Nightmare

[John D v2.0]

Doesn't matter as long as it's structurally sound, hangers or just bolt a timber to the wall and hang them off that. The main thing is don't have any mechanical connection between the old and the new ceiling.

 

[ericmark]

My mothers house was not quite as bad as yours, but it was bad, and I can fully see the problem where you find some thing which could cost £4000 to repair, it is not the sort of loose change you have in your pocket.

However it is dangerous, there is no way you can continue using it as it is. My son had something similar with his house, and he ended up with extension leads running around the house for 18 months while he installed all the new cables. Mothers house was not that bad, but I did end up with temporary half round trunking on the wall for 6 months before I could do the re-wire.

The idea of temporary lighting plugged into a socket is likely the only way to delay the re-wire while you get the funds required. Be it standard lamps or table lamps, with a very temporary set-up, or trunking with a more lasting set up, it needs thought on how to proceed, if the trunking can be used first with temporary wires and then be latter utilised for a permanent wiring then there will be less waste.

 

[endecotp]

solid concrete and a lot of steels.

I fear that's going to be a complete *******. (You might like to search the forum for "concrete ceiling" for other threads.)

You can't really "chase" into a solid concrete ceiling. At least not without getting a structural engineer to advise what is safe.

If I were you, I'd do some experiments to see if there is any chance of pulling new wires through the existing conduit, at least in the ceiling. I.e. cut into the conduit at the top of the wall / edge of the ceiling and see if you can pull through without snagging or other issues.

If you can re-use the existing conduit, a problem will be that you'll need to pull an earth wire through in addition to what is there already. That will make things more difficult, but it seems that perhaps there is unused wiring there at present so maybe there will be enough space. Getting rid of the two-way switching would be another way to make space for the extra wire.

Honestly you probably need to put the other decorating etc. projects on hold and fix this properly first. My grandparents' house had wiring like that which was replaced in the 1980s, already long past its best.

 

[endecotp]

So battens running along the shortest width and then acoustic plasterboard screwed in could be an option.

You'd hang the PB from resilient bars, or some similar fitting:

http://www.soundstop.co.uk/solutions/ceiling_access/ceiling_solution_3.php
http://soundstop.co.uk/soundproofing_ceilings.php

 

[aptsys]

Any pictures of the consumer unit with the lid off and the area around it? I would be keen to know how the cables were terminated and conduit earthed when the consumer unit was installed.

 

[securespark]

Did you have a good reason for using such a rare term?

??? It's mentioned in the regs definitions???

You'd hang the PB from resilient bars, or some similar fitting

Peanut Butter???

Sorry, just doing a BAN....

Well, I don't know who you are going to stop responding to, and I certainly can't see anybody here who has deliberately written something inflammatory, or off-topic, in order to provoke an argument or to upset you

Having read the thread from the beginning, there seemed to be a lot of people all saying the same thing (get it rewired), which continued long after Hawk agreed the job needed doing.


From what I can see, the conduit is well screwed together. May be worth testing to see if twin and earth will feed in.

 

[HawkEye244]

Any pictures of the consumer unit with the lid off and the area around it? I would be keen to know how the cables were terminated and conduit earthed when the consumer unit was installed.

Given the direction this thread has taken I don't think that would be wise.

Also this job has come to a complete holt until thursday, I've no other choice. I'm preparing joinery at the moment for painting.

 

[stillp]

Given the direction this thread has taken I don't think that would be wise.

I don't think it would change the advice you've been given.

 

[Bosswhite]

Given the direction this thread has taken I don't think that would be wise.

Also this job has come to a complete holt until thursday, I've no other choice. I'm preparing joinery at the moment for painting.

Sounds to me that there is more to this than the information given, and that there is a possibility the electrics are dangerous.
all Aptsys has asked for is a picture of the present consumer unit and how the cables are terminated

 

[securespark]

Gawd luvaduck!

I think he's got the gist by now!

 

[EddieM]

I suppose you could make it a feature and go for the industrial / warehouse look with exposed galv conduit.. not everyone's cuppa... mine included.