Somewhat OT - patching up electrical outlets

[Gregory Toomey]

On one of the lifestyle programs this week, Scott Cam patched over a disused
electrical outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

What was the gauze material?? It looked likr it had an adhesive backing.

All I could find was:
http://sites.ninemsn.com.au/minisite/property/renorescue/week3.asp

gtoomey

 

[Peter Howard]

"Gregory Toomey" <nospam@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:2pcmc4FijeoqU1@uni-berlin.de...

On one of the lifestyle programs this week, Scott Cam patched over a
disused
electrical outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

What was the gauze material?? It looked likr it had an adhesive backing.

Look here http://www.tenax.net/construction/crack_repair.htm for just one of
a number of brands of self-adhesive fibreglass joint tapes for plasterboard.
Could have been that or similar. Search Google or your local hardware for
more.

I do hope that he was plastering over the HOLE where an outlet was and not
an actual outlet.

PWH

 

[Gregory Toomey]

Peter Howard wrote:

"Gregory Toomey" <nospam@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:2pcmc4FijeoqU1@uni-berlin.de...
On one of the lifestyle programs this week, Scott Cam patched over a
disused
electrical outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

What was the gauze material?? It looked likr it had an adhesive backing.


Look here http://www.tenax.net/construction/crack_repair.htm for just one
of a number of brands of self-adhesive fibreglass joint tapes for
plasterboard. Could have been that or similar. Search Google or your local
hardware for more.

I do hope that he was plastering over the HOLE where an outlet was and not
an actual outlet.

PWH

Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.

I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old ones.

gtoomey

 

[KLR]

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 11:56:41 +1000, Gregory Toomey
<nospam@bigpond.com> wrote:

Peter Howard wrote:


"Gregory Toomey" <nospam@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:2pcmc4FijeoqU1@uni-berlin.de...
On one of the lifestyle programs this week, Scott Cam patched over a
disused
electrical outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

What was the gauze material?? It looked likr it had an adhesive backing.


Look here http://www.tenax.net/construction/crack_repair.htm for just one
of a number of brands of self-adhesive fibreglass joint tapes for
plasterboard. Could have been that or similar. Search Google or your local
hardware for more.

I do hope that he was plastering over the HOLE where an outlet was and not
an actual outlet.

PWH

Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.

I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old ones.

gtoomey

I dont think it a good idea to patch over an entire live power point.
Having it removed by an electrician first - then covering the hole
sounds safer. Actually that is a bit of a dilemma - as you would then
have to join the wires behind it to each other with a junction box,
single screw connectors etc - and as I recall by law (at least in QLD)
joins can only be in places that are easily accessible - and behind a
closed wall doesn't qualify. You would have to then put a blank
mounting plate over the top of the hole - or mount a junction box on
the wall. (yuck)

-----------------------------

If you want to put in a smaller one to replace a large one (I presume
one of the really old grey colour 50's 60's plate type that are twice
the size of modern ones ?) - you can buy new power points that are on
a large plate that will cover the old fitting and the mounting holes
will line up with.
the old ones so installation is really easy.


If, However for cosmetic reasons you want to cover the whole thing and
start again with a smaller socket, or a fancy type socket. and no
large cover plate, I would simply cut the existing hole out to a
square or rectangular shape, get some scrap plasterboard, cut it to
the exact same size as the hole, and cut another 2 strips about 30mm
wide and larger than one side of the hole. Put contact cement or
such on each strip - and on the back of the edge of the hole, put them
in the hole and over the back so they overlap the hole at the edges..
Put the piece you cut out earlier (same size as the hole) and then put
it in place, contact cementing it to the strips in the wall.. (These
2 strips you put in before will stop it falling through) Plaster over
the thing with the plaster joining compound, to hide the join and sand
/ paint as needed.

You can then cut a hole and install your new power point there or

nearby as needed.

All this stuff is readily available at Bunnings - and if they are like
my local Bunnings, they will be more than happy to show you this
process as well as sell exactly what you need ! I have done this
several times before fixing damage, it really is very easy, quick and
cheap to do . It's also handy to remember if you need access to
pipes or other stuff in the wall - to fix the big holes you had to
make to get in to them .

Also you can check out haymans (or similar) they have got "plaster

mounting brackets" of many kinds for installation of power points etc
in plasterboard walls both before and after construction. The one
that sounds useful for your application would be flat and about 5"
square with a cutout in the centre for mounting of standard power
points, light switches etc. If you are going to do a few of these -
they also have a small "plaster saw" thats really great for cutting
holes out in plasterboard for electrical fittings, general DIY work
etc. Much better than the stanley knife method

--------------------------------------

 

[James]

outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and

cornice cement.

PWH

Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.

I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old ones.

gtoomey

Sounds odd to me

What sort of outlets are they? The "normal" GPO's have been the same
size for a pretty long time, since the 1950's? Unless you are
replacing them with the skirting board type or some of those new
office type outlets?

Sounds like a bad idea to cover an outlet anyway, not sure of any
clauses which specifically disallow it but it doesn't seem very
sensible.

What material are the walls made out of? I have seen some of those
epoxy putties used on concrete block walls to patch it up. Will need
to be pretty strong whatever you use - you dont want the outlet to
come off the wall when you unplug something. More usually you see
people use a larger wall plate to cover a hole.

goodluck

cheers

 

[Ken Taylor]

"James" <j.l@octa4.net.au> wrote in message
news:9c685cb8.0408282253.3552f36f@posting.google.com...

outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

PWH

Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.

I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old
ones.

gtoomey

Sounds odd to me

What sort of outlets are they? The "normal" GPO's have been the same
size for a pretty long time, since the 1950's? Unless you are
replacing them with the skirting board type or some of those new
office type outlets?

Sounds like a bad idea to cover an outlet anyway, not sure of any
clauses which specifically disallow it but it doesn't seem very
sensible.

What material are the walls made out of? I have seen some of those
epoxy putties used on concrete block walls to patch it up. Will need
to be pretty strong whatever you use - you dont want the outlet to
come off the wall when you unplug something. More usually you see
people use a larger wall plate to cover a hole.

goodluck

cheers

There are some pretty common older ones here in NZ which are larger than
'normal', but adaptor plates exist and give a tidy appearance.

I've used the fibre tape to cover holes (like Greg's situation, it was to
cover the hole left by a disused power point); that plus Gib-4 worked
wonders.

Ken

 

[Gregory Toomey]

James wrote:

outlet using a gauze like material (like white flyscreen?) and
cornice cement.

PWH

Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.

I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old
ones.

gtoomey

Sounds odd to me

What sort of outlets are they? The "normal" GPO's have been the same
size for a pretty long time, since the 1950's? Unless you are
replacing them with the skirting board type or some of those new
office type outlets?

Sounds like a bad idea to cover an outlet anyway, not sure of any
clauses which specifically disallow it but it doesn't seem very
sensible.

What material are the walls made out of? I have seen some of those
epoxy putties used on concrete block walls to patch it up. Will need
to be pretty strong whatever you use - you dont want the outlet to
come off the wall when you unplug something. More usually you see
people use a larger wall plate to cover a hole.

goodluck

cheers

They are from the 1950s. They are a separate socket and switch (probably
bakelite) and I an replacing them with modern units. The new units are
about 1 cm less wide.

It was Scott Cam on TV who covered over a whole power point, not me.

gtoomey