Party wall question

[Rob.S]

The wall I share with my neighbour in my kitchen is hollow and currently all the electrics are surface mounted. I am about to fit a new kitchen and would like to sink the boxes into the wall.

I also need to put some timber supports in to hold the new wall cabinets so need to cut a section of plasterboard out.

Initial exploration by stabbing a screw driver through the plasterboard seems like there is a large cavity – deeper than the reasonably long screw driver I used!

I’m assuming there must be a reason all the electrics are currently surface mounted and I am wondering if there is something I should take into account when working on it?

The house was built in the early 80s.

 

[jeds]

Is it a partition wall or plasterboard on masonry?

 

[Rob.S]

Not really sure yet, I just assumed it was masonry somewhere behind the board but is there a chance it isn't?

What threw me off is in a room above I have drilled and screwed the same wall into solid masonry but that room is closer to the centre of the house. Is there possibly partial brickwork under the roof apex but a partition wall elsewhere?

 

[jeds]

If you have masonry at first floor level then it will be masonry at ground as well. I'm wondering why your screwdriver goes in so far? Possibly the wall has been boxed out for some reason. My advice is try to get a better look. Maybe remove a bit of plasterboard so you can see properly behind.

 

[Rob.S]

I cut out a section of board and it is about 35mm thick onto timber frame with plywood behind it. Not sure what I screwed into upstairs but it is above a different section of wall.

Are there regs about electrics in this kind of wall?

 

[jeds]

There's nothing stopping you cut into the plasterboard layer (except it is technically a party wall) but you must maintain fire protection to at least the current level and you must make sure you do not compromise noise transmission.

Fixing the boxes isn't too much of a problem, you could just line the backs of the socket boxes with a proprietory lining material. But running the cables in the void might be. You really need to check this with your electrician to see what is allowed?

An alternative would be to fix surface and then batten and board the wall to build out. You wouldn't notice the 30mm in the finished job but is a hassle if you have covings.