electrician been and made a mess

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

I have had an electrician round to do some work in my kitchen. This involved converting single plugs to doubles, fitting a fuse spur, fitting a socket spur, and moving a light switch from one wall to another.

Now he's done the electrical work but in doing so has created huge damage to the surrounding walls where he has channelled and chissled out the walls. Upon questionning, he said that when he was enlarging holes for double plugs that the brickwork behind broke away into the cavity.

Now what is the best way to fill around the plugs and to fill in the channels for a paintable finish? Holes are anything from 1/4" to 3/4" deep and 3 to 5" wide and high. Channels for cable are 1/2" deep and about 1 1/2" wide.

Thanks
Dan

 

[JohnD]

If they are big holes I find sand and cement easy. You can also pack it round sockets (power off first of course!)

It is cheap and does not set hard as quickly as fillers or plaster so you have plenty of time to put it in the holes. Set it back from the surface no more than half an inch. If you dry-brush it before it sets this will rub the surface away for cleaning up. After a couple of days it will be hard and strong and you can plaster or fill the surface smooth with a filling knife for decorating.

If you are just doing little gaps or chases I use plaster. I find it easier than fillers. Just make up a small amount in something like an ice-cream tub and throw it away once it goes stiff. A filling knife wide enough to bridge across the new stuff while pressing on the smooth old plaster at both sides will help you get a flat finish. You can also use a scraper the same way while the plaster is soft to cut away any bulges.

Put on as little filler and plaster as you can.

It is much easier to add a little more later than to scrape off excess when it is hard.

 

[danlightbulb]

Hi, thanks for your advice.

regarding the sand/cement idea, do I remove the plug facia, and fill around the metal box to a level just below the finished surface?

What consistancy of mixture do I need, is it just a mortar mix, or a stiffer mix than that?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

yes

a workable mix that will not drip. You may need to push it into deep gaps with the flat end of a pencil or something. It will also help stop the boxes rattling about.

To help the mortar set before it dries, you can moisten the dry brickwork first with a paintbrush in clean water as long as you have taken the electrical fitting out after cutting the power. You can clean away any fresh mortar from the inside of the box or off the wallpaper with a dry paintbrush before it sets.

 

[diyisfree]

What John suggests is fine but a little tip to save you a bit of time.

If you want to decorate ASAP and not wait for the sand & cement to harden before you apply your filler or plaster top coat then get a small bag of Bonding & a small bag of multifinish from the local DIY store. You can get these tiny bags for small patch jobs.

Use a measuring jug or old cup and roughly measure out 2 cups of bonding and then add 1 cup of multi to the water in your mixing tub.

You can now fill your holes and once it starts to set, you can smooth off to a nice finish with your filling knife or scraper, all ready for decorating once dried

Well thats what i do instead of skimming a full wall to make it ready for paint. Saves the customer money so everyones happy.

 

[danlightbulb]

Sorry, whats bonding?

 

[firegazer]

If you don't fancy mixing then you could try knauf multifill and finish.

 

[diyisfree]

Bonding is the backing plaster. The stuf that makes up about 10mm of the total thicknes of the plaster.

 

[coshhassessor]

Good advice this, since most of the time if you get sparks in to do anything substantial, your house is going to resemble parts of Berlin after the Russians arrived.

M

 

[danlightbulb]

Too true, I know for the future now.

To be honest, I expected the complete job to include backfilling and making good. Looks like I expected too much.

 

[didthathurt]

To be honest, I expected the complete job to include backfilling and making good. Looks like I expected too much.

I always make it very clear to customers what I'll be doing vis-a-vis making good and what I won't at the quote stage - I think you'll find the majority of Pro sparks will make good the damage they create during the house bashing phase. Every now and again I get a job where I have to say to the customer that I'm an electrician and not a plasterer, but that's mainly because I don't think I'll be able to produce a good enough finish at the making good stage relative to the existing surfaces. I know it's probably of little consolation, but I think you've been unlucky in your choice of tradesman in this case.

 

[dingbat]

To be honest, I expected the complete job to include backfilling and making good. Looks like I expected too much.

I never quote for making good and I don't know many sparks who do. The only way to get a proper finish, by the way, is to complete the job in two phases - first and second fix - with a plasterer making good in between. (If you don't do it this way the plasterer is highly likely to just bodge around the socket plates as they sit, not filling in round the back boxes and not producing a flat finish.)

Another concern for you on this job, however, may be that of bridging your wall cavity above the damp-proof course:

when he was enlarging holes for double plugs that the brickwork behind broke away into the cavity.

Keep an eye open for damp patches this winter.

 

[Kes]

when he was enlarging holes for double plugs that the brickwork behind broke away into the cavity.

I'm curious to know whether you have very thin inner skin walls, or the electrician has a very large hammer. I would expect the wall thickness to be around 110 mm.

I'd go for sand and cement to bring the channels and socket-box surrounds flush with the surface, scrape back 2 or 3 mm after a few hours when semi-hard to leave the existing plaster edge, then skim with plaster to finish. You may have to keep damping or wetting the plaster to keep it pliable. With a little care and practice you can make an 'invisible' repair.

Rgds.

 

[coshhassessor]

Quoting Dingbat: "I never quote for making good and I don't know many sparks who do. "

Worth bearing this in mind when some clever beggar tells you it's only (insert costs) to carry out a rewire. So it might be, but the cost of the whole job will include redecorating your entire house from top to bottom!

The plastering's one thing - I have sympathy with the view that making good on plaster isn't a five minute job, and is best done between fixes, but when sparks take up floorboards / weyroc by breaking out with a wrecking bar, then turn up their noses and say "Not my problem, I'm not a chippy!", this seems a bit off. And they do!

M

 

[Dru]

I just had my house rewired in Leeds and the quote included plastering. Did a top notch job too.