UKC

trying to fill in a gap in the ceiling around some pipes that come down from above. it's right in the corner of the room, about 10cm square with 2 pipes at one side. what can i use to plug the gap? looking for something that has some insulation and can be painted to fit in and not noticeable after.

suggestions welcome!

In reply to d508934:

Expanding foam?

You can then cut off the excess and smooth over before painting.

In reply to The Lemming:

thanks, just looking at that now, hadn't realised it could be painted! looks like it'll do the trick.

In reply to d508934:

Do the pipes get hot?

In reply to Doug Kerr:

yeah, they go to radiator beneath. does that rule out expanding foam?

In reply to d508934:

Expanding foam will look gash if you paint it but if the hole is small you'll be able to Polyfilla the foam once you've cut it back flush. Scrunched newspaper was the bodge solution prior to foam. If by 10cm sq you mean 10x10 you'd be better cutting a scrap of board to fit, fix it in place flush and fill the gaps/fixings.

jk

In reply to d508934:

box them in? no need to fill the hole with anything then. if you want to be keen you can still insulate the pipes.

In reply to jkarran:

it's probably 10cm x 5cm, but not neat a rectangle, jagged shape/edges plus 2 pipes meaning making some kind of board will be a pain. like the sound of cutting it back to higher than ceiling height and using polyfilla to get better finish. scrunched newspaper may be helpful also in stopping the expanding stuff shoot up high into loft space above.

In reply to d508934:
If it's just a plasterboard ceiling, then expanding foam will just expand into the void above without doing much of any use?

I'd try and get a bit of board, or even thick cardboard, glued/screwed behind the hole and then use filler to smooth it. Board doesn't need to be an exact fit around the pipes - just close enough to anchor the filler.

In reply to d508934:

Can you get to the space above? If so then cut a piece of board to fit round the pipes (doesn't have to be too accurate) and that can sit on top of the existing hole with say 5cm overlap . Use adhesive to stick it to the top of the existing board then make the current hole "neat" and cut another piece of board to stick or screw to the upper piece. You can now plaster over the patch.

In reply to The Lemming:

Expanding foam doesn't maintain the same fire resistance of plasterboard. A better solution is an off-cut of plasterboard fed into the hole and bonded with grab adhesive or plaster (pull it back down with string), then plaster over.

In reply to MaxWilliam:


I don't think that a 10cm hole filled with expanding foam and then scrimed over with polifiller in preperation for painting will make all the difference if the house catches fire.

In reply to The Lemming:
Plasterboard typically gives 30 mins fire resistance, a small gap or unsuitable material renders no fire protection to an area the ceiling and fire can spread quickly to joists.

I think something like 200-300 people a year are killed in house fires.

Expanding foam is a bodge. Worse is that it is hidden. It is easy to do the job properly!

In reply to MaxWilliam:

You could use fire retardant expanding foam if you're concerned about the fire risk it's more expensive though

In reply to MaxWilliam:

The price of peace?

No Nonsense Fire Rated Expanding Foam Hand-Held 750ml- £7.99

In reply to Bob:

thanks for this - when you say board you mean plasterboard right? can get access above ok, so can see about getting some off cuts of plasterboard from somewhere. might be a better job than expanding foam.

In reply to d508934:

Yes, plasterboard. Use some form of superglue or No More Nails to stick it down and to stick the filler piece to the board on top. The closer fit that the filler piece is the better as you don't end up with deep sections of plaster that sag and take ages to dry.

In reply to d508934:

Just stick the board down with bonding plaster or dot-&-dab plasterboard adhesive - almost any kind of plaster will do, whatever you can get hold of, or gripfill if you can't, but bonding is particularly good for filling gaps.

Having said that, personally, I would probably just foam it.

In reply to Bob:



I used this method when repairing a hole in the ceiling from a rewiring job. I lifted a floor board in the room above to stick the plasterboard from above using a no more nails type glue, stuck another bit of plaster board from below, filled the gaps with plaster and painted. It didn't take long, cost nothing, it's a neat job and I know it's been done properly.

If you use expanding foam to fill a hole in the ceiling it might work or you might end up with a right mess.

In reply to Unknown Climber:

Get a piece of board the right width and a bit longer than the hole. Drill 2 holes in it, and thread a piece of string through. Apply no more nails to the board "post it" through the hole and use the string to pull the board against the back of the edge of the hole. When set, pull the string out and fill with polyfilla or plaster.

I did this when I had to move a socket and it worked a treat.