Ugly boxing in of steels?

5 years ago

Hello, my steel beams have just been boxed in and I don’t think the result looks aesthetically pleasing. It is boxed in like this to hide the toilet waste pipe from 1st floor bathroom ( which I am also in the process of renovating at the same time ). Does this looks ugly? Should I box this in all the way across the width of the house? Plasterer is booked in for Monday so need to make quick decisions if I need to change it. Thank you for your help.

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PRO

Ikonografik Design

5 years ago

I'd box it all the way along, sloping or flat, doesn't matter as long as it's consistent...

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Comments (18)

Heather
5 years ago
It would look better if they had not angled that plasterboard on the end left. Could that bit (which I assume is covering the soil pipe be boxed in like an actual box? Then once it’s plastered/painted you could have a long shelf running along the rest of the boxed in beam and put plants/decorations etc - then it will detract attention away from the boxed in pipe at the end?

I hope my scribble makes sense - green is the shelf
kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thanks Heather, it was originally boxed like this but it blocked a lot of the light from the Velux when standing in the house looking out to the extension/garden as it was about 60cm deep. Yesterday we changed it to slanted.
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Juliet Docherty
5 years ago
When you say it block out light, that was before it was plastered and painted? I think it will bug you for ever of you don't box it in and I agree with the above comment, make it consistent.
kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thanks Iknografik and colourhappy, colourhappy - sorry it was not plastered and painted yet but they started to box it in like the second picture but this is about 60cm deep including the steel beam width so when standing inside and facing the garden, you see less light coming into the house from the roof. Think I agree with you all to box it all the way otherwise it will look inconsistent and people will always ask " why is it boxed in the that"?
Carolina
5 years ago
Another vote for boxing it in all the way along. That would probably mean that the vertical box on the right side in the pic will have to be made wider too. Once everything is plastered and painted, it'll look lighter and brighter.
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Catherine HW
5 years ago
I agree with the boxing all the way along and can show you how ours looks with a sloped version - which I am so pleased with!
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Catherine HW
5 years ago
Meant to add; apologies for awful pics (just the ones I have on my phone), happy to snap a few more if you’d like!
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kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all for your advice! Catherine HW, I really appreciate your photos! Why did you need to box in with a slope if you don't mind me asking?
kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
Catherine HW, what lights are you having on the slope section? Track lights or single wall lights?
Catherine HW
5 years ago
We needed to box in for the same reason as you - those pesky SVPs from the bathroom above! Note: we used acoustic plasterboard & rockwool insulation around the SVP to reduce ‘sound effects’! We will have double wall lights on the sloped part, not sure exactly what yet! We didn’t want the clutter of a track and our sparky suggested doubles to reduce shadowing issues :-)
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Catherine HW
5 years ago
A few more specific pics looking at the actual boxing-in...
E D
5 years ago
Yes boxing it in over the entire lenth will probably look best.

Perhaps an alternative could be to have a box at the other end with exactly the same dimensions and shape (mirror image) so it will be symmetrical.

Maybe?
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kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
Catherine HW - Thank you so much for taking the time to upload the extra photos! The boxing in looks great. So do you actually hear anything now that you have acoustic plasterboard and rockwool insulation? I can still hear people using the shower and flushing of the toilet, we just have normal pink plasterboard and rockwool insulation. It's not loud but just wondering if the acoustic plasterboard completely blocks out the sound?

E D - thank you for your comments too!
Catherine HW
5 years ago
@kwg kwg - you’re most welcome! The insulation has been effective in the boxing area in at the top. Sadly where the pipe comes down along side the steel at the side of the sliding doors I can hear water trickling. I suspect this is more because the boxing in is pretty tight here with little space to get much rock wool between pipe and plasterboard. I’m hoping as we get stuff installed and decorated it will be less obvious... otherwise I know exactly where I’ll be placing the portable speaker when we’re sat around the dining table at that end of the room!
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PRO
Blue + Green Interiors
5 years ago
What about boxing it like this?
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kwg kwg
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi Blue+Green Interiors, thanks you very much for your photos! Did you have to box in like that due to the same reason?

I think I will ask them to change it.
PRO
Blue + Green Interiors
5 years ago
Hello Kwg Kwg,

Yes for the same reason to hide out the pipes from the upstairs toilet , leverage the different hights from extention to existing house and used for fitting spotlights too. Happy to send more photos if you like.

Many thanks
Froso
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