wires..........

**steve9999** · 06-08-2008

is it ok to tile over wires that have been chased into the wall (wires for lighting) or will the adhesive (mapei) attack the wires. i went to quote on a job and the customer said the sparky said the wires need covering with trunking or it will be attacked by the adhesive. the problem is the trunking would stick out from the wall and not be flat to tile over . is it ok to just cover wires with a few layers of gaffer tape?

**chrisroe** · 06-08-2008

dont be daft trunking is there to protect the cables and whoever is drilling into them

surely a bit of commonsence and you could answer the question yourself

why didnt the sparkey do it and if they will stick out then they need chased into the wall correctly

**Spirit** · 06-08-2008

The primary use for trunking in electrics is to protect the cable from the plasterers trowel. The outer covering of the cable is PVC and is impervious to cement based renders and adhesives. It is therefore perfectly OK to tile over the cables. There is no requirement in BS7671 (Electrical Regulations) to enclose cable in a conduit as long as it is protected by a 30mA RCD or is greater than 50mm from the surface.

**Derry** · 06-08-2008

hmmm yes and no!

I studied electrics for 2 years at college and what the 2 guys above are saying is both right.

You can tile over them and i'm sure that the adhesive will not corrode the cables/wires at all. However, it is potentially your reputation at risk.

If someone was to drill into the wall (be it now or in 5 years time) then it will cause damage and cause possible injury so using common sense is required.

Personally I would be asking why a sparky says it needs covering up but didnt do the job himself?!
If you feel confident then i would trunk it in, you can get slim plastic trunking so it can still be flush without hacking out tunnels of wall.

If at all unsure, get a qualified electrician to have a look. better to be safe than sorry!

Patrick

**Spirit** · 06-08-2008

If someone drills through a tile, I can't see a bit of plastic trunking stopping the bit.

Ps. I am City & Guilds part 2 qualified electrician and employ 2 'C' Certificate sparkies. They both agree with my statement above.

**Dan** · 06-08-2008

I think he just needs a yay or nay on the tape thing.

And I'd say, chase the cable in a bit more, stick some trunking over it (though I'd get the sparky back to finish his work personally) and then tile it as expected. No wires in the way.

**Spirit** · 06-08-2008

No need to tape over the cable, perfectly acceptable, from an electrical point of view to tile straight over.

**steve9999** · 06-08-2008

thanks lads. i was just worried about the adhesive attacking the wires like the sparky said. but i thought that it would be ok as you said.

CJ · 06-08-2008

Sounds like a right lazy git of a sparkie to me

**Dan** · 06-08-2008

Perhaps it's the done thing though hey? I'm not a sparky, or a tiler for that matter - what am I doing here even?!?!?! ahhhhhhh I'm on the wrong website again!!!!!

**Spirit** · 06-08-2008

I wouldn't do it myself and wouldn't employ a sparky with that attitude, but as this is a tiling site, we have to look at it from a tiling point of view, not an electrical one.

It is safe and legal to tile over that wire, which is the only thing that should concern Steve.

**chrisroe** · 06-08-2008

from a proffessional point of view

put trunking over it
no question of whether you can "get away with it according to the regs " which i dont disbute as im not a sparkey

**Daz** · 06-08-2008

Personally, I would want to have some trunking there as a minor point of protection for the cables. I would also skim some bonding across to give a smoother and solid substrate to to tile to.

**whitebeam** · 06-08-2008

All trunking should be put in for dry linning so why tiling is any different, Under the curcumstancs just wipe some bonding in and leave to dry, Then charge the electrician. PS If your,ve ever seen a plasterer with a 6mm notched trowel which was once his best finishing trowel, Horrible

**365drills** · 06-08-2008

First fix installed with trunking to cover the wire by the sparky.

Holes drilled into tile. Cable pulled through by the tiler.

Hole plugged with silicone to prevent water ingress by the tiler.

But as mentioned in many posts above trunking is only plastic so theres nothing to stop anyone drilling through it.

Same thing in this case... When the second fix is done (this is going to be a shaver socket) then the four mounting holes will be drilled for the box.

Who's to say the installer wont drill the cable behind the tile? - Chances are he knows the sparky ran the cable up the wall so drills either side of the wire / hole.

But then you cant always tell...