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Just had a new bathroom fully plastered and I want to paint the ceiling before the bathroom is fitted and tiled. What pre-painting preparation do I need to do?

Moving from planning my structured wiring into the installation stage, I see that I really need to install two 'distribution' panels in my house. This is so that I can pull cables from the garage CU to the downstairs cupboard (equipment room) and also the loft, and also cables between this...

Depends which type. Osram IRC (similar to Philips Masterline ES) work by reflecting infra-red light back onto the filament so it gets hotter. This means it can produce more light for the same current (or better still uses less current to produce the same light). I have tested the Osram IRC...

5) Depends on the angle of the diffractor. IMHO, all 50W halogens that I have tried (and I have tried a few) give off more light than an 11W CFL. However it is subjective and I recommend that you try sample lights for yourself. Also the Osram IRC halogens are excellent. Again IMHO, the 35W...

I wish I could help, but I too wanted to do this but simply couldn't find a supplier suitable. Most video systems on the market are analogue and don't have a network interface. I did find one piece of kit which would work but it cost too much for me. I used to have various links to websites but...

I have experimented with a few downlighters and have some Megaman 11W downlighters as well as various halogens. IMO TLC have a typo on that page. A 9W CFL is about as bright as a 40W INCANDESCENT lamp, not a 40W halogen (I have never seen a halogen in that rating anyway). I'm not sure about...

You'll need to save a lot of pennies to make paying the notification fee justifiable! I have to agree with the others and advise against doing this work yourself.

Yes, one supplier told me that insulation boards won't make much difference for my setup. Yes I thought so too about the thickness of the ply but I wasn't sure. I'll ask my builder about it again.

Hello, as you're new to the forum I should advise that "downlighter" is a dirty word to many members here - so be prepared ;) You'll need to observe the spacing recommendation of the manufacturer. Fire hoods are not specifically designed to give this space, they are just there to restrict the...

The point of this kit is so that you don't have to physically wire it - running ELV lighting is notifiable work unless it's all 'plug-and-play'. Why can't you just loop the spare flex into a bundle and secure with a tie-wrap?

My builder has just laid 6mm ply over chipboard ready for floor tiling. I had expected him to replace the whole floor with 18mm ply, but he said this would be too difficult (which is fair considering that I have stud walls on the existing floor). However I'm looking into underfloor heating and...

When you mean 3 core do you mean red or brown, plus black or blue, plus bare (or yellow/green sleeve)? If so this is 2 core plus earth/cpc. However if you generally mean 3 core plus earth/cpc then this is unusual - you'll need to provide more details. The size of the cable depends on what...

JBs need to be accessible so putting one under the floor is not on. I believe that there may be specialist wire connectors which may get around this, but I can't comment on them. Otherwise you'd need to replace the existing sockets with blanking plates. Not the ideal solution but maybe would...

Has your customer actually seen these lights? If he/she is under the impression that they are as good as halogens but lower energy then there might be a problem when it comes to paying your invoice! Based on my own experimentation I would suggest that you would certainly need to halve the...

Tony, I am planning the same and intend to use normal flourescent tubes. As you note it is unzoned so there is no requirement for IP rating. I am a bit concerned that you are so worried about the risk of splashing. A properly fitted and maintained bath should not leak! I am one to...

Fastlec sell certain rating MK RCBOs for a few quid less than that.

I think you'll find that ELV lights with a transformer have exactly the same restriction. You either need to leave a gap in the insulation or else get a cover with the apprpriate dimensions and lay insulation over the top. There are bespoke metal covers available, however I understand that...

I asked my LABC if I should work to the 17th for my house alterations. They said I should work to the 16th. Probably just as well for me as all I know about the 17th is what I have read here...

You need to check this out with something better than a screwdriver tester. You probably have a 'floating' cpc (aka earth).

Firstly, if you are going to talk about regs or part P, then you should probably get your terminology right. Mains is LV. The halogens you refer to (e.g. MR16 fitting) are extra low voltage (ELV). Secondly the requirement for notification varies according to what you are planning to do and...