Share Your Techniques For Access Panels In Finished Ceilings And Walls

Dustball

Share your techniques for access panels in finished ceilings and walls. I know there's a lot of ways to create access panels for use in finished walls and ceilings to get at plumbing and electrical. I'd like to see/hear what people have done for clean looking installations.

Mike Finley

I like the Watts panels. Spring loaded and paintable. I have one in my house and have used them for customers.

Toothpick

I've seen it done with "dummy" registers / cold airs.

ATH

We have used the spring-loaded plastic covers frequently. They are inexpensive and look OK.

Sometimes you have to be a bit creative. We had one customer who had some plumbing behind some drywall ... including valves and such. A plumber cut out a HUGE hole to be able to get at all of it. We installed one panel from a louvered bi-fold door kit over the hole which reached most of the way from the floor to the ceiling. Magnetic catches in several places hold it closed.

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Dustball

I'm updating my own thread. For the existing tub access panel hole (~12"x24"), I went with a quick, easy and cheap route. I bought the right size cabinet door for $5 from a local building materials surplus warehouse, painted it and screwed it into the studs. Couldn't have been easier than that and it looks good too.

Hmm, I thought I had a picture of it but I guess not.

AtlanticWBConst

This is an older thread, But I will post these pics anyways:

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Mike Finley

That is a Watts panel.

747

Nice job with camaflaging it. But that looks like a sewer (drain pipe) clean out. I don't see a snake whipping around in there without doing drywall damage.

mdshunk

They have a lead in sleeve for such occasions. I think some call it an "elephant trunk" for slang. Keeps from beating up the surroundings.

MSSI

Cut the hole at least 1/2' smaller than the template they provide, otherwise they fit a little sloppy