straw walls

jay b · Sep 10, 2013

Quoted on a job, 2 wall lights & change light switch from 1g into 2g to accommodate, checked wall with detector gave a tap as you do all good just plasterboard stud wall(gave that hollow sound) drop off old switch cable nice and free quick check in loft, all good, cu all circuits RCD protected its a go. Got there today started with a happy face thinking a nice little job then it's a straw wall, all the partition walls are straw aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh

telectrix · Sep 10, 2013

take a milk shake with you tomorrow.

Geordie Spark · Sep 10, 2013

jay b said:
Quoted on a job, 2 wall lights & change light switch from 1g into 2g to accommodate, checked wall with detector gave a tap as you do all good just plasterboard stud wall(gave that hollow sound) drop off old switch cable nice and free quick check in loft, all good, cu all circuits RCD protected its a go. Got there today started with a happy face thinking a nice little job then it's a straw wall, all the partition walls are straw aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh

I feel your pain.

I had the same problem when I was fitting a mixer shower for someone. I though all I had to do was run two 15mm plastic pipes down through a stud wall.

No chucking fance!!

That stuff is the work of the devil.

jay b · Sep 10, 2013

If only it was them kind of straws telectrix the milkshake would have been on me.

It was real pain Geordie sparks I sat there for a minute thinking shall I just walk away!!!! But your name is what brings business in so braved it and spent all day in hell. What do we do next when we quote, do a test hole as well haha

dan86 · Sep 10, 2013

guessing you obviously never saw when you took the switch off!

jay b · Sep 10, 2013

No didnt see it, metal back box screw at back centre as if screwed into block of wood no missing blanks apart from the one cable was running through had grommet in cable nice and free see all looked great

jay b · Sep 10, 2013

No didnt see it, metal back box screw at back centre as if screwed into block of wood no missing blanks apart from the one cable was running through had grommet in cable nice and free see all looked great.

GLENNSPARK · Sep 10, 2013

i dont know what your complaining about.....
theres many that would be grateful for some straw:

follow the crowd....

Des 56 · Sep 10, 2013

My mate was concerned about working with a straw wall
He needn't have worried because I bailed him out

Must say,they look like nice sheep there Glen,now where did I leave my my wellies?

Guitarist · Sep 10, 2013

Geordie Spark said:
I feel your pain.

I had the same problem when I was fitting a mixer shower for someone. I though all I had to do was run two 15mm plastic pipes down through a stud wall.

No chucking fance!!

That stuff is the work of the devil.

Serves you right for using plastic....

billy badger · Sep 10, 2013

Used to come across this material many years ago as an apprentice working on local authority rewires in Lincolnshire. The material was known as 'stramit'. Compressed straw which when disturbed multiplies in volume, absolute nightmare to work with.

Geordie Spark · Sep 11, 2013

Des 56 said:
My mate was concerned about working with a straw wall
He needn't have worried because I bailed him out

Must say,they look like nice sheep there Glen,now where did I leave my my wellies?

You keep you eyes off Glenn's harem.

Geordie Spark · Sep 11, 2013

Guitarist said:
Serves you right for using plastic....

I was going to use copper, but Tidyboiler nicked it.

mark ju · Sep 11, 2013

Good old strammit. Haven't heard of it in years. Only actually had to deal with it once and it was a nightmare. What I remember most is that although the straw us was supposedly treated, if it got damp the bloody stuff would grow!
Did a favour for a friend, can't remember exactly what but on his house, the walls had been put up before the ceilings and the top of the strammit was open in the loft. Add some moisture from a leak up there and there was a bizarre cereal crop growing. Because of no light up there it was white and slimey in appearance. Like a low budget sf film!

Engineer54 · Sep 11, 2013

jay b said:
Quoted on a job, 2 wall lights & change light switch from 1g into 2g to accommodate, checked wall with detector gave a tap as you do all good just plasterboard stud wall(gave that hollow sound) drop off old switch cable nice and free quick check in loft, all good, cu all circuits RCD protected its a go. Got there today started with a happy face thinking a nice little job then it's a straw wall, all the partition walls are straw aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh

Just think yourself lucky it wasn't one of these save the world, Anorak's self build houses, where all the outer walls are actual bails of straw, with lime rendering. ..lol!!