Asked on Jun 17, 2016

How to hide a sewer line/pipe?

Melissa
by Melissa
Does anyone have any ideas on how to camouflage this pipe (can't be moved)? Looking to use this room as a guest room. Got a bedroom set (massive headboard with posts) with two 30" night stands. Obstacles are window, door and closet placement issues. Ideally...the bed set should go on the white wall (sheetrock partially showing). The nightstands and bed just fit in the 11' area, BUT that pipe sticks out and is terribly ugly! I'd like to somehow cover it and go up to the ceiling, do some kind of recessed lighting and come down on the opposite side. I don't want to BOX IT OUT. Looking for something more "rounded" if that's even possible. Any ideas would be greatly appreciate.
Pipe in the future guest bedroom!
  16 answers
  • Lagree Wyndham Lagree Wyndham on Jun 20, 2016
    Just a thought(without seeing the whole room) Buy a wood Column, split it in two and cover pipe with one half and place the other on the opposite wall.
    • Melissa Melissa on Jun 20, 2016
      Thank you. That's what I was thinking. Some kind of column....that roundness. Someone had also said use a concrete "form" and split it in half, mud it and then text-tone over it.
  • Deb Deb on Jun 20, 2016
    Paint it and make it part of the décor. Maybe if possible put up some kind of planter hanging from it. Make it a photo gallery. Make it a lighting post of some sort. make a size appropriate screen to t in front of it and hang photos on it.
  • Pat Pat on Jun 20, 2016
    Since it looks like you are putting dry wall on your walls, how about putting thicker horizontal nailers, which would bring the drywall out farther and may cover the pipe. If that doesn't work, I would just paint it the same color as your walls and it will probably not even be noticible. Another suggestion would be to put a shallow bookcase over the pipe....either next to it or include the pipe in the bookcase (sort of to the inside edge of it). A picture of the room would help us help you with the arrangement of the room. Hope you find a solution.
    • Melissa Melissa on Jun 20, 2016
      Thank you. Sadly...I need the whole 11' across the one wall to fit the two night stands AND the bed with headboard. My other alternative is to move the doorway AND the closet, which my husband (contractor) does not like!
  • Norma Norma on Jun 20, 2016
    Had one in a bathroom painted pipe leather brown got a clock looks like old ones use to see on post in older towns mounted it at top side :-) took plastic planter split and took out some of the bottom so would fit flush filled with floral foam then filled with flowers. Looks just like street post and everyone thinks post mounted for decoration.njc
    • Melissa Melissa on Jun 20, 2016
      Thanks. That sounds really cool! You should post pics of it.
  • I like Lagree and Pat's idea's, if you build out the drywall you could then add niches!
  • Melissa Melissa on Jun 20, 2016
    Originally, I was going to camouflage it by putting a mini-vanity on the left side of the pipe to the corner, BUT then I do not have the space to put the two night stands and the bed on the window wall. As luck would have it....the five foot bed posts line up 4" in front of the window instead of centering it, which would have been cool. Because of the closet and doorway....I only have the white wall (dry wall) OR the window wall to even place this bedroom set. My husband jokingly suggested removing the pipe completely, but then he said no more washer or toilet upstairs!
  • William William on Jun 20, 2016
    You would have to build the wall out to enclose the pipe, but make sure you do not cover the cleanout at the bottom. Another thing is the firing strips is not the proper way to build a wall. No room for insulation, no vapor barrier. Concrete wicks moisture and will transfer that to the firing strips, then to the drywall, may cause a mold problem in the future. There should be at least a 1" space between the concrete wall and finished wall to prevent any contact. A vapor barrier should be placed on the concrete wall to prevent any moisture migration, then insulation, then drywall.
    • See 1 previous
    • William William on Aug 01, 2016
      Somebody didn't want to lose any space, so they "built' the wall right on to the foundation. This is a no no. There is no top or bottom plate. If the firing strips were nailed right to the wall, those are future leaks waiting to happen. The foundation wall can also develop cracks along the line of nails.
  • Kay Smith Kay Smith on Jun 20, 2016
    This looks like my studio bathroom wall before camouflaging with fabric floor to ceiling. Starting at the top I used a staple gun and attached the material edge, and stapled again at the bottom. It looks like wallpaper but isn't, just an inexpensive way to cover the pipes. I put furniture in front of it.
  • Daniel Daniel on Jun 20, 2016
    Two options come to mind: 1. they have Styrofoam roman columns in many home improvement centers to make it look more elegant. 2. You can faux paint it, and roughen it with heavy grit sandpaper to make it look like a the bark of a tree. Then paint branches and leaves across the ceiling, optionally using rope light in a branching pattern for overhead lighting.
  • Pat Pat on Jun 20, 2016
    Could you use just one night stand with your bed and put a floorlamp on the pipe side of your bed? Then you could build out your drywall as suggested....build a door over the cleanout part of the pipe for sure.
    • Melissa Melissa on Jun 27, 2016
      I have matching lamps that go on top of the night stands. Just my luck...I inherit a really nice bedroom set for the guest room and it's causing such a headache trying to lay-out the room.
  • Jean Myles Jean Myles on Jun 20, 2016
    So let me see if I understand this correctly. You will be putting your night tables and headboard against the wall with the pipe?
    • See 2 previous
    • Jean Myles Jean Myles on Jun 27, 2016
      I guess the best way is to box it in if you can and if not paint it the same colour as the wall so it blends in. Doing anything else to it would just bring attention to it. Good Luck and Pls. share with us what you decide.
  • Patricia Bell Patricia Bell on Jun 20, 2016
    You could take 4 pieces of 1x4" wood and simply build a bot around it. Leave one side easily accessible for problems that might arise sometime. You could then cover then boards with sheets of cork and use that to display pictures and cards etc.
  • Mary Mary on Jun 21, 2016
    I would box it in and from the pipe to the wall make a narrow Knick knack shelf. spacing cam be adjusted to hang a picture in the shelving area.
  • Kcama Kcama on Jun 21, 2016
    concrete tube forms (they come in lots of sizes), sliced in half - then paint, decorate, etc., at will. Maybe use a cardboard box at the base as a plinth to cover the larger base. Repeat on the other side. Or just a small slice out if you want to keep it a circle all the way around.
    • Melissa Melissa on Aug 01, 2016
      Started out with this idea and went to the local big box retailer to get "Sona-tubes" (concrete forms) and discovered they are not strong enough.
  • Pat Pat on Jun 27, 2016
    How about using one of your night stands in the room but in front of a window (if there is one) and you can put your lamp on it and a plant...I have done that...in fact there is one right beside me in my computer room. We do have problems/headaches with our decorating, don't we?
    • Melissa Melissa on Jun 28, 2016
      Yes...it's definitely frustrating for me. I was so hoping to be uniform and have the night stands and lamps anchoring the bed on each side. Just like a hotel room since it's a guest room, but thank you for the suggestion.
  • Melissa Melissa on Aug 01, 2016
    UPDATE.....the best advice and the route we think we're going to do is taking "plywood" strips and bending them. I think that what my husband said we'll be doing. I'll update again when we get going on it. Thank you everyone for your suggestions, information and time. Greatly appreciated!