Dumb questions: my speciality

[Colin Wilson]

Regulars will know this already, but i'm USELESS at DIY :-}

I've got a chase about 3-4" wide / 2.5-3" deep to fill in thermalite block... cement mix or something like browning and build it up in layers ?

And... how the hell do you go about boxing in pipework :-}

The layout at present is that they'll probably need boxing in from floor level to about 12" high - do I fix a baton on the floor, do I need to make some sort of framework above to fix to ? - there's currently a 12" or so tall piece of wood behind the pipes (which are clipped to it) which I suspect I have no way of removing, which might be a starting point :-}

There's also a 2" waste I can't really show on the crap drawing below that also runs alongside them, and just to make life hard, there's a multi-head thing on the soil pipe, which the waste goes into, which might mean the boxing in might take some strange and exotic forms :-} (the soil pipe is in a concrete floor and can't realistically be moved, but it's also further into the room to what you'd normally expect)

i.e. | | | ______ || / soil ||o---\ / ____ pipe ||o--\ \/ / ||0 | || | ||0 | ||___|_ || |_________| ||_____| |___

The basin pedastal is along the same wall, and doesn't stick out as far as the multi-head thing, so I might need to add a curve into the equation too...

[Stuart Noble]

Seal the surface with 1PVA: 4 water and whack some bonding plaster in there. If you mix it thick you should do it in one go (start at the bottom obviously :-))

With difficulty. It's something everyone must face alone. For straight runs you can make an L section from ply, lay it in place and put a bead of white silicone on the bottom edge. This means you don't have to fix anything and the silicone acts as a hinge if you need to get behind it. Cutting round obstacles is a never ending process of trial and error, made slightly easier with cardboard templates etc

[sm_jamieson]

I prefer to "box in" with a triangle if possible. I think it looks better. It also only involves one piece of board. Whether you can do this without losing too much at the sides depends on the size of the thing you are boxing of course.

Simon.

[Colin Wilson]

Probably not practical in this instance, as the offset from the wall of the existing woodwork and pipework on top of it would mean i'd lose at least 2-3 feet of floorspace in an already small bathroom :-} (and still not resolve the multi-head bog thing, or how to work around the pedastal)

[Colin Wilson]

Cheers - i'll give that a blast :-}

Sh*t :-}

Good idea, hadn't thought of that... not really something I could do in this instance though I fear :-/

Hey ho - could be in for some fun then :-/

[John Rumm]

Bonding plaster... what is in the chase? If it is pipes you may want to stick some insulation round them first so they have a little room for movement.

Some 2x1" softwood, and a board of your choice. Plasterboard is cheap and a suitable surface for decoration or tiling.

Make some L shaped trusses with the wood and fix these in place every couple of feet. Cut plasterboard to match the top and side of the boxed section and screw to the woodwork.

The L shaped bits can either be fixed to long battens one the wall and floor as you suggest, or to save wood you can just make a short stub on each end so you can fix the ends of each support to the wall and the floor. (the former is easier and less work!)

If you want a nice paintable surface then once the plasterboard is on, slap some board filler in any holes and to make up the edge if there are any chunks out of it. Once set attack with a surform and coarse sand paper until flat. Couple of coats of emulsion and job done!

Steps are easier than curves ;-)

[Stuart Noble]

The biggest problems I've found with boxing in is a) the lack of a flat surface to fix supports to and b) not knowing what's under the floorboards (plumbers often seem to notch the joist right at the edge of a room). I prefer to glue for an easy life.

[John Rumm]

You only need screws that go into the floorboards, not right through them! ;-) But, yes, pipes etc in walls and floors can be a pain.

[Colin Wilson]

Used to be pipework for a shower - now removed

How do you edge the plasterboard though - I didn't think it'd be too feasible using the metal corner stuff you usually use when plastering with it ?!?

[The Medway Handyman]

Gripfill is your friend :-) Make up L or square sections from ply with battens & glue them to wall/floor.

[Stuart Noble]

Gripfil is a friend, but I prefer white silicone where it meets the floor

[The Natural Philosopher]

Decorators caulk, car body filler, battens screwed on..MDF..and tile over the lot :-)

[John Rumm]

No need for an edge as such, once you give any gaps a fill and sand flat you have a perfect edge to paint. It is surprisingly easy to get a very neat result.

[Stuart Noble]

vulnerable though

[John Rumm]

Depends on where it is obviously, but it would be no worse than a traditional plastered corner.

If you want it more robust then you could strip off the paper face at the intersection of the board and stick a thin skimming corner bead on. Fill and sand that as before.

[Owain]

For smaller pipes you can cheat and buy square or rectangular section plastic electrical trunking. Slide the lid under the pipes, screw to wall, clip body over.

Takes emulsion paint very well - might need a light sanding if it's very shiney.

Owain