dot/dab plasterboarding over bare electric wires-no conduit

[Shaun1904]

Hi all,

can anyone advise me upon the following,

I've just had my kitchen re wired, first fix only. All the walls are going to be dot and dab plaster boarded. The electrician has put all shockers in the desired locations, mostly 13 amp sockets, a couple of light switches and a 30 amp cooker supply. He has screwed the galvanised back boxes to the walls and has run all cabling down from the ceiling vertically into the back boxes. The cabling is cable tied to the walls only. He has not covered anything in galvanised trunking which I expected. He stated that seeing as the walls are being plaster boarded and that these days most trunking is plastic anyway that there wasn't much point in covering the cabling?

Is this correct. can anyone help advise. I have the plasterers starting straight after new year and am quite uneasy with them plaster boarding directly over the cables.

Thanks

Regards Shaun

 

[flyingsparks]

Nothing wrong with that sounds fine.

 

[rjm2k]

some info here.....

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls

afaik as long as it's in the safe zones it doesn't need special protection other than RCD

...you do know what safe zones are?

My brother in law is looking at getting something similar done, he kept going on about how he wants it in metal conduit "in case someone puts a nail into it" - makes me worry what may happen with what he may do in the rest of the house if he doesn't understand safe zones to the level where he will put a nail in random places!

 

[Shaun1904]

Thanks for the responses. Very prompt! I had just never been aware that it was ok to do this. My sparky took me by surprise I guess. You've put my mind at rest!

 

[rjm2k]

One thing to watch out for is to make sure the dot n dab adhesive doesn't get onto the cables since I believe in theory it can "damage" it.

 

[crystal ball]

One thing to watch out for is to make sure the dot n dab adhesive doesn't get onto the cables since I believe in theory it can "damage" it.

Never heard of that problem, and how the heck can you stop the adhesive getting on the cables, use conduit maybe

 

[Taylortwocities]

One thing to watch out for is to make sure the dot n dab adhesive doesn't get onto the cables since I believe in theory it can "damage" it.

Total and complete tosh. Dry wall adhesive is Gypsum-based, the same as plaster.
Where's your evidence for this?

 

[rjm2k]

One thing to watch out for is to make sure the dot n dab adhesive doesn't get onto the cables since I believe in theory it can "damage" it.

Total and complete tosh. Where's your evidence for this?

I stand corrected, was told by a former sparky (former = many many years) but it appears it's more the plasterers trowel it needs protection from rather than the material itself.

Though I have found a reference to IET Guidance...

"GN1 4.7 page 76 materials likely to cause such attack include:
plaster coats containing corrosive salts
lime, cement and plaster "

but I don't have a copy and wonder if the adhesive is different?

 

[RF Lighting]

I would imagine every house built in the last 15 years will be needing rewiring if that's the case...

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Is this correct. can anyone help advise. I have the plasterers starting straight after new year and am quite uneasy with them plaster boarding directly over the cables.

As long as the cables have been installed within the permitted safe zones and the circuits have been designed correctly/safely, then fixing boards via dot'n'dab method, without any additional protection to the cable (I assume twin and earth), this standard procedure and not a problem.