Socket/swtich boxes - Plaster removal.

Sounds like a nightmare... its happen to me a few times.. hopefully your cables are OK and not sliced.

I used a PlasterBoard saw, a light hammer and small chisel...

Shay

My sympathy. S*1t spreaders are a breed apart . I think it is something to do with the dust, ceiling fitters are the same. Anyway, if it is only plaster try a padsaw / dry-walling saw and cut V E R Y gently using the sides of the box as a guide. Then lever the bits out with a screwdriver or such like. (Appologies to any decent plasterers and ceiling fitters)

Do you mean the holes for the backboxes or are the backboxes in and the plaster has gone in to them? Be fair to the plasterers: what are they supposed to do? You can't plaster up to a hole and stop: plaster doesn't work like that. They probably ought to have told you that though, then you could have done something about it like cut blocks of kingspan and stuffed them in the boxes.

Just chip it out with a gash chisel (i.e. a wood chisel you're not too bothered about). Doesn't matter if the edges aren't perfectly square and straight since the sockets and switches will overlap and cover the edges.

Stanley knife works well, buy plenty of new blades.

Unless he had already fitted the switches/sockets in to the boxes before the plasterers arrived ..

On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:52:18 GMT, John Stumbles mused:

No, but a decent plasterer will attempt to square off the plaster at the sockets whilst it is still wet rather than leaving it for someone to come and chisel it al out when it's dried. Some are better than others at not filling boxes in the first place as well.

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in> 150 points? What is this a mansion? How can you have 150 sockets/switches?

Sorry should be 130!

Sid

And that *would* be a nightmare...!

The OP said "I have my Electrician comming in this week for 2nd fixing "

Joe Lee

Why on earth would anyone need 10 blanks?

Ben

Why on earth would anyone need 10 blanks?

Ben

Must be a mansion of some sort (or a factory). I'd love to know the plastering costs for a building that size. Simon.

I'd say the 5 aerial points gives a clue - could be just a three bedroom house with an aerial point in each room. Or even two bedroom if you include the kitchen.

If going for a re-wire you can never have too many sockets - two doubles on every wall is my minimum. Add in a few for where the demand is heavy - kitchen and near Hi-Fi etc and you're at his figure.

Which means exactly what ? !!!!

Which means the electricians are coming to do 2nd fix, ie all the faceplate accessories, following the first fix which is cables and pattresses.

Owain

Tradesman-speak for fitting the appropriate accessory to the service (ie water pipes or electrical cables) which was installed at first-fix stage).

So in the case of an electrician, it means exactly - fitting the switches/sockets to the boxes...!

David

Which takes us right bak to what the Op said

I'm confused as to what the plasterers actually did

The OP should have said "I have had my sockets and switch backboxes filled in with plaster"

The fact that a 2nd fix is due suggests that there are no faceplates on.

Adam

I think if you read between the lines the backing boxes were installed to (near enough) the correct depth from the bricks or whatever before re-plastering, and the plasterer has gone over them so they are no longer visible. Pretty common event. You'd normally put something in them - newspaper or polystyrene etc so you can 'find' them again by tapping the plaster. Then simply cut out the offending skim. In my case I just tapped away with a hammer - but the backing boxes were pretty accurately set in place. It's possible the plaster is quite deep over a box if the wall was well off square.