Filling around light switch - old Victorian house

[IanM18]

Morning, in my never ending quest to renovate this old Victorian house, that surprises me with new and interesting issues at every turn ( like wires dangling around inside lath and plaster walls…..)

Am trying to think through something simple…..

And failing…….

I really don’t want to plaster the whole wall, as it’s an old lath and plaster wall, that’s generally sound. It’s getting that rock paper liner stuff and painted eventually.

So, there was a myriad of old switches, that we have sorted into one. But lots of space to fill. I can sort the big gaps easy, but what has me worried - is how the heck do you go to the edges of the metal back box? I could just stuff full of filler, smooth and sand and job done, but I’m concerned about basically filling over the wires that go into the back box, as the filler will be touching them.

Any advice on approach would be appreciated

Now to try and work out how to get lead paint off an old Victorian front door…..

Can’t sand, lead dust. Can’t heat gun, lead vapour, can’t find a decent paint stripper as the EU banned it all ……. I may just have to stick with the rustic 1970s look

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So, there was a myriad of old switches, that we have sorted into one. But lots of space to fill. I can sort the big gaps easy, but what has me worried - is how the heck do you go to the edges of the metal back box? I could just stuff full of filler, smooth and sand and job done, but I’m concerned about basically filling over the wires that go into the back box, as the filler will be touching them.

Your question is not clear on quite what you are asking. Normally you would plaster up to a box and plaster is bound to go in the box and on the (dead) cables. what you then do once it is set, is clean the plaster out of the box/ off the cables.

Looking at your photo, the plaster patching around the box is way below acceptable, it will take a lot of effort with a sander, to get it even close to acceptable - if that is the finish face.

 

[Dereekoo]

If you are on about the cables outside the backbox just fill in/around them, this is what happens when cables are chased and plastered into walls

 

[IanM18]

Your question is not clear on quite what you are asking. Normally you would plaster up to a box and plaster is bound to go in the box and on the (dead) cables. what you then do once it is set, is clean the plaster out of the box/ off the cables.

Looking at your photo, the plaster patching around the box is way below acceptable, it will take a lot of effort with a sander, to get it even close to acceptable - if that is the finish face.

It’s ok, that’s not the finished face. It’s more filling up to the box, as I didn’t want to go over the cables, but looks like that’s what gets done by a plasterer anyway

 

[IanM18]

If you are on about the cables outside the backbox just fill in/around them, this is what happens when cables are chased and plastered into walls

Cheers, thank you.