Outside house lights without wires showing

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Seems to be the in thing at the moment of lights lighting up peoples houses.Just curious what it entails to have lights fitted without wiring all around the outside of the house showing.Does the wiring get drilled through to the inside of the house thus causing lots of internal decorating etc.
 
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Seems to be the in thing at the moment of lights lighting up peoples houses.Just curious what it entails to have lights fitted without wiring all around the outside of the house showing.Does the wiring get drilled through to the inside of the house thus causing lots of internal decorating etc.

Either along the outside wall or along the inside, at one time I think they didn't disallow wiring to be run down cavities, but no now.

I personally, don't like to see cables strung around either outside or indoors, I usually wait until decoration is is due and sink them in the plaster. My firt job when considering redecorating a room is - do I need any extra sockets/ switches/ wall lights/ phone outlets/ antenna sockets etc..
 
Well, yes.

There has to be a cable to each light and to and from switches and from the supply so...
 
Thanks didn't know if they used cavity gaps etc but guess not will leave it then sounds like a messy job.
 
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Either along the outside wall or along the inside, at one time I think they didn't disallow wiring to be run down cavities, but no now.
Even if one were contemplating running cables in cavities (assuming they were not filled with insulation!), I think one would seriously struggle to get the cable out of the cavity without drilling through into the inside of the house and/or (if the cavity could be accessed 'from above') dismantling some of the outside wall!

Kind Regards, John
 
Even if one were contemplating running cables in cavities (assuming they were not filled with insulation!), I think one would seriously struggle to get the cable out of the cavity without drilling through into the inside of the house and/or (if the cavity could be accessed 'from above') dismantling some of the outside wall!

Kind Regards, John

My place, before I moved in, had been rewired in part, via the cavities and professionally. It has been rewired since then via more normal cable routes. No doubt some of those cables still remain in the cavities. I would assume they must have dangled string down with a weight on the end, as draw wires.

I heard or read somewhere that the method was out-lawed later, but perhaps you could comment?
 
I've been told the only problem with using cavities is that the cable is not properly secured.

Don't see it matters for vertical drops, particularly all short ones.
 
I've been told the only problem with using cavities is that the cable is not properly secured. Don't see it matters for vertical drops, particularly all short ones.
I thought the problem was that a cable could touch the outer and the inner leaf of the wall and damp could be transferred by water running over the outside of the cable. I am not sure how likely this is to happen
 
I thought the problem was that a cable could touch the outer and the inner leaf of the wall and damp could be transferred by water running over the outside of the cable. I am not sure how likely this is to happen
That's more to do with building work, I think.
 
My place, before I moved in, had been rewired in part, via the cavities and professionally. It has been rewired since then via more normal cable routes. No doubt some of those cables still remain in the cavities. I would assume they must have dangled string down with a weight on the end, as draw wires.
Yes, I've done that in my time. However, it doesn't alter what I said, that one would then be very hard pressed to get that string out through a 'cable-sized' hole (or anything like it) in the outer bricks/whatever, and hence would probably have to remove at least a brick or two.

Kind Regards, John
 
whatever, and hence would probably have to remove at least a brick or two.

Many, many, years ago I fitted an electric shower for my in laws which required a new electrical supply. The electrician fitted a supply from the ground floor to the first floor through the cavity. I don't know how precisely they did it but there was nothing to repair when they were done. It didn't take them long.
 
I've done it for outside lights a time or to when there's no other option, not ideal mind. Easy enough if the cavity is open to the loft, drill diagnally upwards into the cavity then feed the cable rods up, all being well they hit the inner leaf at 45 degrees and turn upwards then you can reach down in the loft, pull it out and attach the cable to pull back down.

In terms of cable fishing, I've just bought a cheapo inpection camera from aldi, I've already used it to snag a drawwire on its included hook for a route that would have been much more difficutl without it
 
I still have a length of brick layers string line with a piece of lead pipe hammered onto the end of it in my van...
 
I still have a length of brick layers string line with a piece of lead pipe hammered onto the end of it in my van...
I have the equivalent. However, as I've said, if one is going to dangle a bit of string with a weight on the end down into the cavity, one has the problem of somehow getting the string out of a small hole in the brickwork at the bottom - not impossible, but, in my experience, quite likely to result in much of one's hair being pulled out :)

Kind Regards, John
 
I have the equivalent. However, as I've said, if one is going to dangle a bit of string with a weight on the end down into the cavity, one has the problem of somehow getting the string out of a small hole in the brickwork at the bottom - not impossible, but, in my experience, quite likely to result in much of one's hair being pulled out :)

Kind Regards, John
This is why wire coat hangers were invented.

Another solution is to stuff a loop of earth sleeving through the hole, then drop the chain onto it.
 

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