to Chase or not to Chase that is the question

[Chrishands]

Hi has anybody got any pictures of wall mounted cables on the outside of a house to serve lights.
i wanted to get 3 up/down lighters on the outside of the house, the easiest least distruptive way was to have cable clipped to the outside. however, i wonder if it would be an absolute isoar or would it look ok if it was neatly clipped.

The other option would be to chase the walls inside the house, but its just been decorated so wanted to avoid that

 

[Marvo]

Cables clipped surface are going to look different every time depending on the wall, the cable used and the guy doing the clipping..... why do you want pictures?

 

[Chrishands]

Cables clipped surface are going to look different every time depending on the wall, the cable used and the guy doing the clipping..... why do you want pictures?

To see how other peoples has turned out.

 

[Marvo]

I don't have an immediate reply to that.

Maybe consider galv conduit to make a bit of a feature out of it. If it's done well it would look better than just clipped cable and would also stand more of a chance against external influences.

 

[Guest125]

I don't have an immediate reply to that.

Maybe consider galv conduit to make a bit of a feature out of it. If it's done well it would look better than just clipped cable and would also stand more of a chance against external influences.

Well that was what I was thinking but I tend to find only electricians think that conduit is nice to look at. Lol!

 

[davesparks]

Small up/down lights are rarely designed for surface wiring, and by their nature will illuminate any cables installed above or below them.

 

[Chrishands]

Well that was what I was thinking but I tend to find only electricians think that conduit is nice to look at. Lol!

I think galv conduit sounds like it would look very neat, but i highly doubt that the Girlfriend would agree with that

 

[Marvo]

It's an easy sell, especially compared to cable that's clipped surface. There's a whole arty retro-industrial-chic thing going on and people pay thousands for carp that anyone can knock together in their garden shed.

Sell her some of these while you're at it and botch them together yourself to make some money

 

[Silly Sausage]

Small up/down lights are rarely designed for surface wiring, and by their nature will illuminate any cables installed above or below them.

Horizontally is always an option!

 

[Knobhead]

Put your foot down! You tell her what you're going to do.

Surface run cable looks cr@p unless you go for MICC. Conduit looks good on brickwork or smooth render, awful on anything else. There’s also japanned conduit that can blend in on some walls.

For totally unobtrusive go though the wall from the inside.

It’s your job (GF = unpaid) do what you think will be best.

 

[Knobhead]

It's an easy sell, especially compared to cable that's clipped surface. There's a whole arty retro-industrial-chic thing going on and people pay thousands for carp that anyone can knock together in their garden shed.

Sell her some of these while you're at it and botch them together yourself to make some money

View attachment 27680

Is the conduit holding the door together or is it the other way around?

Other than that bloody awful door I like that, one of your creations Marvo? It would look good on clean new brickwork. Bloody useless for OS lights though, the books will get soggy.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I think it would be ok on the inside of a toilet door.
Give you something to read, or something to wipe with in emergencies.

 

[ruston]

Is the conduit holding the door together or is it the other way around?

Other than that bloody awful door I like that, one of your creations Marvo? It would look good on clean new brickwork. Bloody useless for OS lights though, the books will get soggy.

I like that too.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Is the conduit holding the door together or is it the other way around?

Other than that bloody awful door I like that, one of your creations Marvo? It would look good on clean new brickwork. Bloody useless for OS lights though, the books will get soggy.

If they were Electrical texts, it wouldn't matter though...theres them forums now! :smilielol5:

 

[Knobhead]

Time I got my eyesight tested, it’s steam pipe!

 

[glendeveronltd]

why are you going surface anyway and not running threw attic etc anyway mate?

 

[Tidy Max]

Put your foot down! You tell her what you're going to do.

Surface run cable looks cr@p unless you go for MICC. Conduit looks good on brickwork or smooth render, awful on anything else. There’s also japanned conduit that can blend in on some walls.

For totally unobtrusive go though the wall from the inside.

It’s your job (GF = unpaid) do what you think will be best.

Whats japanned conduit?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Put your foot down! You tell her what you're going to do.

Surface run cable looks cr@p unless you go for MICC. Conduit looks good on brickwork or smooth render, awful on anything else. There’s also japanned conduit that can blend in on some walls.

For totally unobtrusive go though the wall from the inside.

It’s your job (GF = unpaid) do what you think will be best.

Too true. Theres a big posh house in my village, his outside lights are all fed with MICC, and it looks fabulous.

I'd take a picture but I'd have to run 400 yards up his drive first

 

[Andy78]

Whats japanned conduit?

Black finish coat. Usually called black enamel conduit.

 

[Andy78]

It's an easy sell, especially compared to cable that's clipped surface. There's a whole arty retro-industrial-chic thing going on and people pay thousands for carp that anyone can knock together in their garden shed.

Sell her some of these while you're at it and botch them together yourself to make some money

View attachment 27680

My brother had a go at some of this not so long back. He bought all the 1/2 inch pipe tools to fit out shelf supports, towel rails, toilet roll holders etc for a pub toilet refurb. It looked a good job too. He ended up getting them to pay him though and it put him off the idea completely.
A customer of mine has asked me to make him some bespoke conduit wall fittings for his hair salon, but again I feel they won't want to pay much for them.

 

[Adam W]

I would have saved the decorating until after all the 1st fix.

If you've only just had the decorating done, presumably you'll still have some paint or wallpaper left over to do the making good?
Remember if the cabling is chased in from the inside it'll still need to be in safe zones, which could involve backboxes and blank plates.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Whats japanned conduit?

Conduit made in Japan by Japs.