pipes going through kitchen worktop - best way to remove?

[jimbof]

Hi;

I'm just buying a house and the kitchen is a 4m long galley open-plan into the lounge, and requires some updating. The pipes for the water header tanks currently run through the worktop (!) about a metre from one end and look pretty awful (there are 5 of them). I'm trying to work out how best to hide them when I update the kitchen - having a nice wood worktop so don't want to spoil the effect; so far thoughts are:

1) Get a combi boiler and do away with the header tanks etc - obviously very expensive, and the heating looks pretty good, with TRVs on the radiators etc already.

2) Box the pipes and cut a section out of the new worktop - difficult to tile over as the box only needs to be about 1inch deep, also would rather not have a box in the middle of the worktop - anyone got a photo of how good / bad this might be able to look?

3) Build a false wall out - again only a couple of inches deep. Worried that in future someone (most likely me!) will stick a nail / screw through it and hit the pipes.

All help and suggestions greatly received!

James[/img]

 

[Nige F]

False wall with sheet metal inside to protect the pipes.get from B+Q

 

[numpty with a crowbar]

Or tile it since it's behind yer bench - makes it harder to risk damage to the pipes as you can't nail through ceramic, though if you drill it you're stuffed whatever you use to protect it

 

[jimbof]

Thanks for the suggestions guys;

james