Looking for creative way to cover up exposed copper piping in bathroom

josieT

I have these misplaced looking copper pipes running up through my bathroom. I'm curious if anyone has had this and knows of some kind of decorative cover I can get to cover it up. I know exposed piping is considered decorative too but not in this case.

icesailor

A nice well made box comes to mind.

unclejohn

I would come out with tee and have a heated toilet paper roll thingy.

unclejohn

But wait why stop there heated towel rack as well. When life gives you hot pipes use em.

KC_Jones

Not to be to "smart", but the original steam pipe that would have been there was simply painted. You could do that. Or go the other way and "celebrate" the copper by polishing it to a high shine. As icesailor said boxing it in is really the only true cover up and that would require some more extensive work related to that tile floor and tile baseboard. At the very least you should consider sealing around those pipes at the floor which I am assuming goes into the basement? Probably some cold air coming up through there.

Fred

You can buy a composite column, with a base and cap, split then in half and put one half on each opposing wall as a decorative feature (hiding the pipes in the cavity of the column).

ChrisJ

My downstairs bathroom has the plumbing to the upstairs bathroom run in a similar way, though I haven't actually seen the piping yet.

Whoever did it, covered it using a cover made out of wood shaped like an L. Just two pieces of 1/2" x 6" or whatever it is nailed together and then mounted in the corner to cover the pipes.

The only reason I don't hate it, is I'd rather have the pipes there than in an outside wall.

hot_rod

depends on your taste I suppose.

If it were me I make it into a custom radiator of some sort. Celebrate the copper! At least some clever hooks to make it a heated towel bar.

I seen line set covers used to hide exterior solar piping. It's a two piece plastic enclosure that would hold up well in humid bathrooms

Crown moulding is tapered to fit across corners like that.

Fred

I didn't see anything that indicates this is a steam or hot water heating run. It looks like maybe hot and cold water to another bathroom or apartment? Maybe the OP will tell us.

icesailor

Well BOYS. From a Plumber, and a practical one at that, notice that nice piston flushometer on the wall connected to that toilet bowl? There will be descending green spots on that copper pipe from about 24" to the floor. The closer to the floor, the more the spots. Some say that it is the PTS to get them out.

I'd go with wood box. And I'd find some arteest to paint Faux black tiles with white grout around the base. To match what is already there.

Abracadabra

I'd be surprised if the Sloan valve would work adequately with only a 3/4" supply. Most buildings I've seen with Sloan Valves for the toilets had 1-1/4" supply. I'm guessing it's hot water for heat.

icesailor

The piston flushometer does have the proper supply out of the valve. You can't see the inlet size. Even Diaphragm types have 1 1/2 outlets to contain the back rubber backflow device. It must be odd though because it doesn't line up with the center of the bowl. That looks like a high end house when it was built.

Harvey Ramer

You can be as creative as you want, or your budget will allow. You could paint the pipes a flat color and then have a blacksmith wrap the pipes with wrought iron. You could create a "Jack and the Bean Stalk" scene. Or you could just have it wrapped with a pretty vine. I have seen blacksmiths wrap stuff like stair railings and posts. I think it looks truly amazing!

You could also just build a box.

You could do anything.

josieT

These are great comments. I appreciate it. There was an old steam pipe there formerly replaced with supply/return heating pipes for my new and much despised hot water system. (Yes, I miss my steam system in case you haven't seen my previous posts). That old painted chunky steam pipe looked fine. Now I have these two skinny pipes and an exposed hole in the floor. Those copper pipes feed a sunrad to the floor above it. There is also no heat now in that powder room because the copper pipes can't generate enough to heat it. I am going to be putting a panel radiator in there at some point so that will need it's own supply/return from the basement below.

Fred - what's a composite column?

josieT

I think I found a price effective solution: polecoverings.com

kcopp

You cold always use Azek to cover/ box around it and not worry about moisture .

icesailor

kcopp said:

You cold always use Azek to cover/ box around it and not worry about moisture .

Azek is nice. I took a piece of it and cut an inverted "U" in the bottom. Put it in so a sliding glass door could hold it in place so the cats could get into their Catio and entertain themselves looking out at the wild things that interest cats. But also keep the heat or cold in the heated space.

Fred

Fred - what's a composite column?
It's a decorative column (either round or square) made of composite materials that aren't affected by moisture, steam, like wood. It does have to be painted when used as an exterior feature (due to UV rays) but you'd probably paint it regardless of where you use them. They come is plain round, fluted, square, tapered or straight (untapered).

Gordy

Honestly if some thought was given to tuck the copper more in the corner I would just cut a 45 corner piece call it done with a like finish of the rest of the bath. Seems pretty small to do a box out taking up space in an already small area.


If you like copper some of the above ideas are great ones hot rod is king on this.

tim smith

Here is my tribute to copper pipe. Could just tie those 2 verticals to this and all would be cool (or warm as it is)

icesailor

No copper next to a toilet.

tim smith

Icesailor, the minimal amount of heat off towel bar does not create any sweating.

icesailor

tim smith said:

Icesailor, the minimal amount of heat off towel bar does not create any sweating.

Its not the "sweating" I'm talking about. Unless you mean Male bladder sweating.

Like my old High School Gym Coach used to tell us in Gym.

BOYS!!. We AIM to please. So please aim.

IYKWIM.

Slant Fin makes special stainless steel baseboard covers for bathrooms so they don't corrode.

Paul48

I can't imagine what those cost. The perfed, powdercoated ones are over $20 a foot. They need to "get real"

icesailor

@JosieT:

Bathrooms never have enough storage space. That one looks like it is short in the space department.

You'll have to work this out. Get one of those pre-finished toilet wall cabinets. The ones that fit over/behind toilets. The ones that hold towels and things with a cabinet for goodies. It screws to the wall so it doesn't fall over. Width for a tank isn't important because you have a flushometer valve. Get another straight wall cabinet for the side by the door. You'll have to adjust for a fit. Put something on the front to mount the paper holder to.

Trust me if I tell you that you can go to any Lowes or Home Depot and find everything you need to cover or hide those pipes. The end result will be a better functioning bathroom. Its my experience that you only need to hide up 6' or eye level. After that, you don't notice it. You get used to it. And if you are worried about any guest coming and complaining about your exposed pipe, tell them not to look at it. If it is still too much, tell them they are welcome to leave.

You can wallpaper those pipes. It's a witch to get it off. You can paint the copper too. Use oil based paint. Some paints don't like the expansion and might peel off

It looks fine from where I am sitting, and I'm in Florida.

Gordan

Is it just me or are those pipes not properly supported?

ChrisJ

icesailor said:

tim smith said:

Icesailor, the minimal amount of heat off towel bar does not create any sweating.

Its not the "sweating" I'm talking about. Unless you mean Male bladder sweating.

Like my old High School Gym Coach used to tell us in Gym.

BOYS!!. We AIM to please. So please aim.

IYKWIM.

Slant Fin makes special stainless steel baseboard covers for bathrooms so they don't corrode.

Yuck.

icesailor

Yuck?

You're not a plumber/heater that can snake Slant-Fin covers out and off the wall to change the seriously rusted baseboard next to a toilet. Without draining the system and changing the baseboard element. That includes the brackets.

Occupational hazard.

You can only paint them so many times before no matter what you do, they still look like an old car driven on salted New England roads.

Like plugged sewers. It comes with the territory.

ChrisJ

icesailor said:

Yuck?

You're not a plumber/heater that can snake Slant-Fin covers out and off the wall to change the seriously rusted baseboard next to a toilet. Without draining the system and changing the baseboard element. That includes the brackets.

Occupational hazard.

You can only paint them so many times before no matter what you do, they still look like an old car driven on salted New England roads.

Like plugged sewers. It comes with the territory.

I've said it before,
That's one of the main reasons I could never do that job. I don't even like laying on my bathroom floor working on my toilet and it's fairly clean and if it's not, it's mainly my waste!

icesailor

That's what they make drop clothes and spray bottles of crud cutter for. And a box of Nitrile mechanics cloves. The blue throw away kind.

Some might say that that was my bread and butter. s long as someone was willing to pay (and they were always willing to pay) I'd do anything. If I didn't, someone else would and I wouldn't be paid for it.

A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do to stay ahead in life.

Snowmelt

The easy way out would be slim duct and put it against the wall