Need A Screw

[r.rain]

Hello All

I've Just had my kitchen drylined, the old backboxes were left in situe recessed into a solid wall. I now need massive screws to fix my new flush fitting nickel black socket and light switch faceplates to the backboxes. My Plasterer assured me I could get them when I bought up the issue with him but so far cannot find any the right length or colour. I'm looking at approximately 3 - 3.5 inch in length. Can anyone suggest where I could get these from, or failing that come up with an alternative solution to fix the faceplate. I cannot change the old backbox.

Thanks in advance!

Richard

[Bob Mannix]

The longest ones there are 75mm or just under 3", which seem a little too small. With that amount of depth, could you not mount a new box on top of the old, screwing through the old into the wall?

[Bob Eager]

See:

number PL06421. These are 70mm, which seems to be the longest they do.

Two caveats:

1) a large area of the 'side' of the inside is no longer inside an enclosure. Not sure what the regs say about this and I've lost my copy during recent extensive decorating! 2) How old are the back boxes? Really old ones used BA threads...if in doubt get some 'new' normal screws and see if they fit. If so, the CPC ones should too.

[Grunff]

Bottom of page.

[r.rain]

Hows that for service!

Cheers Grunff, much appreciated.

Richard

[Christian McArdle]

There's no can't about it. It is not acceptable to have such a large gap. You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface. It isn't that difficult to do. The gap is so large that the old ones can stay buried beneath.

Christian.

[Ben Blaukopf]

I'm about to leave a small gap, as changing from a painted wall to a tiled one. So what is an acceptable gap? Less than finger width?

Ben

[Bert Coules]

"Must"? Why, for goodness sake? What dire consequences will come to pass if he just uses long bolts?

Bert

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The snag with this is that sockets etc are enclosed in a flame proof box for a reason. If you need 3.5 inch long screws to pick up the threads on the existing boxes, then there's room to fit new boxes on top of the old.

I've never seem extra long black screws - chrome ones are on sale in the sheds.

[Owain]

"Ben Blaukopf" wrote | Christian McArdle wrote: | >>I cannot change the old backbox. | > There's no can't about it. It is not acceptable to have such a | > large gap. | > You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface. It | > isn't that | > difficult to do. The gap is so large that the old ones can | > stay buried beneath. | I'm about to leave a small gap, as changing from a painted wall to | a tiled one. So what is an acceptable gap? Less than finger width?

The connections must be enclosed in a non-flammable enclosure. A disparity between box and faceplate filled with plaster/tile should be acceptable, but a hole (possibly into the dry-lined void) is not.

Owain

[r.rain]

Thanks Dave.

How would you suggest fixing the backboxes ontop of the old? I want the flush fitting ones not the ones with a lip.

Cheers

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Drill holes in the back and fix them with normal socket screws to the old, then make good with one coat plaster etc round the edges which will make them rock solid. Normal depth steel boxes for most metal sockets are 35mm, but 47mm ones are available for cookers etc. And cost very little more from a wholesaler. Or you could pack to the correct height with hardboard, bits of plasterboard, etc.

[Lurch]

On 20 Dec 2004 08:15:56 -0800, [e-mail] strung together this:

Extension boxes. They're a flush metal box, with no back. You'll probably have to go to a wholesaler but they're easy enough to get hold of.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've never seen them. Sound useful, though.

[Rolyata]

Extension boxes are great.

You can get them cheaply from CPC.

I also use them to make very neat data and A/V distribution boards in my home office.

I use two MDF veneered boards sandwiched together. The top one has holes cut which take the extension box, while the lower board has grooves routed in it to act as cable channels. The network outlet fittings simply screw to the extension box and the finished result is very smart.

[r.rain]

Thanks again all, Extension boxes it is. Cheers and happy crimbo!

Until my next question

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Just done a search on their site and couldn't find them.

[Ian Middleton]

One problem to watch when attaching switches and sockets onto drylined walls is if there is not enough support behind the switch/socket (either back box or just polyfilla/plaster) the drylining/plasterboard is supceptable to being broken/cracking after a while. I helped dryline a cottage and had the same problem as you. Some backboxes were put back packed out with offcuts of plasterboard behind to raise them forward, some where replaced with deeper backboxes, some with plastic drylinig backboxes but some back boxes where just left and longer screws used. The ones with the longer screws all cracked and depressed in the drylining eventually (3-5 years), probably the plasterboard giving a bit, switch coming loose, somebody tightening screws, plasterboard gives a bit more, switch coming loose, somebody tightening screws etc until the switch kind of ends up in a little depression of cracked plaster/dryling.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. Because I dislike dryline boxes, I always screw small wood battens to the insides of the drylining and then fix ordinary metal boxes to this. This might be difficult with dot and dab, but fine with a stud wall. Since re-decoration is usually needed anyway, making good the screw holes isn't much extra work. Just be sure to use brass screws as ordinary ones will pop the filler after a while.

However, in the OP's case I'd say he'd not have problems if he makes sure the new boxes are sunk just enough to get a decent amount of grip by the socket on the board.