Fitting Electrical Sockets to Lath & Plaster Walls Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[jasco]

I would be grateful for advice on fitting electrical sockets to lath and plaster walls.
Our house is over 100 years old and all internal walls are lath and plaster construction. Most electrical sockets are fitted onto the wooden skirting boards, which is OK, but sometimes inconveniently low, and sometimes so close to the carpet that plugging in some appliances can be awkward. I would like to add a number of spur sockets in some areas, and would prefer to fit them above the skirting boards, about 18 to 24 inches above floor level, into the lath and plaster walls; in fact there are a few sockets already so fitted (not by me, but prior to us occupying the house). I would like advice on how best to achieve this, and specifically whether the dry wall socket design is suitable for this purpose.
All advice gratefully received.

[stoneyboy]

jasco,
I have found the dry wall boxes useless in this situation.
Try to find the timber uprights and site metal boxes centrally over them.
end

[rosebery]

1. Very carefully cut away the plaster and the lath.

2. Then get a thin piece of ply larger than the cut on the lath and make a hole in the ply to take a dry liner back box.

3. Carefully put the dry liner box through the lath and plast and slide the ply over the back of the dry liner.

4. Pull out the dry liner tabs and fix socket as usual but take care when tightening down such that the ply is pulled up against the plat and plast. The tabs grip on the ply.

Job done.

Oh and BTW DON'T use an angle grinder to make the cuts. 10 seconds grinding will leave you with a two hour job to clean up the dust!