Replacing rads in bathrooms with towel rails

[Allgoode]

Hi all,

One of my friends has a 3yr old house with normal rads in the bathrooms & cloakroom which she would like to replace with towel rads.

It was built by Taylor Wimpey and the plasterboard walls are paper thin (9.5mm board I think or similar) so not the best.

She has the normal 10mm Hep2o microbore pipework coming down ctr point behind the rads to the valves which is normal practice.

What is the best way to fit the towel rads and bring out the pipework in a tidy fashion.

I normally use the spring clips with plaster board walling or the expandable plug type but as the towel holder in the cloakroom was pulled of the wall within the first 6 months of occupation of the house was looking to see if there was any alternative ways to sort for her.

Also for the pipework to make it less unsightly is it best practice to cut a hole in the plasterboard where the pipes currently exit the wall behind the radiator and then extend the pipework to the desired exit point behind the towel rad valves.

Just asking as most of the properties I generally work in are of a more substantial construction which is easier to attach rads to.

Thanks,

Andy

 

[ShaunCorbs]

can you open the other side of the wall?

 

[Allgoode]

Can do,

There are x3 towel rads to fit.

x2 of the walls on other side are into bedrooms & I have not checked to see what furniture may be fitted on other side, x1 more that has easy access from other side is the cloakroom with the wall on other side being the dining room wall.

Friend has said she is not worried about pipes hanging out of wall in view through the towel rads but personally I don't work that way & would prefer to have it finished off with pipes exiting straight to the valves.

Failing that coming out horizontally to the valves as a last resort similar to what the pipes would do for the current radiators is the other not so preferred option.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[ShaunCorbs]

if you could cut the plaster board and put timbers in from the studding and fix your rad to that and also you could change the pipe work while your at it

if thats ok with her?

 

[gassafe]

I would just use a Fischer hollow wall anchor... Incredibly strong! Never had an issue with these...
The pipework might not look too bad in plastic flexing to the rad valves, just gotta keep it as short as poss with the proper joints straight into the valve etc, at low level it won't be too noticeable.

 

[Spanner2k7]

I have used toggle bolts in past, as long as plaster board is OK, you should not get a problem. Better still cut a hole where the fixings will going a slide a piece of 4x1 which is about 6 inches longer than the hole, screw in place, and screw plasterboard back to the 4x1. I typically use a 6inch hole cutter.
As with pipe work, change it to going into valves, I have tried using existing but it does not look good.