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IKEA furniture is great for small adjustments to fit your needs. Not costing a fortune also makes it easier to experiment with it. Since they're so common, it'

IKEA furniture is great for small adjustments to fit your needs. Not costing a fortune also makes it easier to experiment with it. Since they're so common, it's easy to find CAD drawings for most of them. I did a small hack/conversion on a Billy closet to hide some pipes in our apartment. https://vanderwalt.de/blog/customizing-ikea-billy-to-hide-pipes https://vanderwalt.de/blog/customizing-ikea-billy-to-hide-pi...

xattt 29d ago
This look lovely and probably felt extremely satisfying once everything was said and done.
- vanrohan 29d ago
  Thanks!
artisinal 29d ago
My mind immediately went: I’m sure there is some German law or ordinance or regulation against hiding your Gaszähler. This surely goes against die Niederdruckanschlussverordnung. Now that you have published this online, police will visit you to remove the Billy! Perhaps I am too pessimistic with German laws. PS: It looks much better this way.
- vanrohan 29d ago
  I really hope not! But it does look much better this way, it was an eyesore. And the regular heizung guys didnt complain when they saw it like this, so im assuming all is well
  - peterpost2 29d ago
    There is a requirement for having a vents if you are boxing in that device. One high and one low one, this is so the gas does not build up in case of a leak. Would highly suggest you get that sorted, your insurance might be void in case you do get a fire.
- IncreasePosts 29d ago
  As long as you can easily slide it out of the way and it isn't fixed to the wall, it wouldn't be a problem for anyone who needs to service it. Therefore, it would not be against regulations, because all regulations in Germany are logical
  - vanrohan 29d ago
    Good to know! It slides in/out like a puzzle, so should be fine then.
  - peterpost2 29d ago
    You need a vent there as well so gas can't build up.
    - benj111 29d ago
      I doubt a billy book case is anywhere near air tight.
      - peterpost2 29d ago
        It has nothing to do with air tightness. If it leaks slightly it could keep the gas/air at an explosive ratio within the box. Best to just have it vent out into the room. then it's noticeable.
    - deleted 26d ago
      [deleted]
jmathai 29d ago
I've been pretty disappointed with "medium quality" slightly more expensive furniture from places like west elm and pottery barn. Now I will either get older recycled furniture for quality or pieces from IKEA for cost.
tonyedgecombe 29d ago
I’ve just put an IKEA kitchen in. I had to do a very similar modification to fit the plumbing in.
forinti 29d ago
That is weird. Why is it inside your apartment? Does someone have to check the meter regularly? Anyway, great job.
- AnIrishDuck 29d ago
  Presumably because it's cheaper. Ours was also originally in home; the utility recently came through and replaced all of ours with exterior units, likely at great cost (horizontal drilling machines aren't cheap) I suspect the tragedy in Pennsylvania [1] was the catalyst. There are lots of potential issues with keeping these things indoors. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley_gas_explosions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley_gas_explosion...
- conductr 29d ago
  Meter still looks very accessible to me
  - forinti 29d ago
    Sure, but somebody has to be home if the gas company wants to look at it.
    - conductr 29d ago
      I agree with the observation but also just no different before and after Just going to assume this is a locale or property quirk
- Markoff 29d ago
  For what's worth my father's old apartment somewhere in central europe has this inside of the apartment as well, common in older buildings, my 60s built Prague residential building already have them in basement, we have also (central) heating meters outside the apartment measuring the supplied hot water, same with electricity/power meters (with online readings over fiber). Only thing inside my apartment (well technically it's vertical shaft going through whole building, but there is small access door to meter in every apartment in case you wanna stop the water in the apartment) is remotely read cold/hot water meters with antenna. They are usually checked only once a year anyway.
jakzurr 29d ago
Wow, that's gorgeous! I hope the other poster isn't right about violating ordinances.
ludicrousdispla 29d ago
You should add some RGB backlighting to it.
- Biganon 29d ago
  God please no
BeetleB 29d ago
I came looking for this comment. I suspect Billy is the most hacked piece of IKEA furniture!

xattt 29d ago

This look lovely and probably felt extremely satisfying once everything was said and done.

vanrohan 29d ago
Thanks!

artisinal 29d ago

My mind immediately went: I’m sure there is some German law or ordinance or regulation against hiding your Gaszähler. This surely goes against die Niederdruckanschlussverordnung. Now that you have published this online, police will visit you to remove the Billy! Perhaps I am too pessimistic with German laws. PS: It looks much better this way.

vanrohan 29d ago
I really hope not! But it does look much better this way, it was an eyesore. And the regular heizung guys didnt complain when they saw it like this, so im assuming all is well
- peterpost2 29d ago
  There is a requirement for having a vents if you are boxing in that device. One high and one low one, this is so the gas does not build up in case of a leak. Would highly suggest you get that sorted, your insurance might be void in case you do get a fire.
IncreasePosts 29d ago
As long as you can easily slide it out of the way and it isn't fixed to the wall, it wouldn't be a problem for anyone who needs to service it. Therefore, it would not be against regulations, because all regulations in Germany are logical
- vanrohan 29d ago
  Good to know! It slides in/out like a puzzle, so should be fine then.
- peterpost2 29d ago
  You need a vent there as well so gas can't build up.
  - benj111 29d ago
    I doubt a billy book case is anywhere near air tight.
    - peterpost2 29d ago
      It has nothing to do with air tightness. If it leaks slightly it could keep the gas/air at an explosive ratio within the box. Best to just have it vent out into the room. then it's noticeable.
  - deleted 26d ago
    [deleted]

jmathai 29d ago

I've been pretty disappointed with "medium quality" slightly more expensive furniture from places like west elm and pottery barn. Now I will either get older recycled furniture for quality or pieces from IKEA for cost.

tonyedgecombe 29d ago

I’ve just put an IKEA kitchen in. I had to do a very similar modification to fit the plumbing in.

forinti 29d ago

That is weird. Why is it inside your apartment? Does someone have to check the meter regularly? Anyway, great job.

AnIrishDuck 29d ago
Presumably because it's cheaper. Ours was also originally in home; the utility recently came through and replaced all of ours with exterior units, likely at great cost (horizontal drilling machines aren't cheap) I suspect the tragedy in Pennsylvania [1] was the catalyst. There are lots of potential issues with keeping these things indoors. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley_gas_explosions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrimack_Valley_gas_explosion...
conductr 29d ago
Meter still looks very accessible to me
- forinti 29d ago
  Sure, but somebody has to be home if the gas company wants to look at it.
  - conductr 29d ago
    I agree with the observation but also just no different before and after Just going to assume this is a locale or property quirk
Markoff 29d ago
For what's worth my father's old apartment somewhere in central europe has this inside of the apartment as well, common in older buildings, my 60s built Prague residential building already have them in basement, we have also (central) heating meters outside the apartment measuring the supplied hot water, same with electricity/power meters (with online readings over fiber). Only thing inside my apartment (well technically it's vertical shaft going through whole building, but there is small access door to meter in every apartment in case you wanna stop the water in the apartment) is remotely read cold/hot water meters with antenna. They are usually checked only once a year anyway.

jakzurr 29d ago

Wow, that's gorgeous! I hope the other poster isn't right about violating ordinances.

ludicrousdispla 29d ago

You should add some RGB backlighting to it.

Biganon 29d ago
God please no

BeetleB 29d ago

I came looking for this comment. I suspect Billy is the most hacked piece of IKEA furniture!