Advice on extra plug sockets

[kelloggs13 10]

Morning all,

I'm after some advice on getting additional plug sockets fitted in my house.

i live in a two bedroom council house and the living room has one single socket and a double socket at each side of the fire place.

the big bedroom has one double socket.

so basically I'm wanting to know a rough estimate of cost and whats involved in order to have an extra two extra sockets on opposite walls in both rooms.

someone said the only way to do this without having to have plastic casing across the wall is to go under the floorboards.

Apparently there's a hatch in the kitchen floor and they gain access from this but if that's the case what happens upstairs? do all the floorboards have to be taken up and if so do the electricians do this?

Sounds like its going to be an expensive job, so just wondering how expensive so i can get a rough idea of how much i will need to save!

 

Thanks in advance

[yorkiepudd 10]

Can't give you a price as I'm not a sparky but yes, under the floorboards is the way to go and yes, at least some of the ones in the bedroom will need to come up (how many depends on where you want the sockets in comparison to the direction the joists run).

 

It's mainly a case of extending the ring main (sockets start with cable at the consumer unit and goes to socket to socket and back to the consumer unit)

[Panther Rose 10]

I would advise you to approach the council first as 1. You need permission to make any improvements to the property 2) The council inspector may agree with you and do the electrical work for you. If the council allow you to use your own electrician, they would need to see the completed work as all electricians have to adhere to Part P of the Building Regulations. Hope this has helped you a bit more.

[yorkiepudd 10]

I would advise you to approach the council first as 1. You need permission to make any improvements to the property 2) The council inspector may agree with you and do the electrical work for you. If the council allow you to use your own electrician, they would need to see the completed work as all electricians have to adhere to Part P of the Building Regulations. Hope this has helped you a bit more.

 

Good point - I didn't notice that lol

[kelloggs13 10]

Thanks for replies,

I am going to ask for permission first but to be honest i would rather try and get someone to do it as i know from looking at a friends house the council added extra sockets but its all across the walls covered in plastic casing and it looks a mess.

We have an electric fire and that's the same plastic casing leading to the single socket about 3 inches from the skirting board and its on the slant and looks horrendous, especially as its near the skirting the slant makes it stick out like a sore thumb!

I don't think the council would want the hassle of taking up the floor boards.

[iansheff 89]

Depending which way the boards run and where you want the sockets, you can usually get away with just a couple of boards up.

[big_g 10]

Thanks for replies,

I am going to ask for permission first but to be honest i would rather try and get someone to do it as i know from looking at a friends house the council added extra sockets but its all across the walls covered in plastic casing and it looks a mess.

We have an electric fire and that's the same plastic casing leading to the single socket about 3 inches from the skirting board and its on the slant and looks horrendous, especially as its near the skirting the slant makes it stick out like a sore thumb!

I don't think the council would want the hassle of taking up the floor boards.

 

I wonder whether they (the council) would be OK with you lifting the floorboards so that the cable can be dragged through by them. I would say the reason that they use trunking is because it's such a pain to move furniture and lift carpets to get to floorboards.

 

Likewise in the living room - how much of a gap is it to get under the floor and how far is it from the trapdoor to where the wiring would need extending from/to?

[Reesh2052 10]

I would agree that you need to get permission from the Council and need an approved electrician to carry out the work. The "cowboys" that have recently carried out home "improvements" on our estate (not Council owned properties anymore) put boilers, guttering and new kitchens in. Their handy work that l have observed was shoddy, lengthy and lazy in the quality of finish. Get an electrician with good references too.