Plasterspots

[tomspark93]

I sore this video on Facebook this morning http://youtu.be/wcLB_qpahYQ

I think the idea is good but I won't be buying any. Practically who would wait for the ceiling to be boarded or make a special journey to site so that you can stick these stickers on before plastering? I'll stick to my method of measuring out and making a plan on paper. Also £7 for 25 is in my eyes far too expensive to justify buying them. Might be of interest to someone though. Tom

 

[i=p/u]

As you say , normally away by the time plasteres come to board

 

[rolyberkin]

Looks like a video made by one of the teams on The Apprentice!

 

[Rpa07]

Good to see the guy using all relevant PPE for drilling overhead into plasterboard - high vis so you can see him wandering aimlessly with both eyes full of crud!
Good idea with the spots though!

 

[Paul.M]

So, first fix cable, go back when plaster board is up but before it is skimmed, measure & mark (as per normal) then put one of these sticky spots on the mark you have just done?????

Seems like they have invented a solution to something that is not a problem???

 

[andyb]

If I'm on site after the plasterboards up and before it's plastered, I cut the holes out.
That way if my cable has been moved or trapped between the plasterboard and joists I can sort it out before the ceiling is plastered.

Plasterers don't normally like it though.

 

[telectrix]

who gives a monkey's what plasterers don't like. it's time they had a wake-up call and learnt to consider other trades before splashing their crud everywhere... in your back boxes, in your toolbox, over your clean steps.

 

[telectrix]

seems like a good idea. the problem with drilling the holes before it's skimmed is that plasterers just can't seem to be able to skim without leaving lumps round the holes and half the hole filled with their crud. how hard is it to trim off the excess before it's fully set? even a plumber could do that.

 

[andyb]

seems like a good idea. the problem with drilling the holes before it's skimmed is that plasterers just can't seem to be able to skim without leaving lumps round the holes and half the hole filled with their crud. how hard is it to trim off the excess before it's fully set? even a plumber could do that.

As I say, the plasterers don't like it.

I have one builder I do work for who always takes care of my cables. They're exactly where I leave them and any insulation is cut out ready for my downlights. I'm happy to cut my holes after the plasterer.
All the others I've ever come across do not seem to either care or be able to follow simple instructions or drawings. These sites I like to cut the holes first. Can cause arguments.

 

[telectrix]

a lot of plasterers ability to read and write extends just to the instructions of "add water and mix". this instruction is usually accompanied with a picture for the really thick ones.

 

[grandfortune]

waste of time, just measure and write on paper, also a little tip, take a photo of the measurements after writing them down that way if you loose the paper you have your backup

i must admit i used to like cutting them out before skim but then saw the plasterer skimming and it is a nightmare for them as the plaster drops everywhere when they skim over the hole, makes a right mess tbh. the plasterers i come across tend to clean out the boxes though having explained to them that there is only one yes one reason why we cut our cables and neatly coil them in the box, its for their benefit no one elses.

 

[a-z electrics]

Why not partially drill thru with hole cutter, then leave instructions/ask nicely for plasterer to clean out the groove after he's skimmed? I'm sure he wd appreciate a little cooperation.

 

[grandfortune]

Why not partially drill thru with hole cutter, then leave instructions/ask nicely for plasterer to clean out the groove after he's skimmed? I'm sure he wd appreciate a little cooperation.

Waste of time really as if you do that you have to measure where they are after plaster boarding , why not measure and cut after skim, then just one journey as sparks ain't usually around when they plasterboard

to be honest the dots are trying to solve a problem that isn't there

 

[davesparks]

Why not partially drill thru with hole cutter, then leave instructions/ask nicely for plasterer to clean out the groove after he's skimmed? I'm sure he wd appreciate a little cooperation.

You've never worked on site then I presume?

 

[Paul.M]

waste of time, just measure and write on paper, also a little tip, take a photo of the measurements after writing them down that way if you loose the paper you have your backup

hehehehehehehe,,,,, that is what most of us do BUT on a large house extension from over a year ago (money ran out after first fix, customer can only afford to continue now 14 months later) I've lost the bit of paper, also my phone locked up and all photos lost!!!!! Now need to back track and find 20+ spot lights in one room in a brand new ceiling. It will look like Swiss cheese if I get it wrong :rofl:

to be honest the dots are trying to solve a problem that isn't there

Agree. The only time these would work is if the plaster boarder measures and puts them in place for you because 95% of the time the electrician will not be on the same job.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Refurbs, extensions, newbuilds etc I spray paint a dot on the floor.

 

[Simonslimline]

Waste of time really as if you do that you have to measure where they are after plaster boarding , why not measure and cut after skim, then just one journey as sparks ain't usually around when they plasterboard

to be honest the dots are trying to solve a problem that isn't there

Just another fairly useless product on the market that someone is trying to cash in on i guess. A quick plan of the measurements drawn out and photographed as backup and away you go i say.

 

[telectrix]

child's play.wait till you get one like this.

customer is architect and designed and managed project himself. 320 downlighters, already first fixed, boarded and skimmed, 6" kinkspan on top of board, cables brought through 1" holes. kingspan not cut out, he wondered why first spark had walked off.

" how much to fit my downlights which i have bought"? he asks me.


" 320 lights @ £25 labour each, that's £8000" says me.

wonder why he never got back to me.
"

 

[grandfortune]

Refurbs, extensions, newbuilds etc I spray paint a dot on the floor.

Did that once on a extension , builder self levelled the floor ,lol

luckely plumbers had the boards up upstairs so not to bad to sort, leant my lesson there.

 

[PEG]

I have not encountered the issues,with plasterers,that lots of lads have,as the ones i have worked with,are both good friends,and good craftsmen.

I do know that there are an army of dot/dab/skimmers...who are not much good at even that.

Photographing,engineering drawings,datum marks,floor plumb marks...all work until others work their magic...or the passage of time erases all...

One successful method i witnessed,was "invented",by an old scouse spread,and it seemed to work fine.

The down-light positions were marked with a single 1/4" hole,drilled to the exact spacing,and only just through. The spread then dismantled a couple of kids felt-tip pens,blues and greens,removed the inner refill,and snipped them into little sections,the thickness of the board.

He pushed these into the holes,and that was it. The ceiling was skimmed,with no impediment,and no matter how many coats (2 normally),the colour bled through,to mark 1/4" hole. The refills have a cellophane outer covering,which limited bleeding radially,and were can be bought for tuppence.

Obviously this relies on some co-operation,but if a couple of scouse tradies can figure a plan,the rest of us must be lagging :bobby:

 

[vjsmarwick]

Lol here the joiners take all cables through as the sheet and before any plastering is done we teach them well !!!!

 

[Phil Thompson]

Dunno why they just draw a map in an A5 hard back book. 1 usually lasts around a year if you don't use it for lists as well. Then when it's done just put it under seat of van until all jobs inside it are 2nd fixed.

 

[PEG]

...Like it...a paper record...so to speak:rolleyes2:

I collect books,old and new,and have kept diaries all my life. All my work information,technical or personal,is on paper.

Yeah,a real luddite...(and just proven,by the ignorant spell-check,that hasn't learnt that one...)

I see a real aversion,in folk,to use the written form,and it baffles me. Too much reliance on tech,clouds and transitory storage...

Like i constantly tell my eldest,the Magna Carta isn't on a memory stick!

 

[Phil Thompson]

Aye, was always something I've done, plans of each house tucked into each area too. I did it myself as security in case anything was forgot about. But remember a house on a large site doing 1-2 handovers a week. The house was due for handover and no alarm had been wired for. It wasn't on the plans. The boss comes down to me and says the office said it is on the plans. Assuming because we were all young we'd dump the plans after first fix.
Think they'd gotten away with it before, and as was never the same guys on site then they got away with it.

They hadn't tried it on my watch. As I was there everyday as I lived only 2 miles away, vans would pass my house at 8:45-9:00 lol and I had prior experience on another site where the girl in the office had forgotten to add something on and the guy who was my mentor got the blame for forgetting it.
so anyways, I stood my ground and went and got the plans out of the book, and no alarm specced.

So the boss is as happy as a pig in ****e. Charged extra for the balls up and sticks in a crappy wireless system lol
apparently the owners had added it on later and the sales girl hadn't updated the plans, but sneakily tried to blame us.
It was a site that paid to be careful that way, if the plans showed a doorway a certain way that's what way a pull cord would be wired. At the opening part of the doorway.
But joiners had then come and hung doors the other way and blamed us. So without plans we would have had to move and then fined for cost of joiners and plasterers to repair.

Always be be prepared was how I was shown. And it pays off on occasion. Rest of the time your carrying a heap of pages for nowt lol