we just had a full rewire done on a 1920's property. Electrics been completed and signed off with certificate. Making good on wall chase areas done by plasterer hired by electrician. We have just come to decorating and found that in a few areas the cables haven't been chased deep enough and are covered by a very thin skim of plaster, some actually visible through plaster. Has this been a bodge job? shouldn't the cables be capped off with a metal plate or chased to a deeper level?

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Capping is not a requirement, but the cables should be buried deep enough to be covered by the plaster. You say you are ready for decorating - that doesn't look ready for decorating to me - Is there not a plaster skim going over that wall? Daz
 
Being as the cables are installed vertically above the switch, they are classed as in the zone for cables to run and therefore don't require capping. However that cable should have been chased deeper. While the plasterer was skimming, or bonding he runs the risk of damaging the cable with his trowel.
 
Thanks for the info. Yeah this part has to be patched and re skimmed as some of the plaster failed along the seam with old plaster

Did the plasterer put a PVA / water coat on the wall before plastering? This helps the new plaster stick to the old.

Once the PVA / water mix has been applied to the wall and gone tacky to the touch that's when you apply the plaster. Or so I was taught anyway :)
 
Being as the cables are installed vertically above the switch, they are classed as in the zone for cables to run and therefore don't require capping. However that cable should have been chased deeper. While the plasterer was skimming, or bonding he runs the risk of damaging the cable with his trowel.

If they weren't run in prescribed zones then capping would make no difference at all. Daz
 
well he actually plastered over the wallpaper in a few places so when we have removed the wallpaper its either failed or exposed a seam between them. im going to just re skim over it to take it back to flat again
 
Hope you're taking something off the bill for the dodgy plasterer then if it was the spark who got him in! Daz
 
well he actually plastered over the wallpaper in a few places so when we have removed the wallpaper its either failed or exposed a seam between them. im going to just re skim over it to take it back to flat again
wall paper should have been removed before plastering. should never plaster over paper. a plasterer can have a brain transplant upgrade to a kitchen fitter for £5000. cost recovered on first fitted kitchen ( minus the sparks's charge for repairing drilled cables ).
 
I know, OP was asking is it needed it. If not in a zone it needs to be ran in earthed conduit complying with BS EN 61386-21.

I learned my lesson last time I thought metal capping would be sufficient from @Taylortwocities
irrespective of whether or not cables are mechanically protected as you say, they still must be routed in prescribed zones. just a shame that plumbers, kitchen fitters and builders ain't got a clue about the zones.
 
your cables should be protected by an RCD, capping does little in terms of protection. I prefer to use oval conduit as it allows you to pull out the cable if you need to later on i.e. drilling through it. It looks like the cable was not pinned back when plastering and someone appears to have used an orbital sander on the chase which has probably vibrated loose the plaster/cable. Would suggest carefully working off existing loose plaster and refilling with a good quality filler above the surface of the wall then sand down.
 
thanks for all the advice! so its in a 'prescribed' zone which seems fine then but I still think the electrician should have taken the cables deeper or pinned them down better. because the problem we have is that when the chase has been filled the plasterer has had to come out further than the original wall surface - which can't be common practice can it? I expect the ideal is to keep the wall level otherwise you get lumps in the wall or have to reskim whole wall?!
 
Not a plastering expert myself, but seen lots of good and bad work. Feathering in a chase in a wall, is never going to be perfect, even with a good decorator following on. If there are more than one chase in a wall, better to get the whole lot skimmed.
Always use capping in a chase, for the very reason shown here. But if there's less than 5mm of plaster, it won't be long before it falls off, even with lashings of Febond Blue Grit.
 
lucky if there is 2mm on top of the cables in other areas of the house! I suppose that is depth of a skim but cables should be deeper. going to get onto the sparky and see if he can come and cut them in a bit deeper. Thanks again for all the advice!! very useful!
 
Hi,it appears that your electrician has done a poor job of ensuring the cables are correctly installed.His plasterer has then come along and equalled his endeavours.
Unless B&Q do a VDE sheathing and insulating wallpaper in the style and colour required,i would ask to have it done properly.
Just my view...
 
I'm not being funny but have you considered getting another sparks to come and have a look at the rest of the work? That looks terrible to me, no experienced tradesman would leave that behind him, if that's an example of his chasing in what is the other stuff like? Looks like a bloody rough job to me.
 
I'm not being funny but have you considered getting another sparks to come and have a look at the rest of the work? That looks terrible to me, no experienced tradesman would leave that behind him, if that's an example of his chasing in what is the other stuff like? Looks like a bloody rough job to me.
Yeah we decided to get a different guy in tomorrow to come check the whole job out! There are a couple of things that don't seem right and I've got to make sure it's all safe and isn't just going to drop off the wall!
 
we just had a full rewire done on a 1920's property. Electrics been completed and signed off with certificate. Making good on wall chase areas done by plasterer hired by electrician. We have just come to decorating and found that in a few areas the cables haven't been chased deep enough and are covered by a very thin skim of plaster, some actually visible through plaster. Has this been a bodge job? shouldn't the cables be capped off with a metal plate or chased to a deeper level?

download_20161222_124121 — Postimage.org - https://postimg.org/image/66nq4wbr1/
Have they or would they require a conduit ?
 
Personally I think thats a terrible job. He has cut a chase and not used any capping? I have always been told and taught to use some sort of capping, oval preferred but but plastic flat does the job as well as its put in to protect the cable from plasterers trowel. plastic capping is peanuts and if you have chased the wall I cannot see any reason not to use it. To me that is just bad practice not to use it and from the picture the chase looks wide enough to take the capping.
 
Capping (metal or plastic) only protects cables from the plasterers trowel and is not a form of recognised mechanical protection. As long as the cables are in the correct zone and are RCD protected then they are electrically compliant. Not sure about the reg that mentions workmanship tho.
 
Had another spark in this morning. Had a good look over the work and all seems like an okay job overall, correct cabling, proper labeling etc. But just on this wall and possibly one other he didn't really chase at all and nowhere near deep enough for our liking so we are going to get that changed.
He was registered and recommended by friends but i think in the end it turned into a bigger job than expected and plasterer took a few shortcuts. In hindsight i would have liked it chased deeper with capping but it's our first place so still learning.
 
Capping (metal or plastic) only protects cables from the plasterers trowel and is not a form of recognised mechanical protection. As long as the cables are in the correct zone and are RCD protected then they are electrically compliant. Not sure about the reg that mentions workmanship tho.

Its one of those 'Good or Poor Practise' things dependant on standpoint. :rolleyes:
 
in that case you could chase to the side of the cable and remove the new plaster chase I bit deeper
one coat plaster on, job done . capping is not going to stop a drill or nails.
its their to hold the cable in place and clips.
 
i was taught you could run cables out of zone if mechanically protected with suitable heavy duty metal plate, how else does everyone protect meter tails and oddly placed gas bonds?
 
it depends where the consumer is situated .the meter tails should not be longer then 2 meters
from the meter if you have meter tails from meter external to internal then you should box in.
has for bonding depends how you run it .new build area a nightmare most consumer are put in garages
and depends on the spec.
 
it depends where the consumer is situated .the meter tails should not be longer then 2 meters
from the meter if you have meter tails from meter external to internal then you should box in.
has for bonding depends how you run it .new build area a nightmare most consumer are put in garages
and depends on the spec.
What's the Reg for that or is it a Part Peeeee thingy?
 
i was taught you could run cables out of zone if mechanically protected with suitable heavy duty metal plate, how else does everyone protect meter tails and oddly placed gas bonds?
In our new build the tails run about 8m. The run in the wall where it goes up to the ceiling void is protected by metal capping that is bonded.

As for gas bonds etc, do they need to be in a zone? I know it'll be classed as 'good practice' to do so, but they aren't a live cable so do they strictly need to be installed in a zone?
 

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Just had full rewire done, cables very close to surface or coming through skim
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