Floor box in floorboards?

[Sprogginz]

Not sure if this thread is best suited in this forum but here goes:

I have this idea of putting floor boxes into bedrooms and under TV beds.

I'm going to run HDMI, RJ45 and coaxial cables into the rooms mostly from downstairs.

I'd like to stick in a couple of power sockets as well.

Then everything will be nicely hidden and no need for chasing into walls with cables running along the skirting.

However, is this feasible especially because the floor is a typical wooden joist and traditional floorboard type?

I can't see how to install the boxes without weakening the floorboards or rather strengthening afterwards. Is it possible?

Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You mean something like this?

You would need to batten between the joists to maintain the strength of the cut floorboard. Just the same as if you had cut the board for access, etc
Butting the box up to a joist line would mean the box is not just "floating".

Wouldnt have anything like that in my house, but that's personal taste I suppose.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Then everything will be nicely hidden and no need for chasing into walls with cables running along the skirting.

You don't want cables running along the skirting.

I can't see how to install the boxes without weakening the floorboards or rather strengthening afterwards. Is it possible?

If a lot of holes, you would need to remove the boards and install supports.

However, if you can get the cables to the underboard position, then you can bring the cables up behind the skirting and fit sockets in the usual manner.
Not much chasing.

 

[Sprogginz]

...However, if you can get the cables to the underboard position, then you can bring the cables up behind the skirting and fit sockets in the usual manner.
Not much chasing.

Yes that was my original intention. I can get all the cables behind the skirting but I will definitely need it recessed and even then all the cables will be pushing into the back of the bed.

I guess I'm thinking a floor box is easier and possibly cheaper. I think I'll have a look at how to chase walls on the cheap! I don't have a chaser or box cutter.

Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I don't have a chaser or box cutter.

 

[Sprogginz]

You mean something like this?

...You would need to batten between the joists to maintain the strength of the cut floorboard. Just the same as if you had cut the board for access, etc
Butting the box up to a joist line would mean the box is not just "floating".

Yes, that's what I meant. Screwfix has got one for about £25.
I can see how to reinforce it from one side using a batten as the box would be near a joist how about the other joist since it would be further away? Do I screw a batten to the next floorboard that hasn't been cut?
I might not be thinking right!

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'm an electrician, not a carpenter. But I guess you could run a batten across and screw to the floorboards either side that have not been cut.

 

[Sprogginz]

Thanks again guys for all your help.

Just realised, if I went for the wall installation I've got an SDS drill with a chisel - I'm guessing that will do!

Just one final thought and maybe directed to towards an electrician then, do the network cables need to be kept well apart from power cables such 2.5mm T&E due to interference?

I know in the commercial world they do but in a residential one maybe it's just negligible. When feeding data cables through joists, I won't use the same holes as power cable but if I'm going to make a new double wall socket then they will have to be close together but maybe separated in their own conduits. Are there any recommendations in the electrician's world for keeping data cables such as network and HDMI from power ones such as specific measured distances?

 

[eveares]

I'm going to run HDMI, RJ45 and coaxial cables into the rooms

RJ45 cable, that's a new one for me. RJ45 is short for Registered Jack 45 what is not technically what network cables use, They use 8P8C jacks instead what are very similar to RJ45 jacks and are generally incorrectly called RJ45 jacks.

Now for the cable, running CAT6/CAT6a or even CAT7 over CAT5e would be best for future proofing the back bone of your network.

 

[Iggifer]

Just one final thought and maybe directed to towards an electrician then, do the network cables need to be kept well apart from power cables such 2.5mm T&E due to interference?

You won't be putting them in the same box in the wall? So surely they won't need to go anywhere near each other in the wall?

I don't know what kind of box spacing you're going for, but assuming <25mm spacing in between the two boxes will give you the 50mm separation distance required.

 

[eveares]

Network cables are unlikely to be affected by parallel power cables unless they are relatively close for significant distances. Even then you can use shielded network cable as precaution if your worried about interference. With shielded cables, you need to bond one and only one end to mains earth.

I personally have never had an issue having network cables and power cables next to each other, but there again the power cables in my scenario were only carrying a few hundred watts over a few meters of cable; and of course I do not recommend running unshielded data cables next to power cables unless you are willing to take the risk and accept the possibility of interference and network issues.

 

[Iggifer]

Network cables are unlikely to be affected by parallel power cables unless they are relatively close for significant distances. Even then you can use shielded network cable as precaution if your worried about interference. With shielded cables, you need to bond one and only one end to mains earth.

I personally have never had an issue having network cables and power cables next to each other, but there again the power cables in my scenario were only carrying a few hundred watts over a few meters of cable.

There's no reason to encourage poor behaviour because of your experience. There's regulations on the subject for a reason

 

[eveares]

There's no reason to encourage poor behaviour because of your experience.

I'm not!; I quote again,

in my scenario were only carrying a few hundred watts over a few meters of cable.

A few meters is no different than having a load of cables behind a computer or TV for example.

Also then there is a thing called "Over Kill"

 

[Iggifer]

There's no reason to encourage poor behaviour because of your experience.

I'm not!; I quote again,

in my scenario were only carrying a few hundred watts over a few meters of cable.

A few meters is no different than having a load of cables behind a computer or TV for example.

Also then there is a thing called "Over Kill"

You do realise interference is not the only reason for segregation of voltage bands don't you?

 

[PBC_1966]

RJ45 is short for Registered Jack 45 what is not technically what network cables use, They use 8P8C jacks instead what are very similar to RJ45 jacks and are generally incorrectly called RJ45 jacks.

We seem to be fighting a losing battle when even some manufacturers use the incorrect terms now, but what many people do not seem to realize today is that an RJ number describes not only the physical type of modlar connector but also its configuration, i.e. the way in which it is wired and used. The modular plug which is commonly and mistakenly called an RJ11 plug, for example, may be wired as RJ11, RJ14, RJ25, or indeed used for something which isn't an RJ-anything.

The plug used for a genuine RJ45 configuration while superficially similar won't actually fit the standard 8P8C jacks used for modern networking. RJ45 was used for the connection of a modem to a telephone line with adjustment of level being set by a resistance at the jack for the line. It's pretty much obsolete here now, and was never used in the U.K. at all (at least not "officially" by the PO/BT, there's a chance it might have been used on a private installation here and there).