pushing loft insulation under floor, Electric wires!!

[zenonithus]

hey all, so I want to put loft insulation under the floor. The floor is horrible tongue groove stuff so I only have access at the back wall where a plank was lifted before. The issue is I'm going to have to try pushing forward the insulation where it might bunch up against these wires. Is insulation a danger when covering wires like this? Likely to catch fire? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[flameport]

Shoving insulation under there will likely not work as it will bunch up and only get a very short distance along.
Other boards can easily be lifted by cutting through the tongues of the boards with a sharp knife.

If those ancient rubber covered wires and slip conduit is still in use, then it's already dangerous. They should have been replaced several decades ago.

 

[Paulg31]

On another subject it looks like the floor joists have some rather significant notches for the rad pipework!

 

[Tigercubrider]

Is this an upstairs room?

 

[danechip]

Is this an upstairs room?

I would have thought so looking at the second pic. (hole in plaster)

 

[JohnW2]

On another subject it looks like the floor joists have some rather significant notches for the rad pipework!

It does. However, I have to say that my house is full of notches like that. Fortunately, they date from the era "when joists were joists", so what was left after creation of the notches is, in most cases, still much more substantial than many a 'modern' floor joist!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Tigercubrider]

If upstairs, why insulate? It will just make the bedroom cold

 

[zenonithus]

Thanks for your replies all Yes I'm in an upstairs (top floor) flat. The wires are going into the bottom ground floor flat looks like their lighting. The insulation was more for added soundproofing, though I guess this wont make much difference. My dad has some he cant get rid of so might stuff it down as far as I can get it until it gets to the wire.

On the subject of the wire yes these old electrical pipes are a nightmare as they have been cleverly placed at the top of the joist right under the join of the floorboard! Removing these floorboards would require a circular saw as they are pretty thick tongue grove planks and there is a risk of cutting into the pipe.

Though massive concern is does this still look like the old 1930s wiring? Or would they have been able to take that out and push new wire through the pipe? If it is the old wiring this could pose a big fire risk no?

 

[Tigercubrider]

Loft insulation will do sod all for noise.

You need acoustic rockwool or an alternative like a sound mat to do any good.

 

[zenonithus]

Yeah I though so I might just put insulation under the heating pipes where there is none to stop heat escaping downstairs.

These wires are bugging me. Is it illegal to have this old wiring as it may pose as a safety risk? Should I ask the landlord who rents the flat downstairs if he has had an electrical safety check?

 

[sparkwright]

If that old wiring really is still in service, it would be in everyone's interest for the lighting in that flat to be re-wired now.

If you haven't got new carpets and new flooring fitted yet, now is the time to do it.

Modern PVC wiring will virtually last forever, so once it's fitted you or anyone else shouldn't have to worry about it again.

It would be neighbourly to get this done now, assuming it needs doing.

There's a chance your flat may even have some of this old wiring.

 

[sparkwright]

In the real world of course, no one will bother to get anything done. And when the flat below is re-wired, masses of mini-trunking will no doubt be used.

 

[zenonithus]

I'm getting my carpet fitted on Wednesday! :-O I've had the electric survey approved from 2015 in my flat, so I'm assuming all is ok that end. There is a white modern looking wire running along the plasterboard that is going through the same hole as the wire in the tube. Any idea what that could indicate?

By the way what is mini-trunking?

 

[zenonithus]

could the singular white wire containing several wires power the lights or would it still need to rely on all those other wires?

 

[sparkwright]

It is very possible the white cable is serving the light downstairs, and the older wires have been disconnected and left there. That is a normal way of rewiring.