I'm converting my garage to a den. I'm starting by ripping out the stuff that's in there already that I don't want to keep.
There are wires for lights and sockets all over the place.
Luckily, my next door neighbour in a project manager for a national infrastructure project and has kept his electricians certification up to date.
We have found:
An unterminated live cable - bare wires at the end.
Lights and plug sockets run off the same wire.
A plug socket running to an extension-lead hidden behind plasterboard.
An array of halogen spot lights and a heated floor running of an ancient 4 socket extension cable. (I'm ditching the heated floor.)
And the Pièce de résistance - there is a run of totally bare, no insulation whatsoever, of wire that is live running in a partition wall.
Yes we had a full survey.
Luckily my neighbour has spent 3 hours with us today on the promise of a few beers - I think he deserves more and will need to think of something suitable.
He's also promised to check my "first-fix" and make the final connections when completed.
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Its called a "man cave" now, not a den.
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I've bought 4 properties since 2009 and had ro rewire evryone of them. 3 out of the 4 were dangerous.
Surveys are very limited they do not check every single socket or switch or fitting.
When we bought our house in 2015 when we moved to Colchester, Took one look at the fusebox after the survey made us knock down the offer by a good bit,
Once we wre in, Sparky (next door came and checked every socket and fitting) and said oh hell my kids had sleepovers here,
Complete rewire but the worst bit was the live ceiling fittings,, gave him a shock=. and the 4 double sockets on a single spur in the kitchen.
The bungalow we bought 2 years ago to do up for a rental was even worse. The power shower was lethal. Total rewire up to latest standards inc prewire for car charging point. The electrician who came cut all the power and wired in one single power point double socket. £5500 later all good.
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I have converted my last two garages to workshops - woodworking is a hobby. I don't know what you will use yours for but based on my experience I would strongly advise:
- insulation, particularly around metal doors and exposed single skin walls
- heating - or you may find it unpleasant working there for several months a year
- decent lighting
- more sockets than you ever thought you would need
Most domestic electrics degenerate into an expedient and sometimes dangerous mess. I think it happens as each time an additional socket or light is needs, an extenson lead or DIY spur is a fraction of the cost of getting an electrician in to do the job properly.
Last house bought 3 years ago had some major refurbishment (added utility room, new kitchen combined with dining room etc). The consumer unit still had rewirable fuses and was inaccessible 8ft up on the garage wall.
The only part of the total refurbishment that went seriously over budget was the electrical work - the rest was pretty much as expected. If advising an 18 year old on a career choice electrician would be high on the list of well paid and secure trades!!
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Thanks!
>> - insulation, particularly around metal doors and exposed single skin walls
>> - heating - or you may find it unpleasant working there for several months a
>> year
Yes, I am having some trendy upright radiators fitted. Some pipework needs moving and I'll fit them and get a plumber to make the final connections.
The garage is below the house - effectively it's ground floor and is made from Celcon blocks. One has been damaged and it has fiberglass inside the block. It is double skinned, but I am tempted to add more behind the new plasterboard (on one wall) and "faux" brick wall on the other.
I'm also going to add a thick layer of insulation to the floor.
>> - decent lighting
Yes, especially as there is a large I beam and two smaller beams dissecting the ceiling in to 4 pockets so I will need at least 4 lights plus wall lights.
Any ideas as I am keen on a bright working environment.
>> - more sockets than you ever thought you would need
Good point as there will be computers, tools, workbench, TV, beer fridge etc.
Need to avoid this scenario though: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2b-wTJ8x3E
>> If advising an 18 year old on a career choice electrician would be high on the list of well paid
>>and secure trades!!
Totally agree.
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The place I bought a few years ago has a porch built at a later date with a flat roof. The light was a filament bulb in a fitting on the ceiling. I decided to change it f or an LED bulkhead fitting to give more headroom. Found it was wired between switched live and earth! Well it worked, I suppose.
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I once bought a house from a useless DIY’r. Worst find was stripping the kitchen wallpaper to find that a socket used for the kettle was fed by a bit of flex barely chased into the plaster and fed from a ceiling rose. I disconnected it and rewired the house as it was also short on sockets.
Most amusing was a clothes rail in the wardrobe that was too short. Not to be daunted the previous owner had threaded a pyjama cord through the rail and nailed each end to the sides of the wardrobe.
They live among us…..
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I forgot to add that the idiot who owned the house before us added a conservatory to the back of the house. Extra plumbing for 2 radiators fine but 2 dangerous spurs removed.
Footings not deep enough so a slope to the floor. Had the flashing fixed to stop the leak. Been ok for many years now. Floor doesn't bother me but one day I'll get it done.
His father in law was allegedly a builder from that famous firm Bodgit and scarper.
The central heating combi boiler was incorrectly installed too.
Last edited by: ORB>> on Mon 9 Mar 26 at 04:44
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I think surveys are useless for this sort of thing. Last two houses I bought, I unscrewed a couple of sockets/switches from the wall (with the owner's permission) and had a look behind as well as in the consumer unit. In general if something looks neat, it's probably right. If it's a tangled mess, it's DIY. Unless I've done it, in which case it's done properly.
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It is amazing how many people think the can do electrical stuff but have no knowledge whatsoever. It’s the one bit of DIY I won’t attempt.
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>> It is amazing how many people think the can do electrical stuff but have no
>> knowledge whatsoever. It’s the one bit of DIY I won’t attempt.
>>
Usually when someone mentions positive and negative in relation to their mains wiring is the time to run away.
I find it quite soothing. Unlike plumbing, where I usually get wet, never have the right part, and constantly worry about it leaking. At least electricity doesn't leak out of the wires, and if does it trips an RCD.
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>> At least electricity doesn't leak out of
>> the wires,
Bad news bear time. It does.
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<< I once bought a house from a useless DIY'r. >>
Tell me about it. I did that in 1976. He had bought a 6-bedroom detached house which he made into two semis, and we occupied the larger half for 30 years. He 'fitted' a kitchen with cupboards made from tea chests and battens, which were held to the wall by 3-inch nails - the bricks were quite hard and some nails ended up in a Z shape. Some lighting was switched in the neutral side, as I found when replacing a light fitting. I respect the difference between power and lighting circuits and am happy to adapt those (simply) when necessary.
We referred to him as Black Jake, a spoonerised version of his name. His final act was to get a plumber to do a botch job near our party wall, which then leaked into our side. Jake had hastily left the country to avoid the consequences of financial misdemeanours.
Last edited by: Andrew-T on Mon 9 Mar 26 at 10:01
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We used to have a good young sparky who was very reasonably priced and was happy to do small jobs like install or move a new socket or install a ceiling fan etc.
Australia beckoned and we understand that he's having a great time over there.
Last edited by: zippy on Mon 9 Mar 26 at 10:12
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We are lucky, Near neighbour was an excellent plumber but now retired, still does little jobs but no gas. He passed us on to one of the friends he worked with who has now looked after Gas works for 9 years now. Electricity... we have a well regarded local company for that
Roofer was recommended by another neighbour who just did his own house and he was good too.
The importnace of tradespeople you can trust !!!
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The Money Pit - Continues to surprise... - Zero
