Keeping cable in chases

[m0t]

I'm getting a room plastered on Tuesday so have unscrewed the faceplates for the sockets and light switch in that room and covered in plastic bags.

I noticed that if you move the faceplate slightly the cable in the chases moves a little. Should I be securing them with anything to stop them causing a problem for the plasterer?

 

[sparkwright]

With chasing, cables should be in conduit or capping, and that needs to be held in place with galv plasterboard nails or similar.

If the cables or conduits move a bit, this will be awkward for the plasterer, though he may be able to 'bond' them in place.

Have you fixed these in place at all then?

Daft putting sockets and switches on before plastering.

 

[sparkwright]

Are even using conduit or capping?

Or is the cable going to be 'naked' in the plaster?

 

[m0t]

The whole house was rewired in 2013 and the guy that did it just held them down with a couple of blobs of plaster.

We have only now got round to decorating this room.

All the cables are naked in plaster, does this cause a problem?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

It's not a problem, just a matter of taste. I prefer conduit - others don't bother.

 

[sparkwright]

Conduit provides protection from the plasterer and his trowel. It only takes a second of carelessness to damage a cable by a plasterer rushing about like they do.

Conduit makes a better job, and offers some scope for minor alterations and repairs in the long life of a modern electrical installation.

Costs pennies as well.

Not required though by regs though, just general good practice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I thought the perceived wisdom was that the last thing a plasterer will want to do is damage the edge of his trowel, so he'll not go hacking at cables, even by accident.

 

[JohnW2]

All the cables are naked in plaster, does this cause a problem?

No, not electrically.

If the cable is wobbling about when the plasterer tries to plaster, there could be some cursing, but that's nearest to a problem.

If one uses adequate conduit, it is theoretically possible to replace the wire without disturbing the wall, but even if that 'works' (doesn't always) it's usually decades between when cable needs to be replaced, so probably not a real consideration. As for future modifications/additions to the wiring, you'd need a crystal ball, but the chances of conduit making life easier are probably fairly small.

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

I thought the perceived wisdom was that the last thing a plasterer will want to do is damage the edge of his trowel, so he'll not go hacking at cables, even by accident.

You'll be amazed at what plasterers get up to. Anyone seen Neil Coker on YouTube?

 

[m0t]

Not going to be able to get conduit in these chases.

Would it be OK to use something like no more nails to hold them to the bricks so they don't pop out or will this damage the cable?

 

[JohnW2]

Would it be OK to use something like no more nails to hold them to the bricks so they don't pop out or will this damage the cable?

I would steer clear of 'solvented' adhesives, but there are plenty of non-solvented ones around.

I think that a traditional method is to use large-headed galvanised clout nails - nailed (gently!) into mortar joints just beside the cable so that the head of the nail holds the cable in place. You don't need much to keep the cable still enough during plastering.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Just a few dabs of bonding coat plaster will do the job. The plasterer will like that too!

 

[JohnW2]

Just a few dabs of bonding coat plaster will do the job. The plasterer will like that too!

I have to say that when I've tried that, if the cable is 'springy' and quite long, I've found it difficult to stop the cable 'springing out' (pulling wet plaster with it) before the paster goes off, unless I do something else (temporarily) to stop that happening. Short bits of whatever stuck or pinned across the chase for a few minutes usually does the trick.

Maybe others are more lucky that I have been with just blobs of plaster.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

Cable clips! It is one of the jobs they're designed for

 

[sparkwright]

What about, wait for it, using cable clips?

I don't know how I think of these things...