How to fix new sockets in partition walls and lift chipboard floors?

[2Bdecided]

I've completely re-wired a house before (just before part P came in), but that had solid (brick) walls, and floorboards.

I'm now tackling a 1973 terrace. All internal walls upstairs are stud partition walls. Some floors are chipboard.

These are frighteningly noddy questions, but...

1. How do I (efficiently and securely) install new sockets into existing partition walls?

1. How do I take up chipboard floors (one of them running under a partition wall!) to route cables?

2. How do I work with building control to get whatever I do certified / approved?

They'll be other building work carried out by professionals around the same time, so building inspectors will be visiting anyway.

Cheers, David.

P.S. I've just ordered the 17th edition on-site guide (I worked under

15th edition last time). I'm (not) looking forward to the new colours and new RCD/RCBO requirements.

[Owain]

1. Use dry-lining boxes eg Position the sockets over the studs, cut away sufficient stud to allow the box to fit flush
2. Insert noggins as required behind the boxes. It may be easier to put 2 screws discreetly into the back of the noggin from the room next door, then screw on the box from the front.

You use a Trend Routabout to cut holes in the floors and fish the cables through

3. How do I work with building control to get whatever I do

If you have a Building Regs application in for other works, include the wiring on that, and clarify with Building Control that you expect them to do the inspection to comply with Building Regs (including in the application price).

Owain

[Jules Richardson]

Can you get "remodel" boxes your side of the Pond? The ones here can just be placed in a suitable-sized hole cut into the wall, then as the screws are tightened little tabs flip out and grip the wall from the reverse side.

Of course if you have a suitable stud / noggin / whatever that you can secure the box to as well, that helps - but you don't *have* to. It potentially saves a lot of faffing about...

cheers

Jules

[Lobster]

Just for the OP's clarification - these are three alternative methods, not a sequence of instructions (got *me* a bit confused and I've done this job mnay times!)

David

[Owain]

Oh, yes.

I wondered where the confusion arose.

Owain

[ARWadsworth]

Like the dry lining boxes Owain gave a link to:-)

Adam

[Steve Walker]

They invariably go loose & crumbly if used regularly.

[Jules Richardson]

Yeah, I fell into the same trap as Lobster and read the list as a bunch fo suggested steps rather than alternate options :-) (I looked at the link but couldn't see from the image how the box shown fitted and then clamped)

cheers

Jules

[Bob Eager]

That's a dry-lining box...

[Owain]

Squirty foam in the hole before fitting the box.

Owain

[2Bdecided]

Thank you - that saved me from asking a very silly question!

I fear 1 will just fall out (kids yanking cables), so will check how much squirty foam would cost to make it stronger.

If I try the noggin option, do you think no-nails (to adjacent studs as well as opposite wall) would do instead of screws?

Where do people get the really long screws to fix a socket to a (fixed well back) back-box? Sockets never come with ones that length.

Cheers, David.

[2Bdecided]

Thanks for your help Owain.

Is there any trick to getting cables through floorboards under partition walls? i.e. any way other than making one heck of a mess cutting enough plasterboard away to let me drill them?

through

don't have a router already, so this will work out expensive for a couple of floors. Would the router also be useful for putting channels down walls? I have a lot of that to do too.

Cheers, David.

[F]

Screwfix? Quote Nos: 64633, 42091 , 94211 , 65269 for packs of 50(!).

Smaller packs, though probably costing the same, from Focus.

[Appin]

The message

from 2Bdecided contains these words:

nowhere else :-)