Rewiring - Solid Floors

[billm]

Currently gutting a terraced house for my son and want to do a 1st fixing of ground floor sockets in front and rear rooms. Ground floor is solid floors with thick insulation and laminate flooring. The existing sockets are all surface boxes on skirting boards with cleats.

The fuse box (to be replaced by a new consumer unit) is in a fireplace alcove cupboard at floor level.

I'm trying to avoid the extra work of channelling the cables down the plaster from the floor above as there is insufficient sockets at present. Is it OK to run a 2.5mm ring main from the fuse box along the floor and knock metal back boxes into the walls 6" above the new skirting we will be fitting.

I'd like to lay the 2.5mm along the edge of the solid floor and channel into the plaster up to the back box, cover the cable with plastic trunking and plaster over. The think insulation and laminate will be going back down again so the cables will be under the edge of that and/or under the new skirting.

Will that pass inspection when the electrician checks it out ?

 

[sparkybird]

No

The cables need to be run in safe zones (look it up) and tucked behind the bottom of the skirting board isn't one of them - the reason being that when some poor sod goes to replace it or the laminate flooring, then 'bang' goes his crowbar and probably him....

You'll have to chase from above like a proper electrician

SB

 

[billm]

Ok thanks . and its cement rendered walls

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Will that pass inspection when the electrician checks it out ?

The only person who can answer that is your electrician. You do have one on board? If not, stop now until you do.

Ok thanks . and its cement rendered walls

You'll need a good chasing tool and a good dust mask.

 

[sparkybird]

Ok thanks . and its cement rendered walls

Welcome to my world...

 

[sparkwright]

Skirting trunking is the alternative.

Remove all existing skirting boards first. You can position the sockets just above trunking, so there's minimal chasing.

Yet to actually see some skirting trunking in a house though...

 

[RF Lighting]

Just hire a wall chaser. It'll make light work of rendered walls.

 

[bernardgreen]

For dust management it is also worth investing in a powerful extractor fan which can be fitted to a ply wood sheet that then fits over an open window.

This will reduce air pressure in the room meaning replacement air will be sucked into the room under doors thus reducing the amount of dust that escapes into other rooms.

The dust blown out will make a mess outside but a bit of rain will wash it away eventuallly.

 

[conny]

For dust management it is also worth investing in a powerful extractor fan which can be fitted to a ply wood sheet that then fits over an open window.

This will reduce air pressure in the room meaning replacement air will be sucked into the room under doors thus reducing the amount of dust that escapes into other rooms.

The dust blown out will make a mess outside but a bit of rain will wash it away eventuallly.

And rinse it off next doors washing if she has any out!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is it good drying weather at the moment?

 

[conny]

Is it good drying weather at the moment?

Wouldn't know BAS. I'm a bloke and don't get involved in those kind of things.

 

[billm]

I had a look at my sons fuse box over the weekend and the feed tails go straight from the digital meter direct into the fuse box.

On a 5 year old re-wire I have in my house the digital meter tails go into a separate isolator unit/on-off switch and the tails from that go to the Consumer unit. So the consumer unit can be isolated from the meter.

My sons digital meter was installed about a year ago according to the postcard attached to it. As the tails go direct from the meter to the fuse box how do you guys swap the feed over to a new consumer unit without killing yourself ?

Should I get the elec board back to fit an interim isolator like on my house ?

 

[RF Lighting]

Speak to the electrician who'll do the rewiring.

Personally I do not like the extra external isolator. It's just one more thing to go wrong in my opinion.

 

[flameport]

As the tails go direct from the meter to the fuse box how do you guys swap the feed over to a new consumer unit without killing yourself ?

There are a couple of safe options, neither of which involve fitting a separate isolator or having loose live wires exposed.

 

[plugwash]

Earthed steel conduit behind the skirting would also comply. It would mean learning to work with conduit though.