Straw filled stud wall, fixing!?

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Thanks gents. Honestly, there is not a chance you’ll get a rod down there, this stuff is so compact it’s like chipboard. The only way down would be to drill, but then I’ve got to get 3x 2.5mm through the chase and ideally I want to conduit.

I’m beginning to think it’s more hassle than it’s worth!
 
The "Straw Material" is called "Stramit" much loved by Local Authorities especially for roofs, Yes Roofs

When wet will deteriorate

Ken.
 
There are normally premade holes in these
I've not found any holes in strammit board, I've also found it to have an impossibly thin layer of cardboard, not plaster board and nothing to fix a PB box behind.

My 'goto' is cut a hole about 6mm biggre than the box and make the cuts taper outwards, ie the back of the hole is bigger whan the front. drill a couple of holes in opposite sides of the box, apply too much gripfil on the back of the box then drive 4 long screws into the straw each side such that they pull the box into position and it makes the gripfill eacape into the side voids. wipe of excess towards the box, or top-up as required.

If only needing to get a cable a foot or so below the box and into the floor void (like the pic looks), use a long drill. No chasing required
 
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The "Straw Material" is called "Stramit" much loved by Local Authorities especially for roofs, Yes Roofs

When wet will deteriorate

Ken.
It's a slightly different product for roofs.
 
Why3 cables?
If this if on a ring final, drill down from both boxes and between them, I may have missed something though.
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https://www.toolstation.com/sds-plu...yj8-vZY3E1iaVpzHKEr5efGhg7uaNlxkaAtz0EALw_wcB
 
I've not found any holes in strammit board, I've also found it to have an impossibly thin layer of cardboard, not plaster board and nothing to fix a PB box behind.

My 'goto' is cut a hole about 6mm biggre than the box and make the cuts taper outwards, ie the back of the hole is bigger whan the front. drill a couple of holes in opposite sides of the box, apply too much gripfil on the back of the box then drive 4 long screws into the straw each side such that they pull the box into position and it makes the gripfill eacape into the side voids. wipe of excess towards the box, or top-up as required.

If only needing to get a cable a foot or so below the box and into the floor void (like the pic looks), use a long drill. No chasing required

the ones I’ve seen have a paper piece over the drops about every 30cm with a 20mm hole going down , these are on an estate built around the 1990s , peel off the paper in the loft and poke down your cable ( mainly seen them in the East Midlands )
 
I believe that the approved method of mounting sockets on a straw bale wall is to use a panel of ply wood.

Cut the hole for the socket back box into the panel. Then sink the panel into the straw and pin it in place.
 
the ones I’ve seen have a paper piece over the drops about every 30cm with a 20mm hole going down , these are on an estate built around the 1990s , peel off the paper in the loft and poke down your cable ( mainly seen them in the East Midlands )
Different versions must exist. I've removed loads of the stuff and cut it or broken it into bins and rubbish sacks etc, all I've noticed is solid slabs.

The idea sounded ok though.

I haven't been aware of Strammit being used for partitions for years. Roofs yes, a School building as recently as 2017 but it is a very different product.
 
I believe that the approved method of mounting sockets on a straw bale wall is to use a panel of ply wood.

Cut the hole for the socket back box into the panel. Then sink the panel into the straw and pin it in place.
I always assumed that was the botch to repair when the accessory had come out of its home.
 
Hi,

I have stramit board walls upstairs in my house. I have fitted many normal metal back boxes into the walls. Just use patching plaster to bed the back box in & screw at right angles/diagnolly to the wall. In fact I find it easier to fit bak boxes into this stuff as you can do it with a stanley knife & a vacuum cleaner......
 
The "Straw Material" is called "Stramit" much loved by Local Authorities especially for roofs, Yes Roofs

When wet will deteriorate

Ken.

If it's the same material I remember from the 1960's - it came in slot together, steel edged panels, with the straw mixed with a tiny amount of cement to make it rigid. Drilling the steel and using self-tappers provided the strongest fixings.
 
Hi,

I have stramit board walls upstairs in my house. I have fitted many normal metal back boxes into the walls. Just use patching plaster to bed the back box in & screw at right angles/diagnolly to the wall. In fact I find it easier to fit bak boxes into this stuff as you can do it with a stanley knife & a vacuum cleaner......
Yeah that sounds just about similar to the way I do it with gripfill. I make the hole bigger as it gets deeper to add a lump that can't pull forward too.
 
If it's the same material I remember from the 1960's - it came in slot together, steel edged panels, with the straw mixed with a tiny amount of cement to make it rigid. Drilling the steel and using self-tappers provided the strongest fixings.
That sounds more like the system I've found used for roof panels which has a raw surface. OP's pic is straw compressed with a lightweight resin and surfaced with plaster/paper.
 

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