Possibly daft question, but...
I've got a few new sockets to add to the house. Doing the wiring, and even chasing the box into the brickwork takes no time. What takes ages is clearing a channel for the cables down through the plaster behind the skirting. Are there any tricks for doing this quickly and neatly?
G.
I use a 500mm drill bit and stick the drill flush to the wall, any shorter and the angle is not so good. It will also take care of any floorboards which have been butted up too close to the wall.
Yup -- tried that, but with much shorter drill bits. I've just been pleasantly surprised at how cheap really long masonary bits are from Screwfix!
Ta!
G.
How I have always done it is with a long (suitable diameter) masonary drill bit >300mm so you can get a shallow angle from the wall, to avoid damage to the skirting, and drilled down behind the skirting. You may have to drill two holes side by side to get the right widthb channel for the cable. Any 'tidying up' can be done with an old screwdriver etc. and a hammer. Don't know if this suits your situation but always worked for me.
HTH
John
I've previously done this by drilling a line of holes using a masonry bit and then chiselling out the channel with a bolster chisel. I'm sure a more meaty powertool option is available.
Charlie (also in Cambridge!)
A long drill bit. Start drilling into the wall horizontally, then tilt up and go straight down. A long drill bit lets you get a more acute angle, as the body of the drill doesn't interfere so much with the wall.
Christian.
Yup, the SDS bit specially made for the job Screwfix item D15097... assuming you have access to a SDS machine
I have never used a drill bit as other have mentioned. I am sure it will work but I always use an old piece of metal rod with thread (about 10-12mm dia) about 400mm in length, the same stuff you can get from the likes of B+Q. It is just like a thick bolt. The one I use has a slight bend in it to allow you to get a good angle behind the skirting with a lump hammer. Not too much of a bend as you would not get a good strike with the hammer.
Neat. The sockets in question will be going in where there's a floorboard wedged waaaaay under the skirting, though, so this time it'll have to be the long drill technique. I might save up for one of these, though!
G.
Nobody's mentioned that this technique often results in pulling the skirting board away from the wall a bit, and then crud gets into the gap and you can never get the board back flush to the wall again. No easy solution but take care and maybe stick your foot against the board while you're drilling behind it.
I screwed 1in x 1/2in strips to the wall, to which are attached the skirting, effectively padding it out and giving a 1/2in cavity. It's easy to remove the skirting to add more cables. Did this in the living room with speaker and telephone cables. I only did this along the top edge of the skirting and it's secure enough. It also means I can slip any more cable under without removing the skirting.
MJ
I have one of these, and to be honest I've never managed to get it to work satisfactorily... or indeed at all. The problem is that there is nowhere for the waste to go, so it ends up blocking your hole, and you end up pushing the skirting away from the wall slightly.
Of course, I may be using it in entirely the wrong way, so if anyone has any suggestions...
Hwyl!
M.
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