chasing into concrete screed floors - a risk to the neighbour's lights?

[laike]

i live in a 1960s built ex-local authority flat. the floors are concrete with approx 30mm of screed poured on top, brick walls. the existing cabling is all MICC which i'm considering ripping out, not because it doesn't work but because i'm looking to move some walls and chase new central heating pipework into the concrete floors. am pretty certain this is going to nick an MICC cable and the circuit will be screwed. not to mention it's not much more expensive to do a full rewire than to find someone who can repair MICC.

QUESTION:if i'm chasing into the screed to run my new cables, is there a risk that i could cut the neighbour's below me lighting cables? is there a chance their lights are running through my screed? (if not, how did they possibly run their lights to their bedroom as their ceiling / my floor is concrete?)

really frustrating job this, if there are any certified NICEIC sparks reading this who are keen to take it on, get in touch. location: dalston, london.

 

[laike]

so what does that mean with respect to its structural integrity? am i ok to drill through it? what about chasing the underside of the slab, or is that a big no no?

 

[Engineer54]

You should be OK to drill through a poured reinforced slab. Rather you than me, if your thinking of chasing the underside of a concrete slab. Do you have strong arms?? lol!! Fine if your talking about the finish surface cover on the ceiling, but it's generally much thinner depth, than wall render/rough coat plastering...

 

[laike]

what do you recommend? to chase the underside plaster/slab to the depth of the cable, or drill through and chase the cable in plastic conduit into the screed?

and don't say drop a false ceiling!!!

 

[Engineer54]

what do you recommend? to chase the underside plaster/slab to the depth of the cable, or drill through and chase the cable in plastic conduit into the screed?

and don't say drop a false ceiling!!!

To be honest with you, that's the way i would go if it was my property!!

I'll leave your questions here to others, that have more experience of retro re-wiring domestic installations of this type. It might be an idea to check the depth of the ceiling plaster cover, you may well have enough depth to conceal intended wiring/cabling...

 

[somersetsparks]

To be honest with you, that's the way i would go if it was my property!!

I'll leave your questions here to others, that have more experience of retro re-wiring domestic installations of this type. It might be an idea to check the depth of the ceiling plaster cover, you may well have enough depth to conceal intended wiring/cabling...

Most flats that I have seen like this have no plaster at all, just artex onto concrete, I have seen one building which had the ceilings plastered and that was less then 1/8" depth. Why are you so adverse to having a battened ceiling? Could go with mt2 and coving trunking upstairs, looks just like real coving......

 

[Engineer54]

Most flats that I have seen like this have no plaster at all, just artex onto concrete, I have seen one building which had the ceilings plastered and that was less then 1/8" depth. Why are you so adverse to having a battened ceiling? Could go with mt2 and coving trunking upstairs, looks just like real coving......

Well, i'm only going by the fact he has MICC cable as his installation, and that was normally fixed to ceilings and plastered over, can't ever remember seeing that cable being embedded in the poured floor slabs, ...i may be wrong mind!! ...lol!!

 

[laike]

pulled off one of the ceiling mounted pull cords



there appears to be a layer of plaster (?), 10mm deep on the ceiling? i thought it was concrete as it is very hard.

 

[KAS1]

A nicely installed galv conduit or better still a copper conduit system may look very high class IMO if money tight some nice mini trunking lol

- - - Updated - - -

surface may I add

 

[laike]

omg are you trying to wind me up? it's working! :73:

 

[KAS1]

Just a bit of fun, chill out lol

 

[Guest55]

some nice mini trunking lol

lol
everyone loves the "poundstretcher" poverty look !

as to the OP , looking at those photos , you're in for a whole heap of aggro trying to chase the cement render off a concrete ceiling.
did anyone mention lowered ceiling ?
lol ;-)

 

[KAS1]

Festoon lighting always works you can string them where you what lol

 

[Guest55]

Festoon lighting always works you can string them where you what lol

dont take down those xmas fairy lights just yet........

were not helping are we ?
lol

 

[somersetsparks]

Well, i'm only going by the fact he has MICC cable as his installation, and that was normally fixed to ceilings and plastered over, can't ever remember seeing that cable being embedded in the poured floor slabs, ...i may be wrong mind!! ...lol!!

Your dead right, all the flats I have been in have had conduit systems, embedded in pre-cast concrete slabs, not MICC, completely forgot that the OP was even on about MICC lol

 

[laike]

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