Just had full rewire done, cables very close to surface or coming through skim

[rich888]

we just had a full rewire done on a 1920's property. Electrics been completed and signed off with certificate. Making good on wall chase areas done by plasterer hired by electrician. We have just come to decorating and found that in a few areas the cables haven't been chased deep enough and are covered by a very thin skim of plaster, some actually visible through plaster. Has this been a bodge job? shouldn't the cables be capped off with a metal plate or chased to a deeper level?

download_20161222_124121 — Postimage.org - https://postimg.org/image/66nq4wbr1/

 

[DPG]

Capping is not a requirement, but the cables should be buried deep enough to be covered by the plaster. You say you are ready for decorating - that doesn't look ready for decorating to me - Is there not a plaster skim going over that wall? Daz

 

[Taylortwocities]

Sounds like you need more plaster!

 

[rich888]

Thanks for the info. Yeah this part has to be patched and re skimmed as some of the plaster failed along the seam with old plaster

 

[Jamchiv01]

Being as the cables are installed vertically above the switch, they are classed as in the zone for cables to run and therefore don't require capping. However that cable should have been chased deeper. While the plasterer was skimming, or bonding he runs the risk of damaging the cable with his trowel.

 

[Jamchiv01]

Thanks for the info. Yeah this part has to be patched and re skimmed as some of the plaster failed along the seam with old plaster

Did the plasterer put a PVA / water coat on the wall before plastering? This helps the new plaster stick to the old.

Once the PVA / water mix has been applied to the wall and gone tacky to the touch that's when you apply the plaster. Or so I was taught anyway

 

[tony mc]

A better pic would be good but surely thats not a cable going off to the right is it !

I can only see one cable and it looks like a triple sw !

 

[DPG]

Being as the cables are installed vertically above the switch, they are classed as in the zone for cables to run and therefore don't require capping. However that cable should have been chased deeper. While the plasterer was skimming, or bonding he runs the risk of damaging the cable with his trowel.

If they weren't run in prescribed zones then capping would make no difference at all. Daz

 

[rich888]

well he actually plastered over the wallpaper in a few places so when we have removed the wallpaper its either failed or exposed a seam between them. im going to just re skim over it to take it back to flat again

 

[rich888]

all the cables run vertically out of that switch

 

[DPG]

Hope you're taking something off the bill for the dodgy plasterer then if it was the spark who got him in! Daz

 

[rich888]

another image of whole wall

download_20161222_131321 — Postimage.org - https://postimg.org/image/l2x6yddtf/

 

[Octopus]

Will plastering over plaster which is on wall paper stay on? Sounds a bodge job to me

 

[telectrix]

well he actually plastered over the wallpaper in a few places so when we have removed the wallpaper its either failed or exposed a seam between them. im going to just re skim over it to take it back to flat again

wall paper should have been removed before plastering. should never plaster over paper. a plasterer can have a brain transplant upgrade to a kitchen fitter for £5000. cost recovered on first fitted kitchen ( minus the sparks's charge for repairing drilled cables ).

 

[Jamchiv01]

If they weren't run in prescribed zones then capping would make no difference at all. Daz

I know, OP was asking is it needed it. If not in a zone it needs to be ran in earthed conduit complying with BS EN 61386-21.

I learned my lesson last time I thought metal capping would be sufficient from @Taylortwocities