1930's flat rewire - Concrete floors & ceiling

[Crabbe]

Hello,

I'm trying to work out the best way to rewire my ground floor 1930s ex council flat, which is proving difficult as I have concrete floors and ceilings. What makes matters worse is the ceilings are covered in Artex which I got tested and do contain asbestos! The current wiring is ancient and is in ugly conduit. I want to remove this and chase back into the walls with new sockets and switches.

My initial thoughts were to run the cabling through either skirting or coving and chase up/down from them to sockets/switches. Then to avoid touching the ceiling, use wall lights instead. I've also got one more problem with the central heating pipes being on the outside, which is making me lean towards coving.

I'm reading a lot of conflicting information about wiring in skirting and coving. Is it ok to do? And if it is, can I use standard skirting/coving instead of ugly plastic, expensive conduit coving/skirting?

Oh and I don't really want a false ceiling due to cost, Asbestos and not really having enough room.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[flameport]

Behind coving at ceiling level is fine. Behind skirting is not.

False ceilings do not have to lower the existing one by very much - 2x1 battens fixed to the ceiling with plasterboard over will be plenty to install cabling behind and would only lower the ceiling by about 40mm.

Chasing into the floor or ceiling is not an option even if it wasn't asbestos.

 

[securespark]

Are you having the Artex removed?

I would be tempted to use the existing conduit for the lighting but to draw through a cpc so you are not relying on the integrity of the conduit for a good earth connection.

You could use the existing conduit for the sockets then if you want extra, cut those in.

 

[Crabbe]

Thanks for the replies.

So if I went with coving, does it have to be a specific material or can I use the standard stuff?

As for removing the Artex, I'm not sure what to do yet. I'm guessing it would be pretty expensive to remove, although there are products like Xtex which seems pretty safe, but I'm obviously reluctant to try this. Plastering or lining paper over it has been suggested to me, but I'm not sure if it's ok to hide it like that?

 

[sparkwright]

A false, lowered ceiling will solve all your problems, if you have the height.

This way you can have as much wiring as you like.

Would be an idea to check first that your existing conduits are constructed in a way that new cables CAN be drawn in.

However, in a 1930s place I would expect bedroom lights to be off-centre, which may not like.

I would also expect the doors to be hung on 'the old-fashioned' side - you may want the doors to be hung so they open against the corner of the room, giving you more space. If so the switches would be on the wrong side.

 

[sparkwright]

A false, lowered ceiling will solve all your problems, if you have the height.

This way you can have as much wiring as you like.

Would be an idea to check first that your existing conduits are constructed in a way that new cables CAN be drawn in.

However, in a 1930s place I would expect bedroom lights to be off-centre, which you may not like.

I would also expect the doors to be hung on 'the old-fashioned' side - you may want the doors to be hung so they open against the corner of the room, giving you more space. If so the switches would be on the wrong side.

 

[Iggifer]

I would also expect the doors to be hung on 'the old-fashioned' side - you may want the doors to be hung so they open against the corner of the room, giving you more space. If so the switches would be on the wrong side.

I much prefer the new style of doors opening, there are very few rooms that it wouldn't be a better option for. If I lived in a house and was doing any amount of work, I'd be looking at swapping the doors around (and probably changing all the frames so they're all the same size).

 

[Crabbe]

You're right about the doors, they do open the old way. Never thought about it!

I've also found out, that I have a supporting wall that divides the house along the hallway. I don't think it can be chased into, so I have another problem on my hands lighting the hallway and will have to move switches.

Looks like I might have to board over at least the hallway ceiling, but is this ok on a concrete ceiling? Structurally and without disturbing asbestos?

 

[JohnW2]

I've also found out, that I have a supporting wall that divides the house along the hallway. I don't think it can be chased into ...

You are allowed to chase into supporting walls as long as the depth of the chase does not exceed the specified limits.

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

You're right about the doors, they do open the old way. Never thought about it!

I've also found out, that I have a supporting wall that divides the house along the hallway. I don't think it can be chased into, so I have another problem on my hands lighting the hallway and will have to move switches.

Looks like I might have to board over at least the hallway ceiling, but is this ok on a concrete ceiling? Structurally and without disturbing asbestos?

Do you mean a suspended ceiling, a few inches lower than the current one?

These are fitted all the time in new purpose built flats, and would solve all your problems - though I imagine some supports would have to be fitted to the current ceiling.

 

[PBC_1966]

Plastering or lining paper over it has been suggested to me, but I'm not sure if it's ok to hide it like that?

If the result will be fine in terms of space and so on, covering it over with minimal disturbance is almost certainly going to be a much better option than removing it.

 

[Crabbe]

Hi,

I just had an electrician tell me there would be no problem grinding a small channel for single drop lights in each room. This would be on condition I removed the artex surrounding the run. He said it would be so shallow it wouldn't impact structurally and he's done it before on many flats like mine.

Does this sound right? Bearing in mind the ceiling is concrete above what seems like quite a thin layer of atrex/plaster?

 

[Echo the husky]

This would be on condition I removed the artex surrounding the run.

He's getting you to do it because of the possibility of the Artex containing asbestos?

 

[deadshort]

This would be on condition I removed the artex surrounding the run.

He's getting you to do it because of the possibility of the Artex containing asbestos?

The OP has aready stated that there is asbestos !

DS

 

[Echo the husky]

Oh goodness my brain isn't working at all today!