Plaster over old TV aerial socket

kingdave82

I have an old, non functioning TV aerial socket about half way up my bedroom wall that I'd like removed, filled in and plastered over, but I have no idea what kind of costs to expect for a job like this.

I've had one quote for £100 which seems excessive when we had a whole room done for £350.

How much is typical for this kind of job?

Thanks

Jonesya

I expect a lot of the cost is the call out element. If it's just the aerial, no mains power, then you could do it yourself for the cost of some filler.

If the aim is to make it less visible, have you considered replacing the aerial socket with a flat plate blanking plate and painting over it, quick, easy, and almost invisible.

Belenus

Can you hang a nice picture over it?

CakeCrusader

Do you have a picture? If possible, I'd just fill it, sand it so it's a flat surface and then paint over it. A tub of ready mixed filler will cost you less than a fiver.

kingdave82

CakeCrusader wrote: »

Do you have a picture? If possible, I'd just fill it, sand it so it's a flat surface and then paint over it. A tub of ready mixed filler will cost you less than a fiver.

It's the DIY bit I'm not so sure on! :laugh: I wouldn't know where to start on how to fill it - e.g. do I need to put something in the whole in its place?

Picture is here. Its a fairly straightforward "TV aerial socket halfway up a wall" job and I'd like it flush with the wall, as if there was never anything there in the first place.

EDIT: Apparently it won't let me post an image or link to one! So, just remove the spaces from the below:

https://images2 . imagebam . com/df/4c/3a/d16ffc1298201284.jpg

Rodders53

Personally I see no need to remove or replace; but undo the two screws, undo TV cable behind, loop it inside the box and replace the socket with a blank plate of your choice https://www.toolstation.com/electrical/switches-sockets/decorative-switches-sockets/c806?type=Blank+Plate are a few examples.

It will probably be visible with most amateur patch plaster repairs and even a pro plasterer's work will require the entire wall redecorating to minimise the visibility.

NB A future occupier of your home may want a TV in that location and see it as a bonus.

kingdave82

Rodders53 wrote: »

Personally I see no need to remove or replace; but undo the two screws, undo TV cable behind, loop it inside the box and replace the socket with a blank plate of your choice https://www.toolstation.com/electrical/switches-sockets/decorative-switches-sockets/c806?type=Blank+Plate are a few examples.

It will probably be visible with most amateur patch plaster repairs and even a pro plasterer's work will require the entire wall redecorating to minimise the visibility.

NB A future occupier of your home may want a TV in that location and see it as a bonus.

I know I can do that, but the only blank plates I can find (including the ones on your link) that are flush with the wall are metallic/chrome ones. If the point is to paint over so that it looks like the socket isn't there, then how will I paint over the metal?

If I just stick a standard blank plate on, I may as well leave the aerial socket in place. It'll protrude out just as much.

So back to my original question, how much to fill the hole and plaster over it to be flush with the wall?

coffeehound

https://images2.!!!!!!!!!!!!!/df/4c/3a/d16ffc1298201284.jpg

nope, it doesn't seem to like that host

Risteard

kingdave82 wrote: »

I know I can do that, but the only blank plates I can find (including the ones on your link) that are flush with the wall are metallic/chrome ones. If the point is to paint over so that it looks like the socket isn't there, then how will I paint over the metal?

If I just stick a standard blank plate on, I may as well leave the aerial socket in place. It'll protrude out just as much.

So back to my original question, how much to fill the hole and plaster over it to be flush with the wall?

No blank plate (even metallic ones) will be flush with the wall. They can't be as they will be larger than the backbox and therefore sit over the wall surface. Certainly some are lower profile than others, but this applies with plastic ones too.

I don't find the £100 surprising in spite of the fact that you say you can get a room done for £350 because, as was pointed out, the cost of going there etc. means that it will always be weighted that way for a small job. Certainly I don't think that you are being ripped off or that it's necessarily bad value for money - you just need to decide whether it's worth that to you or not. But I wouldn't expect to get it done cheaper by another contractor.

markin

Just buy a tub of ready mix filler, do it in about 5 coats, building it up and letting it dry each time, And then sand flat, and paint.

naf123

£100 is cheap if he had to paint the entire wall to match .