Moving Rad Pipes Below Floorboards

[napalm]

In a house i am about to buy the rads are supplied by copper pipes running parallel to, and above, the floor (T&G wooden boards).

How difficult would it be to replace these pipes with ones located below the floorboards, in the cavity between floor and ceiling? The rads are parallel to the length of the boards, so a minimal number would need to be lifted for access.

I am a complete novice at plumbing, but otherwise a relatively experienced DIYer.

Thinking of getting someone in to do it, but i won't bother if it's easy, i'd rather do it myself

 

[corgiman]

Why do you need to???

 

[napalm]

Never said i needed to!

The whole house is covered in pipework, not much boxing in etc.

From a purely visual point of view, i want to know whether it's easy, or whether there's some really obvious reason not to.

The reason the pipes are above the floor is presuambly because the heating was fitted years after the floor was laid, and it's a million times easier to fit the pipes without lifting the floor

 

[Bahco]

Floor boards will have to come up as well as carpets to lay your pipes.
A lot of work and disruption, better to do it before you move in.Have it done professionally but if you offer to do the donkey work the job will be cheaper

By the way, I love the smell of napalm in the morning

 

[napalm]

Don't we all!

I also like waking up at the crack of Dawn...

Carpets are coming up anyway, cos the house was last decorated around 1960, so swirling patterns everywhere, so that won't be a problem.

Just got fitting an electric shower and getting the hideous textured ceilings to sort after these stupid pipes, and then it will in no worse a state than the house we're moving from! (moving up from a titchy 2 bed to a 3 bed with bigger rooms and central heating etc)

 

[Bahco]

Good luck to you.
I've changed all the plumbing, rads, and converted to direct mains in my present abode because it was all old and outdated.
You might wish to consider a new heating system at this stage if you think it needs it, and do it all in one go.
Living in a building site is no fun believe me

 

[napalm]

These things do seem to have a way of snowballing, from "Well, while we've got the floorboards up..." to "Well, since we've taken down the walls..."

Should be moving in on 13/1/05, which fortunately isn't a Friday, so i guess it's only half as unlucky

 

[brumylad]

If the floor boards run parallel to the rad. then u will have to cut notches out of the joists so the pipes can run across them. Check the building regulations or a plumbing book to check what size notches are allowed and were along the length of the joist they must be cut.