Bathroom cladding is a pretty versatile product. It can be used in showers, around vanity units, behind basins and even on ceilings. One aspect of it’s construction that makes it very popular with installers is its ability to cover up pipework. This can be achieved with little or no preparation. Boxing-in with cladding is very straightforward.
The photo above is a typical example of where cladding comes into its own. Here it has been used to cover up all the pipework that runs across the bottom of the wall in this cloakroom. The panel chosen here is Ligno Blue, which is a blue, wood effect panel.
As you can see the fitter has continued with the direction down the wall. It then runs across the top surface of the boxing and then back down on the front of the boxing.
Boxing-In Unsightly Pipework
The photo shows a great example of boxing-in with cladding.
Here, some sort of framework would be needed to support the panels. These particular panels are only 100mm wide. If you are working with wider panels they can sometimes be used on their own. In this situation you would run the panels horizontally.
But for a more solid job a complete box can be made with wood and ply and then be clad with the panels. Going this extra mile will make the job more solid and also enable you to continue the line of the pattern (as was done in the example above).
This picture shows a situation where our bathroom cladding has been used to box-in the soil pipe in the corner of the room.
This is a vertical pipe so a single piece of cladding can be used for each side in one long run. It is possible to glue everything in place with a corner trim but a more solid job would involve using battens. Two battens on the walls to support the panel and one behind the corner joint running floor to ceiling.
If you want a “belt and braces” approach you should make a solid box from plywood and then face this the cladding.
Build The Wall Out With Cladding
This is a method of covering pipes and filling the gap at the end of a bath,
Quite often you will see a horizontal, tiled area at the end of a bath. These are problematic and tend not to last very long.
The solution is to build the whole wall out effectively making a large box at the end of the bath. This can be used to hide pipes. But it can also be used to create niches. These look great but also offer practical storage.
The location of your pipes in the bathroom will have an effect on how far you can reposition the component. The soil pipe is the biggest issue so we have created an article on working with soil pipes here.
As has been shown, boxing-in with cladding is relatively straightforward. It will result in a much neater appearance than having exposed pipework. It can even help you create features that will enhance the overall look of your bathroom.