Moving lights/ lightswitches before re plaster of ceiling

[snewman]

Hello, bit of really basic help needed. We have just taken down the wall between kitchen and dining room in preparation for expanding the kitchen into the dining room - large kitchen diner lovely. (Paper wall in 10 year old house!)

Currenly have two seperate light fittings one old strip light in plastic casing in the kitchen and one ceiling rose style for the dining room. The light switch for the kitchen is now up at ceiling level in the middle of the new room - hubby has fitted a blanking plate and taped it all up so I think it is safe!

We are due to have a plasterer in next week to skim the ceilings as they are currently swirly artex

My questions are:

How do we take down the old kitchen strip light - will this be on brackets? Do we just leave the wires like the light switch with a blanking plate / sealed in tape?

Will the plasterer just plaster round this and then electrician fit new light over?

Do we now go for one light in middle of room - will be 3 m x 4m or keep 2 light fittings I'd prefer two as would be more flexible - not needing to be so bright when eating?

Should we have an electrician in to put new light switch for kitchen in before plasterer does ceilings and then come back again to fit the lights? (I think this has to be otherwise we are left with lightswitch dangling in middle of ceiling!)

Will the carpet/ floorboards have to come up upstairs to fit new lightswitch it will be going about 2 meters to lounge wall or can this be done by cutting through the plasterboard on the ceiling/ down the wall?

Can you have 3 light switches on one unit? This will be for lounge, dining room and kitchen or better to go for 2 units? We could manage without the lounge one as we have a switch for that already on the other side of the wall.

We need an electrician for extra powerpoints in the kitchen but with plasterer due next week would just like to know as haven't arranged an electrician yet.

Finally what would be a reasonable price for moving the lightswitch and fitting 2 new lightfittings?

Sorry ended up being much longer than I thought. Thanks for reading I'd appreciate all comments / advice.

Sarah

 

[davy_owen_88]

hubby has fitted a blanking plate and taped it all up so I think it is safe!

If he just taped it up it is not safe. They should be put in a connector block and then fitted into a suitable enclosure before the blanking plate is put on. It isn't immediately unsafe though so long as he did a good job keeping the conductors separate.

How do we take down the old kitchen strip light - will this be on brackets? Do we just leave the wires like the light switch with a blanking plate / sealed in tape?

Switch off the electricity FIRST and then just have a look. The designs are all different so your best bet is to just make safe and have a prod around. When you have removed it terminate the cables as above.

Will the plasterer just plaster round this and then electrician fit new light over?

The plasterer will most probably plaster over everything, thats what they tend to do.

Do we now go for one light in middle of room - will be 3 m x 4m or keep 2 light fittings I'd prefer two as would be more flexible - not needing to be so bright when eating?

If you want 2 get 2. It's your house, and your the one paying for the work.

Should we have an electrician in to put new light switch for kitchen in before plasterer does ceilings and then come back again to fit the lights? (I think this has to be otherwise we are left with lightswitch dangling in middle of ceiling!)

It would be best if the electric cables were run before you had it plastered (first fix). Since you have already got the plasterer coming though, you might want to cross your fingers that you can get a spark in that fast. Remember unless you want surface mounted cables you'll need a plaster in to make good the walls after all the chasing is done.

Will the carpet/ floorboards have to come up upstairs to fit new lightswitch it will be going about 2 meters to lounge wall or can this be done by cutting through the plasterboard on the ceiling/ down the wall?

They won't need to come up for a new light switch but might need to come up to run the new feeds for the new lights you want. It will be easier to run the cables from above by removing floorboards than ripping down the ceiling. The walls can be chased for the switch.

Can you have 3 light switches on one unit? This will be for lounge, dining room and kitchen or better to go for 2 units? We could manage without the lounge one as we have a switch for that already on the other side of the wall.

Yes you can get 3 gang light switches.

We need an electrician for extra powerpoints in the kitchen but with plasterer due next week would just like to know as haven't arranged an electrician yet.

Well get ringing round now because you'll be in a pickle if the plaster comes and then electrician has to make a mess of it.

Finally what would be a reasonable price for moving the lightswitch and fitting 2 new lightfittings?

Depends on where you are in the country, how busy the sparks are you ask, and a whole load of other factors. Get atleast 3 quotes and chose the guy who you feel best about (not always going to be the cheapest).

Davy

 

[Steve]

indeed, definitely get the electrician in first, and hurry!

 

[snewman]

Thanks guys, have informed hubby to make this safe and have rung round the local electricians have 2 coming tonight!

Cheers, Sarah