Dry wall boxes - before or after plaster ? Opinion

[Electric_Yoda]

Hi guys

Question as title. Just wondered what yr preference is ?

Cheers

E_Y

 

[Lurch]

Before, the lip gets plastered in and the accessory sits flush with the finished wall surface. If you fit it after there is a gap between the accessory and wall. Also, more chance of cracking finished plaster if you do it after.

 

[ianmacd]

Same old problem with plasterer filling the box though.

 

[Lurch]

Same old problem with plasterer filling the box though.

Yep. Plasterers are plasterers though, some will fill everything, some won't. You could use one of the box cover type things, although that's expensive, although it doesn;t take long to knock any excess plaster out and run the tap through the lugs. Private jobs I tend to find the plasterer will be half decent at not filling the box, on sites and larger contracts the plasterers don't seem to give a ****.

 

[a1]

Cover the lugs with a piece of Insullation tape.

Works evey time for me.

 

[Apache]

Cover the lugs with a piece of Insullation tape.Works evey time for me.

And then you can't hear Admin 2 nagging?

:coat

 

[Badger]

And then you can't hear Admin 2 nagging? :coat

ROTFWL :slap

 

[Evans Electric]

I do them after , ( I have no idea why :C )

Given the time and choice though, I prefer to fit a noggin and steel box.

 

[Zeespark]

Only problem with that deke, is that I find that the plasterboard around the edge caves in slightly when using metal boxes.

AndyGuinness

 

[Nicky Tesla]

If you put the box in before it gets plastered you may find iit hard to level the socket up because the flange will be plastered in.

 

[PIP IOM]

+1

 

[Lurch]

If you put the box in before it gets plastered you may find iit hard to level the socket up because the flange will be plastered in.

Why not fit the box level in the first place? Even if it's not perfectly level I've never had one so far out that I can;t level a socket up on it after.

 

[user 6351]

Before, the lip gets plastered in and the accessory sits flush with the finished wall surface. If you fit it after there is a gap between the accessory and wall. Also, more chance of cracking finished plaster if you do it after.

I've always done them after, then got annoyed that the box and the accessory were different shapes and it didn't look as good as it could because the lip of the box overlapped.

So, thanks Lurch, I shall be trying something new from now on!!

On the subject of 'kin plasterers (I don't know one that doesn't slop it around everywhere) - I picked up some plastagards recently... as long as it's you that's doing the 2nd fix so you can recover them, I think that they're great. They give a nice clean finish, no ragged edges, and the plasterer can't block your lugs!

 

[Theorysparky]

i do mine after

current plasterer prefers it and has never come across pre plastered dry liners installed.

 

[ProDave]

If you intend to fit them after plastering, at least go and cut the hole in the PB first. I've seen people try and cut the hole after plastering and the plaster is likely to flake off the PB.

If you intend to fit them before plastering, use a good quality DL box such as appleby. Some of the cheap and nasty ones don't latch in very tight until the accessory is screwed up, and I've seen them where they were lose when plastered, so they never sat flush with the wall nicely.

 

[Lurch]

current plasterer prefers it and has never come across pre plastered dry liners installed.

Quite common really, loads of new builds with dry liners installed before. I've personally fitted hundreds\thousands. Refurbs and private jobs maybe not so much, it would depend on the job and plasterer.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Even if the plasterer fills the dry lining box's a quick tap and the plaster falls out, unlike metal box's where the crap stays in the box and the plaster falls away from the outer edges.

 

[sanders08]

Always after, they cant fill the box with plaster then

 

[kme]

Before, same reason as Lurchio.

I would agree with Prodave too, however; if you don`t want to fit the box; at least cut it out first - same as downlighter holes.

KME

 

[Lurch]

if you don`t want to fit the box; at least cut it out first - same as downlighter holes.

Now I always used to do this, saves raised heart rates at second fix stage, but a couple of plasterers have moaned as the plaster slumps on the edges, more so on the downlighters due to gravity. Partly down to the way the trowel sort of sucks the plaster off on the way over the edge, partly down to the fact that the excess gets pushed in the hole so there's more weight on the edge of the hole whilst wet which pulls the corners down. Makes sense, but then plasterers are generally an odd bunch so **** 'em.