Need A Screw
 

Hello All

I've Just had my kitchen drylined, the old backboxes were left in situe
recessed into a solid wall. I now need massive screws to fix my new
flush fitting nickel black socket and light switch faceplates to the
backboxes. My Plasterer assured me I could get them when I bought up
the issue with him but so far cannot find any the right length or
colour. I'm looking at approximately 3 - 3.5 inch in length.
Can anyone suggest where I could get these from, or failing that come
up with an alternative solution to fix the faceplate. I cannot change
the old backbox.

Thanks in advance!

Richard

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
wrote:

I've Just had my kitchen drylined, the old backboxes were left in situe
recessed into a solid wall. I now need massive screws to fix my new
flush fitting nickel black socket and light switch faceplates to the
backboxes. My Plasterer assured me I could get them when I bought up
the issue with him but so far cannot find any the right length or
colour. I'm looking at approximately 3 - 3.5 inch in length.
Can anyone suggest where I could get these from, or failing that come
up with an alternative solution to fix the faceplate. I cannot change
the old backbox.


http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical/Accessories/d190/sd2620
Bottom of page.


The longest ones there are 75mm or just under 3", which seem a little too
small. With that amount of depth, could you not mount a new box on top of
the old, screwing through the old into the wall?


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 10:27:53 UTC, wrote:

I've Just had my kitchen drylined, the old backboxes were left in situe
recessed into a solid wall. I now need massive screws to fix my new
flush fitting nickel black socket and light switch faceplates to the
backboxes. My Plasterer assured me I could get them when I bought up
the issue with him but so far cannot find any the right length or
colour. I'm looking at approximately 3 - 3.5 inch in length.
Can anyone suggest where I could get these from, or failing that come
up with an alternative solution to fix the faceplate. I cannot change
the old backbox.

See:

http://www.cpc.co.uk

Part number PL06421. These are 70mm, which seems to be the longest they
do.

Two caveats:

1) a large area of the 'side' of the inside is no longer inside an
enclosure. Not sure what the regs say about this and I've lost my copy
during recent extensive decorating!

2) How old are the back boxes? Really old ones used BA threads...if in
doubt get some 'new' normal screws and see if they fit. If so, the CPC
ones should too.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

Hows that for service!

Cheers Grunff, much appreciated.

Richard

I cannot change the old backbox.

There's no can't about it. It is not acceptable to have such a large gap.
You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface. It isn't that
difficult to do. The gap is so large that the old ones can stay buried
beneath.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:
I cannot change the old backbox.


There's no can't about it. It is not acceptable to have such a large gap.
You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface. It isn't that
difficult to do. The gap is so large that the old ones can stay buried
beneath.

I'm about to leave a small gap, as changing from a painted wall to
a tiled one. So what is an acceptable gap? Less than finger width?

Ben

Christian McArdle wrote:

You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface.

"Must"? Why, for goodness sake? What dire consequences will come to pass
if he just uses long bolts?

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

"Ben Blaukopf" wrote
| Christian McArdle wrote:
| I cannot change the old backbox.
| There's no can't about it. It is not acceptable to have such a
| large gap.
| You must put new backboxes in, closer to the new surface. It
| isn't that
| difficult to do. The gap is so large that the old ones can
| stay buried beneath.
| I'm about to leave a small gap, as changing from a painted wall to
| a tiled one. So what is an acceptable gap? Less than finger width?

The connections must be enclosed in a non-flammable enclosure. A disparity
between box and faceplate filled with plaster/tile should be acceptable, but
a hole (possibly into the dry-lined void) is not.

Owain

Thanks Dave.

How would you suggest fixing the backboxes ontop of the old? I want the
flush fitting ones not the ones with a lip.

Cheers

Richard

In article .com,
wrote:
How would you suggest fixing the backboxes ontop of the old? I want the
flush fitting ones not the ones with a lip.

Drill holes in the back and fix them with normal socket screws to the old,
then make good with one coat plaster etc round the edges which will make
them rock solid. Normal depth steel boxes for most metal sockets are 35mm,
but 47mm ones are available for cookers etc. And cost very little more
from a wholesaler. Or you could pack to the correct height with hardboard,
bits of plasterboard, etc.

--
*Never miss a good chance to shut up.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 20 Dec 2004 08:15:56 -0800, strung together
this:

How would you suggest fixing the backboxes ontop of the old? I want the
flush fitting ones not the ones with a lip.

Extension boxes. They're a flush metal box, with no back. You'll
probably have to go to a wholesaler but they're easy enough to get
hold of.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

In article ,
Lurch wrote:
Extension boxes. They're a flush metal box, with no back. You'll
probably have to go to a wholesaler but they're easy enough to get
hold of.

I've never seen them. Sound useful, though.

--
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Extension boxes are great.

You can get them cheaply from CPC.

I also use them to make very neat data and A/V distribution boards in
my home office.

I use two MDF veneered boards sandwiched together. The top one has
holes cut which take the extension box, while the lower board has
grooves routed in it to act as cable channels. The network outlet
fittings simply screw to the extension box and the finished result is
very smart.

Thanks again all, Extension boxes it is.
Cheers and happy crimbo!

Until my next question

Richard

In article . com,
Roly wrote:
Extension boxes are great.

You can get them cheaply from CPC.

Just done a search on their site and couldn't find them.

--
*One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks Dave.

How would you suggest fixing the backboxes ontop of the old? I want the
flush fitting ones not the ones with a lip.

One problem to watch when attaching switches and sockets onto drylined walls
is if there is not enough support behind the switch/socket (either back box
or just polyfilla/plaster) the drylining/plasterboard is supceptable to
being broken/cracking after a while. I helped dryline a cottage and had the
same problem as you. Some backboxes were put back packed out with offcuts of
plasterboard behind to raise them forward, some where replaced with deeper
backboxes, some with plastic drylinig backboxes but some back boxes where
just left and longer screws used. The ones with the longer screws all
cracked and depressed in the drylining eventually (3-5 years), probably the
plasterboard giving a bit, switch coming loose, somebody tightening screws,
plasterboard gives a bit more, switch coming loose, somebody tightening
screws etc until the switch kind of ends up in a little depression of
cracked plaster/dryling.

In article ,
Ian Middleton wrote:
One problem to watch when attaching switches and sockets onto drylined
walls is if there is not enough support behind the switch/socket
(either back box or just polyfilla/plaster) the drylining/plasterboard
is supceptable to being broken/cracking after a while.

Yes. Because I dislike dryline boxes, I always screw small wood battens to
the insides of the drylining and then fix ordinary metal boxes to this.
This might be difficult with dot and dab, but fine with a stud wall.
Since re-decoration is usually needed anyway, making good the screw holes
isn't much extra work. Just be sure to use brass screws as ordinary ones
will pop the filler after a while.

However, in the OP's case I'd say he'd not have problems if he makes sure
the new boxes are sunk just enough to get a decent amount of grip by the
socket on the board.

--
*Aim Low, Reach Your Goals, Avoid Disappointment *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.