Plastering over a live cable...

kippers

We had an electrician to put in a couple of new plugs and we advised him we were getting a plasterer to skim our room afterwards. We can't now afford this and I am going to wallpaper our room instead. However I need to plaster over the cables now first as they are visible from the skirting to the plug socket (a coupl of inches only ).

They are both in places well hidden by furniture so it doesn't matter if the job I do isn't too perfect.....but can I just plaster straight over the cable?

By the way I am a lady with only a small amount of experience with diy...but I like to have a go.

Any help will be much appreciated thank you

Owain_Moneysaver

Are the cables chased into the plaster or on the surface?

If they're on the surface you can't plaster over them and should use plastic instead.

If they're already chased into the plaster then you can just fill the chase with filler. If it's only a couple of inches a tub of filler from Poundland will probably do the job.

Moisten the plaster with a dilute solution of PVA adhesive in water (1 part PVA 3 of water, approx) and let that soak in. That will help the filler stick to the plaster.

Squidge the filler into the chase and smooth it in with a filling knife eg Screwfix

jeff_chandler

Live cables are better chased into the wall with a piece of conduit covering it. However, if the depth of the plaster is sufficient for the cable to be re-plastered in, then it would be ok. Alternately, a wall mounted trunking should be used for surface mounted cables.

Gloomendoom

If I remember correctly, unless the circuit is RCD protected, the cables would have to be 50mm or more below the surface of the plaster for it to be acceptable to plaster over them without using some form of mechanical protection.

Personally, if they are less than 50mm under I would mechanically protect them even if they are on an RCD protected circuit.

greenface

That seems a little too much for a few wire in a socket above the skirting in an obscure place behind furniture . Is 17th edition a recommendation or requirement for protection ? could just clip to secure or a plastic cap to avoid the trowel scrapes. nothing more IMHO