
How to mount a gypsum board on walls?
The best way to cut plasterboard sheets is:so that the box consists of whole layers, and not of several pieces. Therefore, the strips that will become the side edges are cut off first. They should be equal in width to the frame (so as not to protrude beyond the already marked boundaries of the support posts). The dimensions of the remaining edge are marked on the remaining sheet and are cut out on it only after this. The edges of the edge should cover the edges of the strips, so the material for it is cut taking this into account.
Assembly and finishing diagram of a plasterboard box.The sheets are secured with screws, they are placed every 15-25 cm. If the width of the structure is small, then the sheets can be additionally not secured to the lintels. When all the sheets are secured, you can begin puttying and forming the corners. They should be even both in the places of contact with the walls and at the box itself. In order to align the corners, use a metal corner or a special perforated plastic one. The corners are secured on a thin layer of the laid starting putty, before it begins to dry. Return to the table of contents</a>How to hide a sewer riser?When installing a plasterboard box, in order to hide the sewer riser pipes, it is necessary to consider the need for an inspection hole in the box opposite the same one in the pipe itself. This coupling with a screw-on cover is used if you need to clear a blockage in the pipes. It is not recommended to close this box tightly; it would be more practical to purchase a special plastic door or make part of the panel sliding so that there is free access to the inspection hole. It is necessary to ensure constant access at the right time to those places of the sewer where it enters the common riser. Leaks often occur there, requiring replacement of elements. The door for access to this part of the pipes should be located strictly on the front edge of the manufactured box facing the outlet. It will most likely not be possible to remove it to a more inconspicuous place. Return to contents</a>Box for water pipes For these pipes tooit is necessary to install a door or technological openings in some places. Such places as hot and cold water meters require access, since it is necessary to take readings and check their operability. Additional openings will be needed if there are check valves, reducers, valves or compensators on the pipes. These doors can be located on the side of the box so as not to be conspicuous, if at the same time access to the necessary places is fully preserved. In order to make such openings qualitatively, it is necessary to cut holes in the sheets of drywall, which in size should be 1-3 mm larger than the dimensions of the door prepared for installation. It is most convenient to do these manipulations before the sheet of drywall is installed on the frame in the required place. The door can be marked in advance and cut out only after the material is installed on the frame. Professionals recommend filling the space inside the riser with mineral wool. This dampens the vibration transmitted to the pipes and the noise of the water, which can sometimes be very strong. After this, you can apply the finishing putty and prepare the surface of the box for further finishing work, for example, for laying tiles. Having reached this stage, the work on installing the box can be considered complete.</ ul>
