Where to buy metal capping - 3-5 inch

[jonwestuk]

Hi,

Does anyone know a good place in Surrey or online to buy Galvanised Metal Cable Capping? TLC sell up to 1.5 inch but I would ideally like more like 5 inches. This is to cap a wide chase containing CAT6 & CoAxial Cable.

Thanks in advance,

Jon

 

[ban-all-sheds]

First question - why do you want to use capping?

 

[jonwestuk]

It seemed like a logical choice. I have about 20 coax and Cat6 cables running down a chase of about 3 inches in diameter. I could use conduit but I would need to make the hole a lot bigger, and plastic is not all that resistant to drilling.

My thought process was that metal capping would give me/someone else a bit of warning (if they use a metal detector that there are wires back there) and also provide some resistance to someone drilling with a masonry drill bit.

What are your thoughts?

Jon

PS - there are no power cables running in this chase.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It seemed like a logical choice. I have about 20 coax and Cat6 cables running down a chase of about 3 inches in diameter. I could use conduit but I would need to make the hole a lot bigger,

What about metal floor trunking?

and plastic is not all that resistant to drilling.

Neither is thin metal capping.

My thought process was that metal capping would give me/someone else a bit of warning (if they use a metal detector that there are wires back there)

They shouldn't need that, they should be alerted to the presence of the cables by them being vertically in line with the accessories they connect to, or by being within 150mm of a corner.

and also provide some resistance to someone drilling with a masonry drill bit.

Not much.

What are your thoughts?

Unless you're going to want to pull them out, or pull new ones through, in the future, just plaster over them.

 

[jonwestuk]

What about metal floor trunking?

It isn't the right shape and would be difficult to pin. Good idea though.

Neither is thin metal capping.

Agreed but it is better than nothing.

They shouldn't need that, they should be alerted to the presence of the cables by them being vertically in line with the accessories they connect to, or by being within 150mm of a corner.

That isn't always practical or possible. The accessory is adjacent to a plug socket and my electrician ran the power cables behind one side of a dual metal flush box so the other side is required to screw the box to the wall. The CoAx + Cat6 also needs to be a minimum of 2 inches away from parallel runs of power cable and as a result it sits just alongside the accessory it belongs to.

There is no legal or regulation that specifies the positioning of Cat6 & CoAx in safe zones, although I always try to do this from a best practice perspective.

Unless you're going to want to pull them out, or pull new ones through, in the future, just plaster over them.

Is this practical? I have 2-3 cables on top of each other (20+ cables within 3 inches) so I thought that this would be a very unstable surface to plaster over?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It isn't the right shape and would be difficult to pin. Good idea though.

You'd have to make the chase wider, but Legrand, for example, do trunking which is only 25mm deep.

There is no legal or regulation that specifies the positioning of Cat6 & CoAx in safe zones, although I always try to do this from a best practice perspective.

Actually the regulations for buried cables do apply, as daft as that seems.

Is this practical? I have 2-3 cables on top of each other (20+ cables within 3 inches) so I thought that this would be a very unstable surface to plaster over?

See your point.

I'm not a plasterer, but my assumption would be that the chase would be filled with a render or scratch coat, well pushed in, and when that goes off it would be solid enough for finishing coats.

Or - again you'd need to make the chase wider, but could you put battens in it, down each side, then fix a strip of plasterboard, (or a strip of sheet metal and then plasterboard ) over it?

 

[seasickstevie]

Actually the regulations for buried cables do apply, as daft as that seems.

Why should that be daft?
Okay it's not carrying low voltage (as we call it ) so not 'dangerous' as such. But still no reason why regulations shouldn't say where cabling of any sort, should & shouldn't go. If only to make the world of DIY / refurb or whatever, a little more of a pleasant experience for all.

...could you put battens in it, down each side, then fix a strip of plasterboard, over it?

Talk about complicating matters. What's wrong with a length of plastic capping.
I've just put up some kitchen wall units and I knew I was getting perilously close to cable drops. Nevertheless I just took it easy, and on at least two holes, felt the bluntish drill bit 'bounce' off the plastic capping, without even penetrating, or probably even scratching the capping. So just moved a bit to the left or the right to get a safe fixing.

It's capping every time for me - you know it makes sense

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Why should that be daft?
Okay it's not carrying low voltage (as we call it ) so not 'dangerous' as such. But still no reason why regulations shouldn't say where cabling of any sort, should & shouldn't go. If only to make the world of DIY / refurb or whatever, a little more of a pleasant experience for all.

I take your point.

But good luck applying RCD protection to network & TV signal cables

Talk about complicating matters. What's wrong with a length of plastic capping.

He doesn't want plastic.

on at least two holes, felt the bluntish drill bit 'bounce' off the plastic capping, without even penetrating, or probably even scratching the capping.

And if it had been a new bit, and a heavy corded drill?

I was drilling holes in an external wall once, from outside to in, and I went straight through a bit of push-fit pipe. Didn't feel a thing, and didn't know I'd done it until water started coming out of the hole.

 

[pinenot]

You're most likely (cheap option) is a cutting of metal decking, form a local construction site perhaps? or phone a scrap metal yard?? ...pinenot

 

[ban-all-sheds]

...could you put battens in it, down each side, then fix a strip of plasterboard, over it?

Talk about complicating matters. What's wrong with a length of plastic capping.

Or dot & dab PB on the whole wall - no worries about lack of stability for plastering, and he could glue a strip of metal a few mm thick to the back of the board in the right place to give him mechanical protection.

 

[jonwestuk]

I think I am just going to put a few small pieces of wood down the middle of the chase and then fix two 1.5inch metal capping pieces to either side of the chase. A few rivets down the two pieces of capping combined with the additional supports in the middle should provide a combination of a stable surface and a reasonable level of warning should anyone drill there in the future.

Thanks for all the advice.

Jon