Cable route in plaster

[GeorgieP]

Hi all
I've just moved into a new flat and I need to do a lot of tidying up - the place has been re-wired in the past few years and whoever did it has used mounted boxes and light switches, with all the cables running through trunking mounted on top of the walls.

I want to bury all these cables in the walls, and in the first couple of rooms I want to tackle, the walls are all solid. My question is this: what's the easiest way to prepare new routes in the walls. I've done this in the past with a masonry chisel and a mallet, but it took me flippin' ages (I'm not a tradesman) and this time I've got metres of it to do. There's even a storage heater in the living room which is fed from trunking along the skirting board - about 12m of it!

Also, does anyone have any tips on "making good" after I've buried the cables? I've never tried proper plastering and I don't much fancy it!

Thanks in advance

G

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It depends on how "moved in" you are.

You can use a twin-wheel chasing tool, or a chisel on an SDS drill with roto-stop, but these make huge amounts of mess, and can't really be done if you've got carpets, curtains, furniture, clothes etc...

 

[dingbat]

Chasing in isn't really all that hard. You just have to put your back into it. As Ban as said, any machine tools used will produce huge amounts of dust, so why not grin and bear it - you'll feel such a man afterwards!!

 

[diyhell]

I use an angle grinder with a stone cutting wheel to cut the 2 verticle slots then put a horizonal cross cut every 3 inches or so to make chiselling out easier.

Have to agree with the others though - produces a fantastic amount of mess. OK when house is bare, not so good if any furniture in place.

Hope you're going to unattach the cables from their sockets and lay them out of harms way (with ring turned off of course ). You're bound to chop through one of them otherwise...

 

[breezer]

sounds like an rec rewire or the person was lazy

 

[shaggy]

Get a bag of 'one coat' plaster from Wickes. Follow instructions on bag about damping down with wet brush before plastering but it's easy to use.

 

[diyhell]

One coat plaster will do the base filling well - I'd top it off with good quality filler that you can sand off unless you an expert at plastering...

 

[shaggy]

You don't need to be an expert plasterer to fill chases with one-coat. Fill the chase and rule off using the surrounding wall. When firm polish with damp float. No skill required-guaranteed.