Chasing a cable up a "dot and dab" wall

[keiron99]

I'm planning on installing an LCD TV in our back kitchen (does anyone have a front kitchen?). I will be hanging it on a bracket fastened to the wall about 6 foot up.

The kitchen is a new build extension, and the walls are blocks with plaster board fixed by "dot and dab". I guess therefore there is a slight cavity between the plasterboard and blocks. What I want to do is run the cabling to the TV up that cavity, to keep the job neat and tidy. Is there any way I could do that? Or might I just be better to chisel out a channel in the board and fill it?

[Ian Stirling]

There may or may not be a usable cavity. I'd say probably not, as it's dotted and dabbed on, and then pressed to squidge the adhesive out. Say 1-2mm of cavity?

You're almost certainly unless you're very lucky, going to need to chase the plasterboard (and probably some blocks). Even if there seems to be a cavity tha tthe cable will slip through, chances are it'll hit some obstruction on the way down.

[Staffbull]

If it's been done like I did it yesterday you'd be buggered, dots everywhere !!! :-)

[keiron99]

I was thinking the dabs would present more of a problem than the dots :)

[Grunff]

That would be mighty strange plasterboard adhesive. Typical dabs tend to squish to a thickness of 10-12mm.

[Ian Stirling]

I could claim to have a problem with my '1' key, but... :)

Oh well. The obstructions may be a problem still.

[David Hansen]

On 26 Oct 2006 02:19:41 -0700 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

Yes.

If you are very lucky and have the patience to try things like dropping a weighted line down from the outlet to the floor.

[keiron99]

I guess I could drill a test hole. So if there *is* a cavity of that depth, is there a chance I could run a cable up, avoiding the dabs (and dots)? Is there a technique for doing this?

[Grunff]

It really depends on how it was dabbed on - you get a whole range, from small, discrete dabs, to whole networks of interconnected adhesive.

If it was me, I'd just mark out the channel I want, take a bolster chisel and hammer, and go at it. It'll take less time to make the channel than it's taken to discuss it so far :-)

[manatbandq]

Lots of people, but what relevance is it unless you have more than one?

MBQ

[TheScullster]

wrote

What I want to do

I've done exactly what you propose. You may have to adjust the cable drop position to suit where the dabs aren't. My method needed a large(ish) hole half way up the wall and use a draw wire to pull the cable down. Knock the wall to see if you have a hollow path first of course!

Phil

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yup. We do.

Frankly chisel is easier.. you can someteimes get a series of holes and use coathangers to pull wires from one to the next. But a serrated kitchen knife makes short work of cutting a channel, then tuck the wire behind and use plaster and a bit of sandpaper and a dab of paint to restore everything.

[keiron99]

Though I bet noone ever talks about their "front kitchen"! Maybe this "back kitchen" term is a Scouse thing...! In fact the "front room" in our house is at the back...

You are right of course. I'll do it in the night though...'er indoors will have kittens if she sees me hacking at her new back kitchen wall!

[adder1969]

Do *you* have a front kitchen?

[keiron99]

No, but we did consider it briefly when planning our new extension. Maybe I'm old fashioned: much to my children's annoyance, I listen to the "wireless" (it's a DAB) and drive a "motor" car. I think I got it from my math's teacher - he would call our calculators "adding machines".

[Ian_m]

Two handy things I have used for pulling wires behind dot and dab plaster a length of net curtain wire and and old metal tape measure with the end flattened (tape measure is useful as you can measure to any blockage). Usually by wiggling one or the other I have managed to get a succesful pass down the wall. The curtain wire can also be pushed into the cavity as a loop to catch the passing tape measure if its gone off track in passing your exit hole.

If you get stuck due to a massive dot use a pipe detector to locate the end of the wire/tape, cut into wall, cut through the dot/dab and continue down/along. Only a small whole to patch then.

[marvelus]

My back door is at the front along with the kitchen.

[mmzz]

You will usually get a usable space between the board and wall A straightened out wire coathanger is helpful as is the cover to a two metre length of plastic trunking. And a bit of patience helps to

[mmzz]

You will usually get a usable space between the board and wall A straightened out wire coathanger is helpful as is the cover to a two metre length of plastic trunking. And a bit of patience helps to

[mmzz]

You will usually get a usable space between the board and wall A straightened out wire coathanger is helpful as is the cover to a two metre length of plastic trunking. And a bit of patience helps to