Gaining Access To A Floor Cavity

[superspark5]

Hi Guys,

1st post!

I have to fit some downlights in a bedroom. Obviously I need to get cables through the joists.

If you had to gain access into a floor cavity is it preferable to:

1: Cut and lift traps in a ply sheet floor (in the room above, no existing traps).
2: Cut out plasterboard in the celing.

Thanks for your advice, hopefully I will be able to share some of mine in the future.

Tom.

 

[Lectrician]

I think it is a given that (where possible) you will lift some floor where required.

 

[sparkwright]

Cutting up the floor is the preferred option, as patching the ceiling can be difficult.

 

[leeco]

A superspark should know these things

 

[bernardgreen]

I have to fit some downlights in a bedroom.

If it is your bedroom then think again.

You have already realised how much work is involved to have a few torches creating patches of light in the room.

As you lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling there will be bright, retina disturbing, lights beaming down on you. It is the same as someone shining a torch in you face, uncomfortable.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Your bedroom is on the ground floor

 

[1john]

Bedroom is on the groung floor?

You have plywood as the floor sheeting material?

 

[Chri5]

3 storey town house ?

Or more likely, loft converted with sheet flooring and a 1st floor bedroom.


As you may gather there is a hate mob regarding GU10's and any other spot type lighting on this site. The reason are sound, as in:-

High energy use
Need for 6+ in any room over 3m sq
Damage to ceiling via 70mm+ cheese boarding
Poor light output v energy use
Tight directional beam.


If you really want them then that is down to you.

Consider having multiple switches, say double switching to cover a bank by the bed area and a bank for the rest of the room.

Consider wide beam bulbs rather than tight 35 deg beams

Consider LE megaman or LED (I have a 6 x GU10 set up in the kitchen on 6w LED and they cover the area almost too well.

If you decide to use transformed lights, deploy a transformer for each position and if any fail you can drop the lamp casing and access the unit via the hole.

 

[bernardgreen]

High energy use
Need for 6+ in any room over 3m sq
Damage to ceiling via 70mm+ cheese boarding
Poor light output v energy use
Tight directional beam.

Flickering if the "transformers" start to inter-act with each other
Drips of molten glass if (when) a halogen capsule (lamp bulb) explodes.
Warm spots in the floor above

Best advice if you must fit them is to keep the ceiling rose in place and wired so you can quickly intall some proper lightiing.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And keep all the round pieces of plasterboard - they'll come in dead handy for repairing all of the holes when you realise what a hideous mistake you've made.