In message , Kalico
writes
"Stephen Gilkes" wrote in message
...
Hi all

When fitting an electrical socket, should the edge of the mounting box be
flush with the outer surface of the wall?

So for example, if your plasterboard is 10mm thick fixed onto 25mm batten,
should you use 35mm mounting boxes.

Or can you get away with using 25mm mounting boxes?

I would like to fit all my mounting boxes before I fix the plasterboard. I
was hoping that once the plasterboard was fitted I could just drill and
open
up the hole over the mounting box. However, if the mounting box was 35 mm
I
wouldn't be able to fix the plasterboard on (unless I had created the hole
in the plasterboard first - which I don't want to do)

Thanks for your time.

It is not necessary for the edge of the metal box to be perfectly flush with
the surface of the plasterboard/plaster. That said, I would not advise a
massive gap.


What you say about creating the hole in the plasterboard first is what I
have seen most plasterers do, so I am not sure why you don't want to do it
first.
snip

The problem I see with your method of drilling to *open up the hole* after
the board has been mounted is that you could well drill through into the
cable itself.

I've put a couple of metal boxes in plasterboard walls recently. I
tried both the cut the hole first, and the cut it afterwards technique.
I think the latter was probably quicker. Though both work fine.

When cutting the hole afterwards, I mounted the box flush with the rear
side of the PB. . When boarded and skimmed I use a small drywall saw to
cut round the inside of the box. As long as you take care it's easy
enough not to knacker the cable.



--
Chris French, Leeds