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mustard-tree · ‎07-07-2014

My friend lives in a housing association flat, and the HA decided that she needed central heating.

It has now been done and it works perfectly.

But she has been left with copper pipes attached with white plastic clips all round the tops of the walls and down the door frames in every room.

There is no trunking, just copper pipes in pairs.

Similar to the picture, imagine that going around all the rooms

She is phoning HA today to complain, maybe they are coming back to put trunking on, but who knows.

millielilac · ‎07-07-2014

How awful....

Its because they have used the cheapest way possible to do it .

We once had elecric storage heaters fitted to the 2nd floor of a victorian house and the fitters used a similar method....pipes going up through all the levels. I was astonished when I saw it ...just so ugly . As it was our own house we had it all redone properly.

Unfortunately as the property is a HA property your friend may have to live with it .....it may be considered functional rather than aesthetic ........

ed_blackadder_1 · ‎07-07-2014

That looks very classy Mustard, it appears that when doing works things don't get finished like they used to, it makes life difficult when you are decorating I should think, lets hope they come back with trunking but somehow I think they will see it as finished. Cheapest and easiest option I suppose, that is how it is done nowadays.

chickengrandma-2008 · ‎07-07-2014

If they're to be left as is, will she be able to at least paint them to match in with the wall?

duck_a_lorange · ‎07-07-2014

@chickengrandma-2008 wrote:
If they're to be left as is, will she be able to at least paint them to match in with the wall?

Not with emulsion - it's acidic and reacts with the copper - goes greenish (I've tried that myself). Oil paint might work but then the pipes get quite hot so it might flake.

They ought to be boxed in, really - or trunking as minimum. If the HA won't do it, you used to be able to get split plastic pipe covers from DIY shops.

Or I suppose you could look on it as extra radatiors...

rose2008-2008 · ‎07-07-2014

I rent with a housing Association and they are in charge of putting that in for you so it may well be thats how it will have to stay!!. It looks quite nice though really,,not as bad as i thought it would be.

duck_a_lorange · ‎07-07-2014

The picture isn't OP's friend's pipes, just an example. It may vanish against bare brick - still looks like a garage, though - but it looks a mess against wallpaper or paint (I'm looking at mine now - and it was my decision to put the pipes there, meaning to box them in - not been done yet and it's been years).

Maybe greenish magnolia isn't so bad...

cookiecookuk · ‎07-07-2014

when i had mine fitted it all went under floor boards but the little bits you can see have all been painted and they have not flaked.they were all painted with whatever i painted each room with.egg shell, emulsion, silk, alsorts they have been done 18 + years.and still not flaked .

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Running away from your problems is a race you will never win.

peteryola · ‎07-07-2014

@chickengrandma-2008 wrote:
If they're to be left as is, will she be able to at least paint them to match in with the wall?

The special radiator paint ought to work on the pipes, surely?

rose2008-2008 · ‎08-07-2014

They do normally cover them in somehow ,,not leave them exposed.

mouse4702 · ‎08-07-2014

I'm in a HA flat and mine are exposed. Looked like a flaming boiler room so I put furniture in front where possible. But no, no trunking or even a lick of paint. They also left a hole in the wall which I filled myself.

chickengrandma-2008 · ‎08-07-2014

@duck_a_lorange wrote:
@chickengrandma-2008 wrote:
If they're to be left as is, will she be able to at least paint them to match in with the wall?

Not with emulsion - it's acidic and reacts with the copper - goes greenish (I've tried that myself). Oil paint might work but then the pipes get quite hot so it might flake.

They ought to be boxed in, really - or trunking as minimum. If the HA won't do it, you used to be able to get split plastic pipe covers from DIY shops.

Or I suppose you could look on it as extra radatiors...

When we used to have radiators, a little bit of pipe came up from under the floor each side, up to the bottom of the radiator and I always used to paint them. They were ok.

mustard-tree · ‎08-07-2014

I have spoken to my friend,

She has been on to HA and contractor and both say job is finished.

They are actually gas pipes so not likely to get hot,

Cant put furniture in front as they are just below the ceiling.

I think she is going to paint them, but I thought of pinning up a sort of fabric pelmet in front of them

Not sure about the ones around the door frames

ed_blackadder_1 · ‎08-07-2014

Nice,

We have pipes like that in our garage, cheep and quick doesn't matter what it looks like. British workmanship at its best.

peteryola · ‎08-07-2014

I am sure that gas pipes should not be left exposed and unprotected should they?

mustard-tree · ‎09-07-2014

My friend thought they were gas pipes, but we think they are pipes to convey hot water to and from the radiators.

HA suggested that she paint them.

duck_a_lorange · ‎09-07-2014

@peteryola wrote:
@chickengrandma-2008 wrote:
If they're to be left as is, will she be able to at least paint them to match in with the wall?
The special radiator paint ought to work on the pipes, surely?

Radiators come already enamelled, it's the bare copper that causes the problems. I used dulux emulsion on mine - maybe oil paint would have been better. Or maybe an extra couple of coats.

There are covers you can use - this won't be enough and it's the only one on here, but they must be selling them elsewhere too:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15mm-x-2-5m-white-double-pipe-cover-/141340880233?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plum...

I can't see why the HA can't fit them - they must have access to these things dirt cheap.