I know it's a tall order but still I may as well ask...
Is there any clever way of getting a cable through a hidden stud behind plasterboard? I want to feed a lamp from a switch mounted on an internal dry-lined wall but unfortunately there's one piece of timber between the switch and the light.
It's a very low current requirement, 3.5 watts at 240 volts so something like 15mA.
If it's near the ceiling, you can drill through, but other than that...
You need to make a hole in the PB, over the level of the stud, get the cable through, then fill the hole.
Not that I know of. You'll need to remove a small strip of plasterboard, drill the stud and feed the cable through, and then glue the plasterboard back in place, and beautify the edges with a bit of filler.
The strip only needs to be about 1" wide x thickness of stud + an inch or so either side. You can drill through at an angle, or even cut a slot in the stud. May not comply with the latest regs - but it will work!
If it is a stud you are trying to pass cable through then you little option but to cut out a small section of plasterboard across the stud. You can then either notch the stud or drill though it to pass the cable. You then need to cover the cable notch with one of these;
Richard
That's very expensive for a plate that is just 1mm thick. I thought mechanical protection outside a safe-zone needed to be 3mm?
If the cable run is horizontal or vertical from the fitting or switch then it is automatically in the safe-zone and only needs RCD protection.
Depending on how close the fitting is to the stud, there is a chance a wood-bit make the required hole which won't need any tidying up.
The trouble is I'm not sure we have the same/original coloured paint.
You can buy remote switches which don?t require wires and look like normal switches more or less. Try Amazon.
They have a battery in the switch and a module at the light fitting.
You've made my day. :)
It's possible (and I think flying pigs are involved) that you can remove the switch and backbox, and drill diagonally through the stud. Somehow feed a cable through and fish it from the other side.
Or, you can repaint the wall.
The other possibilities are to drill straight through the wall - you haven't said what's the other side. A cupboard would be good!
Or drop a cable down and run it behind a skirting board. Then somehow fish it up to where you want it. That might actually work.
Or repaint the wall. I may have mentioned that?
Yes, it's straight down from the switch so that's OK. Just a piece of wood in the way! :-)
That might be almost possible, the fitting isn't *that* far from the stud and I might get away with a hole at an angle which would be covered by the fitting. It'll be 'fun' guiding the wire to its destination but it should be possible.
Thanks for giving me hope! :-)
That's not the issue, I need to get electricity to the light fitting.
It's actually slightly easier than that, the stud is closer to the destination than to the switch so the switch doesn't need to be removed to get drill access. I can (maybe) drill diagonally from the destination through the stud. We'll see.
No, it's the landing.
Sometimes - but it depends on the circumstances...
If the wall has a loft space above or a floor that can be lifted so that the top rail of the wall is visible, then you can drill down with a spade bit in one or more bit extenders cascaded.
If the switch position is not too far from the stud then, a long bit can go in an angle drill and that poked onto the hole for the switch or behind the light socket. (or if mounting a light on the wall, you can cut out a patch of PB behind it where the making good would be obscured by the light).
Alternatively you can often drill at a slight angle through whatever hole you have and hit the stud that way.
Yes, this last seems as if it might be possible, hopefully!
I'm sitting on the edge of my chair. Popcorn in hand. :)
Do you have the landing paint? :)))
Really, you are making the case for a steerable drill. That exists for drilling shale, but not, alas, for DIY work at home. Without that, you have to see what you can do drilling in a straight line.
I'll report on my success or otherwise!
I doubt it, though the landing is more towards the 'magnolia' sort of thing so might be easier to approximate.
Yes, I used to work for an oil company, they can steer their drills can't they.
Long drill
If its the landing, then you have a loft above the landing ceiling?
Then do what I did, go into loft, drill an access hole in the top wall plate, get a drill extnder bar, (I used 5 x 300 mm extender bars to give me 1.5 m long bar and put the wood bit at the end of that.
Feed that through the hole you've just drilled and then drill the second hoel in teh noggin/dwang.....
Simples :-)
Hang a picture..
right angle drill attachment?
The 12" long spade bit extenders can easily get you a usable 1m long spade bit - and that way you can go into a hole in the PB at a very shallow angle.
+1.
Or remove an entire section of PB, so that it can be put back neatly.
The skim with filler sand flat with orbital or belt and repaint ...
...just been doing that. Wnated CAT5 in the kitchen I am amazed that F&B paint absolutely matches itself even after 19 years
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