Easy and cleanest way to extend single gang to double

[chriselevate]

I've got several socket that I want to extend from single to doubles and in the past I've made quite a mess doing so. I've drilled holes in the wall and the chisled out the soace for the new box and the screwed it to the walk. As I'm I'm a nicer, newer house (70's) than my last house I wondered if anyone has suggestions or techniques for doing the same job?

Any tips or tools that you could recommend for changing single back boxes to double back boxes?

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

The easiest and cleanest is to use one of these
http://www.screwfix.com/p/clipsal-converta-socket-1-gang-to-2-gang-polycarbonate/12849

But they may not look the way you want them to….

Otherwise, your existing method is the only way, although the newer (50 years old) house may have dot & dab plasterboard walls so the filling/replastering effort should be less.

 

[chriselevate]

Thanks. I have some of the converta sockets currently but as you say, I don't like the look of them so want to change to flat, clean MK white sockets.

So the easiest way is to drill and cold chisel out the brick and the screw in the new back box? No easier way?

Thanks.

 

[flameport]

So the easiest way is to drill and cold chisel out the brick and the screw in the new back box? No easier way?

The walls will have to be cut, however buy an SDS drill and a chisel attachment - far easier and quicker.

 

[chriselevate]

And drill it first or simply mark it and SDS chisel it out? What do you suggest? How would you suggest doing it? Thanks.

 

[Patroller]

Personally, I....

- Draw around the backbox onto the wall to give myself a guide (using a spirt level and tape measure to make sure it is the correct height etc - this will be slightly different for you if you are just expanding a current hole)
- With a hammer drill and a regular drill bit, drill around the the line you have drawn to the depth required (I usually put a sticker around the drill bit to the correct depth so you can see how far it has gone into the wall
- Drill plenty of holes within the section you have drilled
- Start to knock around the edges with a hammer and chisel to fully mark out the box
- Bit by bit, knock away the plaster / blockwork / brick to the required depth
- Keep testing your backbox to check the depth is right and if possible, using a tiny spirit level, that it is level
- Mark out a couple of holes through the backbox into the wall and then drill these out and use a rawl plug before screwing the backbox into the wall

Obviously depending on how much slack you have in your current cabling will depend on how much of a conduit you will need to use to run down and behind the skirting. Also bear in mind using a rubber grommet on the backbox to protect your cable.

 

[sparkwright]

Personally, I....

- Draw around the backbox onto the wall to give myself a guide (using a spirt level and tape measure to make sure it is the correct height etc - this will be slightly different for you if you are just expanding a current hole)
- With a hammer drill and a regular drill bit, drill around the the line you have drawn to the depth required (I usually put a sticker around the drill bit to the correct depth so you can see how far it has gone into the wall
- Drill plenty of holes within the section you have drilled
- Start to knock around the edges with a hammer and chisel to fully mark out the box
- Bit by bit, knock away the plaster / blockwork / brick to the required depth
- Keep testing your backbox to check the depth is right and if possible, using a tiny spirit level, that it is level
- Mark out a couple of holes through the backbox into the wall and then drill these out and use a rawl plug before screwing the backbox into the wall

Obviously depending on how much slack you have in your current cabling will depend on how much of a conduit you will need to use to run down and behind the skirting. Also bear in mind using a rubber grommet on the backbox to protect your cable.

Chriselevate, this is a good answer to your question, take note.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I usually put a sticker around the drill bit to the correct depth so you can see how far it has gone into the wall.

Fabulous tip:

Start collecting all the plastic bungs you pull out of wine bottles - they make perfect depth stops. No need to keep an eye on the tape, just cut the stopper to length and push it onto the drill bit. When it hits whatever you are drilling into you'll stop going any deeper.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Should have done 1 reply in order..

Draw around the backbox onto the wall to give myself a guide (using a spirt level and tape measure to make sure it is the correct height etc

The hole will end up bigger than the line. Your idea is fine, but before drilling I'd take a bolster and lightly tap a groove into the wall, just inside the line, to give somewhere for the drill point to settle into.

Chris - if you are really struggling, this is a useful thing:

It's a little galling to use in that you first have to drill and plug 2 holes in the wall which a little while later end up in the debris, but it does guarantee a good result if you're going to stitch drill anyway. And it stops you giving into the temptation to try and use your masonry drill like some kind of router to speed things up - yes, you know who you are.

Other tools you might use are a scutch chisel, or, depending on what the walls are made of, there are various cutting things you can put into an SDS drill which has rotostop - Armeg cutters for example,

(great if you have soft aircrete walls, SFA use on hard brick)

There's another type which has lots of teeth which hammer into the wall, and then there are reciprocating saws, there are probably blades you can get for Fein Multimaster type tools, and there are angle grinders and chasing tools.

But a good rule of thumb to take on board is that the amount of house-filling dust you get is in inverse proportion to the speed with which a power tool does the job. If you want the least mess just have at it with a bolster or scutch chisel and a club hammer.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The best method I find is firstly/secondly after safe isolation is to check the positioning of the incoming cables, as this can be critical to exchanging single to double backboxes. As yo want the knock-outs to match for cable entry, it would also be handy to have the socket you are fitting so you can hopefully position the socket so the conductors are going to fit into the terminals without extending (not always possible but can be a job saver).

Then you can mark on wall your chasing area to sink the box. The existing single back, will need to be chiselled around the perimeter to be able to ease it out. Some of this work will normally have been done to left and right of box, as I normally enlarge the hole/sink either side of box, because usually also allows for matching knock-outs for cables.

The entire hole will need to be a little larger than the new socket box, in most cases either vertically or horizontally (sometimes both) an allowance of 10-20mm maybe needed. As you need to insert cables and lever box in without damaging the cables or disturbing the plaster the cables are bedded in.

The tools you use to make the sink it to wall will be dependent on the fabric you are working on. Clinker and concrete blocks are generally easier to work on then stone. Some walls can be sunken into using hand held tools, other require power tools.
There lots of different types or methods gauging your drill depth if you are going to stitch/pepper-pot the sink. I have a set of drill depth collars to set mine. https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=drill depth collar