Removing and filling wall-light blanking plates. Help Please

[ClarryUk]

Hello... Moving to a new-build next week and am doing some bits and pieces in the next few days...

This flat has wall-lights all over it, most of which are blanked off with a round blanking plate, which I don't mind in most places, but I want to paper a 'feature-wall' so don't want the blanking covers under that, obviously.

I'm not a decorator, but am quite handy and I know this is something I could do myself, without having to spend money on getting someone in.

So, what I want to know is, when I take the blanking cover off, exposing the wiring behind it (which is all terminated etc), how do I then put plaster into the hole without compromising the safety of the wiring etc?

Do I stuff the hole with something I can then plaster over, or put a round piece of plasterboard in there, or something?

I'm sure this is quite a standard and common thing that people do - I just want to do it right as it will be permanent.

Thanks

Matt

 

[54aardvark]

Need to clarify a couple of points:

Are they cavity walls?

Are the back boxes, white plastic cavity boxes or metal ones?

You say the cables are terminated - have they been taken off the circuit or just chocolate blocks wrapped up in insulating tape?

May be able to help but need to get the safety side sorted first.

 

[ClarryUk]

Um, I think they're plastic cavity boxes, and the wires are terminated in choc blocks, although I haven't been able to get there today to check.

They're on their own circuit, controlled by a lightswitch at the main lightswitch panel elsewhere in the room.

Need to clarify a couple of points:

Are they cavity walls?

Are the back boxes, white plastic cavity boxes or metal ones?

You say the cables are terminated - have they been taken off the circuit or just chocolate blocks wrapped up in insulating tape?

May be able to help but need to get the safety side sorted first.

 

[54aardvark]

Bearing in mind I'm not a spark:

Be warned, just because the switch is off doesn't mean you don't have live wires.

The ideal solution is to isolate the circuit which means tracing wires back to the lighting main and removing the offending cable from the junction box - somewhere in the ceiling. I would imagine you'd also want to get rid of the switch if it isn't serving any purpose and this way, ther'll be no power in the switch

The cowboy solution which you come across time after time is to cut the cavity box so the cable & choc bloc is free, remove the box and push the cable and choc block to one side. But that leaves a live wire hanging in th cavity and your switch will still be live.

In short from a safety point of view, I'd get a real spark in, or you could have a word on the Electricians forum.

Right - thats out of the way!

Blanking off holes in the wall, Cut a length of thin timber about 2" wider than the hole, put a screw in the middle to steady the timber as you slip it into the hole, just to be sure, you can put a big dollop of No More Nails on either end of the timber. Position it so you have 1" either side and carefully fit a plasterboard screw to either side - remove the central stabilising screw. Cut a piece of plasterboard the same size as the hole and simply glue to the batten, you can also put another plasterboard screw through the insert. Make sure the screws are recessed slightly. when alls dry, just skim over the area with filler, sand, prime and away you go.

Sounds fiddly but its quick, easy and works every time for me - doubtless someone else will have a far simpler solution!

 

[ClarryUk]

"Blanking off holes in the wall, Cut a length of thin timber about 2" wider than the hole, put a screw in the middle to steady the timber as you slip it into the hole, just to be sure, you can put a big dollop of No More Nails on either end of the timber. Position it so you have 1" either side and carefully fit a plasterboard screw to either side - remove the central stabilising screw. Cut a piece of plasterboard the same size as the hole and simply glue to the batten, you can also put another plasterboard screw through the insert. Make sure the screws are recessed slightly. when alls dry, just skim over the area with filler, sand, prime and away you go. "


Well, I must be a bit thick as this makes no sense to me at all!

How does the piece of wood go into the hole if it's 2" wider than the hole??

Also, where can I get couple of small pieces of plasterboard from? I don't want to have to buy a whole massive sheet of it....

 

[D.S.D]

think what he meant to say was 2" longer than the hole, roof batten is a favourite item for this, you are only using it as a secure backing piece for the plasterboard so it has something to fix to. The plasterboard I cant help you with. Apart from trawling round some building sites and becoming a skip monkey the only way would to be to buy a small sheet from one of the sheds. Remember to make sure that the thickness is the same as your existing, should be 9.5 mm I think?? worth checking otherwise you will end up with a bulgy wall

 

[ClarryUk]

think what he meant to say was 2" longer than the hole, roof batten is a favourite item for this, you are only using it as a secure backing piece for the plasterboard so it has something to fix to. The plasterboard I cant help you with. Apart from trawling round some building sites and becoming a skip monkey the only way would to be to buy a small sheet from one of the sheds. Remember to make sure that the thickness is the same as your existing, should be 9.5 mm I think?? worth checking otherwise you will end up with a bulgy wall

Ok, but I still don't see how a bit of wood 2" longer than the hole can fit into the hole! I am obviously being a complete thicko over this...

Can anyone draw me a picture? LOL

I unscrewed one of the blanking plates this evening and indeed the wires are terminated in choc-blocks (not taped up), surrounded by blue plasticine stuff in the cavity.

If anyone wants to email me a sketch of how to do this wood-batten thing, that'd be much appreciated!!

[email protected]

Thanks!

 

[D.S.D]

Right this is gonna be harder than I thought soooo here goes

you said it was a cavity wall....roofing batten is 1 inch thick by 2 inches wide (I know, I know chippies they are approx measurements ) your hole in the wall is say 3 inches by 3 inches square.....cut the batten so its 7 inches long put the screw in it as per the earlier post.....put the whole thing in the hole and feed it up or down, there will be room to do this cos its a cavity wall....there will now be enough in the wall to fix it with the gripfill top and bottom with enough top and bottom for a 2 inch overhang....when dry fix the plaster board to this. Job done. If your still stumped give up and hang a picture over it let us know how you get on

 

[D.S.D]

Right I've taken no chances and sent you some pics and a video just in case

 

[ClarryUk]

Right I've taken no chances and sent you some pics and a video just in case

Many thanks!!

I was confused about putting something behind the hole, as there is still a round plastic backbox in the hole, containing the blue plasticine stuff and the terminated wires!

I suppose I just remove this then!

D'oh!

 

[daytona]

you need to check those wires are dead before anything else or you could be the one thats dead.even if you got away with it this time,theres nothing to say in 5 years time when you want to hang a mirror,you forget exactly how the cables ran and drill into one.dont just disconnect the live either,get the neutral and cpc to.

decorating is a skilled but safe job and need not be life threatening

 

[daytona]

you also need to bear in mind that if the cables get filled over live,then they are being taken out of safe zones.this is against regs.its a big reg aswell really as there will be no clues cables were ever there!