Fitting sockets in damp walls

davetheglitz · Feb 23, 2010

Just a quick follow up on this. Did the first fix on the job in Wales last week. Damn cold - the walls were pretty damp - but appeared to be drying now the plaster is off. The wall construction was slate and earth (it may have been mortar once but it didn't stick to anything!) so I chanelled a big cavity, PVA'd and put in a strong quick setting concrete mix. 30 mins setting time quoted - took around a day - possibly due to cold and wet. However all seems to have gone off well - so pretty optimistic.

As an aside I did a job before Christmas - similar construction of wall - but was dry when I sunk the sockets. Since then with rain etc the water table has risen and the plasterboard adhesive I used was about as effective as mud - and the ready mix looked liked whitewash. Customer is now getting everything tanked. If I hadn't asked the question here I could have been in real trouble with the Wales job!!! Thanks for all the good advice!

batty · Feb 23, 2010

Just a quick follow up on this. Did the first fix on the job in Wales last week. Damn cold - the walls were pretty damp - but appeared to be drying now the plaster is off. The wall construction was slate and earth (it may have been mortar once but it didn't stick to anything!) so I chanelled a big cavity, PVA'd and put in a strong quick setting concrete mix. 30 mins setting time quoted - took around a day - possibly due to cold and wet. However all seems to have gone off well - so pretty optimistic.As an aside I did a job before Christmas - similar construction of wall - but was dry when I sunk the sockets. Since then with rain etc the water table has risen and the plasterboard adhesive I used was about as effective as mud - and the ready mix looked liked whitewash. Customer is now getting everything tanked. If I hadn't asked the question here I could have been in real trouble with the Wales job!!! Thanks for all the good advice!

Trouble with damp walls you have to do the best you can.

jl-heating · Feb 24, 2010

i would silicon black bags down the wall then sticky back trunking down to the box silicon round the trunking to seal the back box.

silicon round the back box and silicon round the screws in the back box,

cement the back box in and silicon round the cement.

front the socket front and silicon round it to seal it.

but as you know i am a plumber lol.... if in dought silicon does it .

Apache · Feb 24, 2010

i would silicon black bags down the wall then sticky back trunking down to the box silicon round the trunking to seal the back box.silicon round the back box and silicon round the screws in the back box,

cement the back box in and silicon round the cement.

front the socket front and silicon round it to seal it.

but as you know i am a plumber lol.... if in dought silicon does it .