How can I cover this eyesore?
by
Teggie
+13
Hello! I live in a pier and beam older home and had to replace the hot water heater with a newer one. We were having major work done due to a massive hot water leak that resulted in mold and we were out of the home until it was all fixed. So I didn’t see it until after it was installed. Problem is the new hot water heater has this protruding piece and now the original door won’t close and I have to just prop it over the space and It looks tacky. Any advice on what I could do to have a functional cover for this? Thank you!
Oh dear, that would frustrate me terribly too. Is there any chance you could build a wooden frame over the existing frame and rehang the doors on that? Or perhaps you can modify a shower curtain rail and attach it to the right side wall at the top and hang a pretty curtain or tapestry?
Our furnace/hot water heater closet has a similar arrangement, only ours allows a door to close in front of it. The door had a vent on the bottom where the furnace blows out air, we took that door off because it resulted in the conditioned air to be trapped in that closet.
Don't know if yours has a furnace next to it.
What we did was hang a shower curtain in the door frame with a tension rod, high enough to allow air to come out unrestricted at the bottom.
From your picture it looks like you could put a rail on the ceiling and hang a curtain.
Another idea would be to put an attractive folding screen in front of it.
Hope this helps you. Let us know how you solved your problem.
Since it almost closes, I would try building out the frame a bit so the track and the doors could be mounted on that and close correctly.
If you want to use a door, remove the existing door and trim around it. Add 1x4 or 2x4 boards where the trim was to build it out depending on how far out you need to go. Replace the old trim over the new trim. You will need to move the door track as well. Replace the door with a louvre type door for proper air flow. Insurance should have covered it.
The door track is centered on the top frame. You have about 1 1/2" to 2" space towards the front. You can remove the track and reinstall it flush with the front of the top frame. You would need to move the bottom brackets forward too.
FIRST I would have the contractor that did this come back and fix it because it looks like it can be rerouted from the copper line to up and over and not protrude.
If you are not willing to make them do it right. Add a barn door with hardware that stands out far enough to not touch anything inside.
You could make a faux wall or put a changing screen in front of it. That will allow air flow but cover it.
I would add to the door casing and reposition the existing door.
you shouldn;t cover the area too tightly because it needs to vent - you could add a curtain on a tension rod or move door out further so it will close good luck to you
If you put a door on this (I can't tell from the pic if that is possible) you would need to either keep the door open (sort of defeats the purpose) or put a vent above the door as this unit needs that.
Boy I would tar and feather the plumber who did that abomination. I would make him come back and fix it at his expense, or report him to your state contractor's licensing board.
You could put a screen over it or build a box over it or hang a curtain over it
I totally get your dilemma! It's frustrating when a necessary upgrade leads to a new eyesore. One idea could be to create a custom cover for your hot water heater. You could use a piece of plywood or MDF, paint it to match your decor, and attach some hinges for easy access. Then, you can add some decorative elements like trim or a stylish handle to make it blend in seamlessly with the surrounding area.If you need more specific advice or tips, you can check out https://www.rowlen.co.uk/boilers/boiler-repairs/. They might have some helpful insights on how to tackle this project.
If you can move the brackets on the door to allow extra room try that. OR take off the frame that is there now and use larger wood like 2x4 and build another frame with more room.