Overcoming joists

[sparrrrk]

Hi all,

Hopefully some bright spark can enighten me. Been asked to move a bathroom ceiling light fitting today. Not a difficult job however I can't gain access to ceiling void due to a functional bathroom directly above the bathroom where the work needs doing. Floor tiles are laid which the customer does not want removing.

From where the fitting is now to where it needs to be a joist is in the way. Does anyone know a trick to overcome this from below. Hopefully there's a trick of the trade I haven't come accross yet.

thanks

 

[Plonker 3]

Cut hole in ceiling.
drill hole in joist
feed cables through/extend as required.
patch hole in ceiling.

 

[tomspark93]

Bash hole in ceiling
extend cables with choc block
mount light fitting with plasterboard fixings
leave for plasterer to make good

seriously though no easy way. you may drop on lucky but you might not. Id start by making a hole where the new light fitting is going no bigger than what the fitting would hide. Take down the old light and then you should have a pretty good idea which way the joists and cables runs.

 

[DPG]

Bash hole in ceiling
extend cables with choc block
mount light fitting with plasterboard fixings
leave for plasterer to make good

seriously though no easy way. you may drop on lucky but you might not. Id start by making a hole where the new light fitting is going no bigger than what the fitting would hide. Take down the old light and then you should have a pretty good idea which way the joists and cables runs.

MF connectors surely? Daz

 

[Fox]

MF connectors surely? Daz

A choc block to me is an enclosure that you can put MF connectors in. CEF advertised them years ago after they appeared on TV as below:


Welcome to Chocbox

 

[DPG]

From their description on your link: 'A plastic box to insulate connector blocks'

I would say most people would see your phrase 'chock block' in your earlier post and assume you meant screw terminals though. Daz

 

[GMES]

Something like an Ashley box would do the job.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...3.html&usg=AFQjCNEG_-pylpDaqDCZoKCS48Njm2NrCw

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Mini trunking ?

 

[Pete999]

Talk your customer out of the proposed move, explain the ramifications of trying to drill through a joist you can probably only see one side of, the cost of repairing the ceiling possible damage to cables or pipework on the hidden side of the joist.

 

[telectrix]

find the joist that's in the way. chip out ceiling under joist, 1" hole either side, fish cable, clip to underside of joist, fix 3mm steel plate to protect cable. fill.

 

[Lazlo]

Cut 100mm access holes to ceiling with hole saw to either sides of joists, mark the discs you have against the holes so you can get them back in alignment (plaster is not as even as it looks), look at joists and feel them to make sure there are no cables clipped to it or pipes, then get your long spade bit and drill through joist from access hole, feed cable though, get timber batten about 300mm long, place up into 100mm holes, screw through plasterboard ceiling into batten from either side of the circular hole, then hold disc up against batten and screw into batten bridge across hole. Get your easy fill 45 out and get filling.......

 

[telectrix]

100mm holes??????? do you drive a bus or an artic?

 

[Lazlo]

They are big enough to get the correct angle on the long spade bit any smaller and you risk drilling diagonally through joist putting your cables too close to the floor above (nails etc), plus you risk the plastered plasterboard discs disintegrating if they are any smaller.

You can try smaller holes but you will probably regret it.

I drive a van FYI.....

 

[telectrix]

i see your method and can't fault it. but i go for smaller holed, don't drill joist but go under it with a steel protector under the cable. however, every job is different and methods vary accordingly.

 

[Dave OCD]

You could just drill 1 x 100mm or even 75mm hole directly under the joist then cut a small notch for the cable across the underside then screw the plasterboard circle back either side of the notch and fill round the edge.

 

[uksparks]

Just clip it to the underside of the joist where you have bashed a hole in the ceiling, I do it all the time.

 

[DPG]

Just clip it to the underside of the joist where you have bashed a hole in the ceiling, I do it all the time.

I think I'd have put a smiley after that to show that you were joking. Daz

 

[uksparks]

Lol. I generally cut as small a hole I can get away with either side of the joist to get the cable through, clip it tithe underside. I'll be quite honest I don't put anything over the cable, it's RCD protected and in the ceiling, I don't think putting a bit of steel over it is going to make s great deal of difference, I'm not saying I don't do that, it just depends, each job is slightly different.

 

[Simonslimline]

You could just drill 1 x 100mm or even 75mm hole directly under the joist then cut a small notch for the cable across the underside then screw the plasterboard circle back either side of the notch and fill round the edge.

Pretty much how we do it when needed. Locate joist with a braddle and poke a hole through either side, use multitool and cut a small square out slightly longer than the joist on either side and notch the joist to one side of the square, pull cable through and screw board back and fill.


Edit, refereeing to Davesparks comment regarding Part A, i will certainly be questioning the method described above next time the situation arrises at work.

 

[tomspark93]

From their description on your link: 'A plastic box to insulate connector blocks'

I would say most people would see your phrase 'chock block' in your earlier post and assume you meant screw terminals though. Daz

Your both mistaken, choc block is actually loosely tightend connector strip that creates a high resistant joint which then melts like chocolate:juggle2: