How to cover a cavity containing pipes and conduit for tiling?

Question

Looking for ideas to cover a cavity containing pipes and conduits. Whilst the bottom and top will be covered by cabinets, the middle section needs to be prepared for splashback tiling. Initial ideas are to cover the entire wall with a cement sheet, to keep the wall flat vs a smaller portion closer to the cavity.

Dave-1 · Answer

Good Afternoon @Hanchard

As it looks like a service channel I would not be covering with anything permanent (Your builder/sparky/plumber will probably be able to tell you the exact strata/Australian/New Zealand rules that explain why. Id go with plan B and have a covering that matches but can be removed if needed for servicing.

An electrician would be the first one to talk to as what you want means removing the CB box and the existing power point.

Dave

Nailbag · Answer

Hi @Hanchard

If the walls are very uneven across their length, then considering creating a straight edge over the entire surface with cement sheeting might be a good idea. Just remember that if a wall thats out of whack and will have cabinets and overheads, that some or all of that gap behind will be soaked up by the splashback.

So, if you can get away with just aligning the cabinets straight with an acceptable gap to the wall, then covering just the splashback area with cement sheeting will suffice. This includes covering that utilities cavity, which was covered prior to the demolition. It looks like a dropper for running cables and pipes between levels. So, obviously don't fill it in with anything like insulation. That said, check with both your plumber and sparky that they don't first need easier access to their services for the rough-in.

Nailbag

EricL · Answer

Hello @Hanchard

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about covering the cavity in your wall.

It appears to be a service conduit for both plumbing and electrical for your apartment. In this particular instance, I suggest not covering the service slot permanently. I recommend engaging the services of a builder and electrician to advise you on how to cover this service conduit properly and in a manner that can still be accessed in the future should any servicing be required. I suggest speaking to your electrician about the location of your fuse box, especially if it is going to be near your sink.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @TedBear, @JoeAzza, @Remarka6le and @DIY4Knuckleheds for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric