gas pipes and plaster

[roofmog]

Not sure where best to post this so please move if neccesary. How tightly should you plaster around gas pipes. I have a gas pipe coming through my back wall into the kitchen. The hole it comes through is bigger than the pipe and therefore there is a bit of a draft coming through. My solution would be to seal the gap with repair plaster but wanted to make sure that it would not damage the pipe by restricting movement when it expands and contracts in cold weather.

 

[misterhelpful]

I'm not aware of any specific rule regarding how tight you can plaster to gas pipes but, as a decorator, I would say the majority of properties I work in have been plastered right up to them. Saying that, some houses do have the pipe coming through the wall within another pipe acting as a conduit.

I don't think there will be an awful lot of movement with climatic changes but there is a bit of a risk of pipes corroding after time when in contact with the plaster (especially copper) so it might be wiser to use a flexible caulk as this will also combat against any cracking if there is excessive movement. If the hole is particularly big, you could use expanding foam.

 

[roofmog]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'll go the expanding foam route.