WILL MY WALLS NEED TO BE CHASED WHEN REWIRING MY HOME?

WILL MY WALLS NEED TO BE CHASED WHEN REWIRING MY HOME?

In most cases the answer is YES, you will need your walls chasing to enable the electricians to run the cables into the sockets and switches. Installing your cables this way is the most common and best practice way of rewiring your property. There are ways to minimise the wall chasing if you are trying to avoid redecorating after the rewiring has been carried out. Generally, there is less chasing involved when rewiring your lighting circuits, this is because in most properties across the Fylde Coast the existing cables are installed in either cable capping or metal conduit which are small round metal tubes designed to run cables in. For your sockets, if you install your sockets at the recommended height of 450mm then there will be a 450mm chase up to the sockets, you can mitigate this chasing if you choose to install your sockets just above skirting board heights, this would be a decision for you the customer to have with your electrician.

OK, so you have chased my walls, then what?

If there are wall chases due to the rewiring process of your property, then some companies such as Fylde Coast rewires offer a complete service where we have a plasterer come into your property and patch the chases up. If you choose this option then around two days after, your walls are ready for either painting or wallpapering. You can choose to patch the chases up yourself if you are on a tighter budget, this will save you a around £250.00, just keep in mind, you may end up with more plaster on you than the walls!
Another option if you would like to avoid the chasing entirely is to run your cables in surface trunking, we would only recommend this if you really did not have the budget to have the walls redecorated. Although this method will save on the chasing, white plastic surface mounted trunking does look unsightly and can gather dirt and dust.
All in all, yes you most probably will need your walls chasing when rewiring your house, although in most cases the chases will be neat and done in areas that are less conspicuous such as corners of the room. We hope this clears up this question.

I NEED MY THREE BEDROOMED SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE REWIRING, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

I NEED MY THREE BEDROOMED SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE REWIRING, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

This is one question that could be answered with, it depends! We will try and answer this question as though we are going to rewire a standard semi-detached house in Bispham near Blackpool. We tend to rewire this type of property within four days, this is with the owner still living in the property, so we are having to replace the carpets and floorboards at the end of each shift and ensure you have no loss of power. The process looks something like the list below.

FIRST DAY (USUALLY A MONDAY)

We would normally start with rewiring the ground floor sockets, earth bond the main gas and water and chase all socket boxes in the walls and second fix the sockets.

SECOND DAY

The second day is a very busy day, during this shift we would aim to rewire the ground floor lights and the upstairs sockets, the ground floor lighting would also be second fixed and reconnected into the old fuse box for the evening, so you maintain lighting.

THIRD DAY

On the third day, one of the team would chase and second fix the upstairs sockets whilst the upstairs lights are rewired and second fixed, again, the lights will be connected into the existing fuse box to maintain the lights.

FORTH DAY

On the fourth and last day, the new consumer unit will be installed in the morning and the kitchen rewired in the afternoon, whilst the kitchen is being rewired we will start the electrical testing for the certificates which are issued on completion. Last thing the property will have a good vacuum throughout and a good tidy up, all rubbish removed from site and all carpets put back in place.

Above is an overview on the timescale to rewire of a typical three bedroomed semi rewire across the Fylde Coast. There are a few variables which could extend the timeframe which we have listed below.

• Spotlights
• Plastering
• Garage power
• Loft conversion
• Solid ground floors
• Limited access to property/rooms during the day.

WHAT WILL MY PLUG SOCKETS LOOK LIKE?

WHAT DO MY PLUG SOCKETS AND SWITCHES LOOK LIKE? WHICH ARE THE BEST SOCKETS AND SWITCHES FOR MY HOME?

There are as you can imagine hundreds of different wiring accessories on the market such as double sockets, switches, pendants, and the like. Here we look at different brands and rate them from our own personal experience after fitting hundreds of different accessories.

1. KNIGHTSBRIDGE ML SERIES

These white plastic wiring accessories By Knightsbridge are pretty much industry standard for electrical installations in the UK if you are on a budget. This range is dependable and are hard wearing. They are a standard design with a square edge however they do have a thinner profile than some other brands such as the BG range of white wiring accessories. Our view, they are standard and dependable SCORE 6-10

• BG 900 SERIES

The BG series are another popular budget range, you will of seen these sockets installed all over the place. This range of wiring accessories are square, chunky and in our view ugly. These will mostly be found in rental properties, budget hotels. They will give you an average performing wiring accessory but will deliver on price if you are working to a strict budget. This range of wiring accessories are available from most small wholesalers all the way up to the likes of Screwfix sourcing a matching replacement socket or switch is easy. With the above points in mind, I we would score these an average SCORE 5-10. Again, our view cheap, dependable but most of all very easy to source.

• SCHNEIDER LISSE

The Schneider Lisse range of wiring accessories are our favourite range of white plastic wiring accessories. They have a very sleek round edged look which gives them a classy feel and kind of mirrors the MK Logic range which are detailed below. They also have some nice touches such as the Schneider brand name in the bottom right-hand corner and have a red decal on the switch rockers. This is the range of accessories we fit as standard on all our installs, we have installed them on a £1m+ mansion in Cheshire and a two bedroomed electrical rewire in Blackpool. Of all the Schneider wiring accessories we have installed we have only ever had 1-2 items turn faulty within the manufacturers warranty period. The price point for these accessories is also at great value, slightly more expensive than the above-mentioned accessories they are cheaper than the MK Logic range but with the same classy sleek look. SCORE 9-10

• MK LOGIC PLUS

The MKL Logic plus used to be THE benchmark wiring accessory, ask any Architect or QS and they will most probably spec this range of wiring accessory. If you look round any Government building such as a school or Council building, then no doubt these belters will be installed. The design features are slick and have a well-made feel about them. They are by far the most expensive range of white plastic wiring accessories we have reviewed here which is something to think about if you are on a budget for your installation. One thing we would point out from an installers point of view is that the connection terminals on the back of the sockets are not straight, this can cause issues with loose cable terminations which may only become apparent on completion of your installation during testing. This can cause significant time loss if you have many sockets or switches on the installation. Plus, points for this range are the sleek design, brand name and the sheer amount of installations within the UK these are installed in, negative points are the price and we feel poor terminals for cable terminations. With all these points in mind we give the MK Logic a SCORE 8-10

CONCLUSION

Taking all the points above and looking at the four different brands, we have reviewed different accessories for your different needs. If you are on a budget but also looking for a less prominent look then we would always opt for the Knightsbridge ML series, however our favourite range of wiring accessories and what we at Fylde Coast rewires would install on all our installations from rewiring a three bedroomed semi-detached to a Cheshire mansion would be the Schneider Lisse wiring accessory range. For us, these are tried and tested, and our past clients have loved the sleek and elegant look about them. Of course, our last point is if you are wiring a school or hospital then no doubt in our mind the MK Logic Plus would be the Architects choice.