Mounting power sockets and switches to studs in walls?

[foundbird]

I'm fairly certain I remember walls in the US having the boxes for the plug outlets and light switches being mounted to the wooden framework of stud walls but when we ripped out the walls in our new place, they were simply suspended in the middle of plasterboard sections, only connected to the plasterboard and nothing more... substantial.

Should we/could we mount these things to the structure of the stud walls or is it better to leave them "floating" (for lack of a better word) in the plasterboard?

Thanks!!

 

[riveralt]

I'm fairly certain I remember walls in the US having the boxes for the plug outlets and light switches being mounted to the wooden framework of stud walls but when we ripped out the walls in our new place, they were simply suspended in the middle of plasterboard sections, only connected to the plasterboard and nothing more... substantial.

Should we/could we mount these things to the structure of the stud walls or is it better to leave them "floating" (for lack of a better word) in the plasterboard?

Thanks!!

This is what we use for stud partition walls:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTMDLB1.html
Is this what you have or need?

 

[foundbird]

This is what we use for stud partition walls:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTMDLB1.html
Is this what you have or need?

That's certainly what I would need... but I'm wondering is it something I *should* use or is it actually OK to leave them suspended like they were... My brain tells me that they should be secured somehow but if they don't *have* to, that's something to consider, too.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's certainly what I would need... but I'm wondering is it something I *should* use or is it actually OK to leave them suspended like they were...

That type of box is designed to be fitted into holes in plasterboard.

You say should you use those or leave them suspended - what do you currently have?

Photos would be useful.

 

[foundbird]

That type of box is designed to be fitted into holes in plasterboard.

You say should you use those or leave them suspended - what do you currently have?

Photos would be useful.

We don't actually have anything *real* at the moment as we've had to rip out all of the internal walls on the ground floor (the exterior/party walls were 2x2 studded as well, so we've taken them down and exposed the brickwork).

This is what was in each of the walls...
View media item 63775The switch was "floating" in the wall and that plastic box in the photo was just sitting in the wall cavity... empty and unattached to anything. That's the only such box we've found in the building.

This is our current set up as it's temporary until the walls go in this weekend.
View media item 63776
I don't *want* to leave them suspended, so if the box suggested above will do just that, I'd prefer to do something different. Affix them to the studwork within the wall but due to the confusion that this is causing, I'm beginning to wonder if it's just not done here and I'm trying to ask about a foreign concept.

 

[riveralt]

That's certainly what I would need... but I'm wondering is it something I *should* use or is it actually OK to leave them suspended like they were... My brain tells me that they should be secured somehow but if they don't *have* to, that's something to consider, too.

If you have metal backboxes and they are simply 'hanging in the air' only supported by the cable and the switch/socket then I would say that is not correct and you should replace them with those cavity wall boxes as shown.
If you have metal backboxes that are screwed into timber joists as support then that is fine.

 

[foundbird]

If you have metal backboxes and they are simply 'hanging in the air' only supported by the cable and the switch/socket then I would say that is not correct and you should replace them with those cavity wall boxes as shown.
If you have metal backboxes that are screwed into timber joists as support then that is fine.

There weren't any boxes, metal or otherwise, at all to begin with.

Currently there's nothing, as well, as we don't have walls.

 

[riveralt]

For the Stud Partition walls I would run some 3*2 timber at the height for the switches and sockets and screw metal backboxes to that.
For the solid walls metal backboxes should be used.

 

[foundbird]

this is an example of what I want

And this is an example of what I *don't* want

 

[foundbird]

For the Stud Partition walls I would run some 3*2 timber at the height for the switches and sockets and screw metal backboxes to that.
For the solid walls metal backboxes should be used.

Thank you, but what's the difference between the two?

We're going to re-stud the brick walls to accommodate room for the new heating pipework that's required so we could use the same boxes for both, right?

 

[EFLImpudence]

I'm fairly certain I remember walls in the US having the boxes for the plug outlets and light switches being mounted to the wooden framework of stud walls

You do and they are.

but when we ripped out the walls in our new place, they were simply suspended in the middle of plasterboard sections, only connected to the plasterboard and nothing more... substantial.

That is what is done in the UK.
Plasterboard is substantial enough for the purpose

Should we/could we mount these things to the structure of the stud walls or is it better to leave them "floating" (for lack of a better word) in the plasterboard?

A better word would be 'fixed'.

You can do whatever you want as long as it is safe.
Fit noggins or construct fixtures to attach the back-boxes.

Mountains and mole-hills come to mind.

 

[riveralt]

Thank you, but what's the difference between the two?

We're going to re-stud the brick walls to accommodate room for the new heating pipework that's required so we could use the same boxes for both, right?

Yes you can.
The boxes come in different depths and widths I would use 25mm for both switches and sockets.
For things like cooker switches (which require thicker cable) you could you 45mm depth.
Example:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/AP665.JPG

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And this is an example of what I *don't* want

Why?

 

[foundbird]

And this is an example of what I *don't* want

Why?

Quite frankly, because I just had to rip out every internal wall in the house because of damp, wet and mould.

I found it a bit scary to be ripping down walls where the electrical wiring and components were free to move about as I was wielding a crowbar/prybar at them.

If anyone has to or wants to rip out these walls in the future (to change the floor plan, for example), I feel it would be comforting to know that the electrical components are fixed in place.

 

[foundbird]

You can do whatever you want as long as it is safe.
Fit noggins or construct fixtures to attach the back-boxes.

Mountains and mole-hills come to mind.

I'm intrigued as to why you think that...