Thanks! He was trying to cover the entire outlet.
I need it because the outlets I'm installing are smaller than the old ones.
gtoomey
I dont think it a good idea to patch over an entire live power point.
Having it removed by an electrician first - then covering the hole
sounds safer. Actually that is a bit of a dilemma - as you would then
have to join the wires behind it to each other with a junction box,
single screw connectors etc - and as I recall by law (at least in QLD)
joins can only be in places that are easily accessible - and behind a
closed wall doesn't qualify. You would have to then put a blank
mounting plate over the top of the hole - or mount a junction box on
the wall. (yuck)
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If you want to put in a smaller one to replace a large one (I presume
one of the really old grey colour 50's 60's plate type that are twice
the size of modern ones ?) - you can buy new power points that are on
a large plate that will cover the old fitting and the mounting holes
will line up with.
the old ones so installation is really easy.
If, However for cosmetic reasons you want to cover the whole thing and
start again with a smaller socket, or a fancy type socket. and no
large cover plate, I would simply cut the existing hole out to a
square or rectangular shape, get some scrap plasterboard, cut it to
the exact same size as the hole, and cut another 2 strips about 30mm
wide and larger than one side of the hole. Put contact cement or
such on each strip - and on the back of the edge of the hole, put them
in the hole and over the back so they overlap the hole at the edges..
Put the piece you cut out earlier (same size as the hole) and then put
it in place, contact cementing it to the strips in the wall.. (These
2 strips you put in before will stop it falling through) Plaster over
the thing with the plaster joining compound, to hide the join and sand
/ paint as needed.You can then cut a hole and install your new power point there or
nearby as needed.
All this stuff is readily available at Bunnings - and if they are like
my local Bunnings, they will be more than happy to show you this
process as well as sell exactly what you need ! I have done this
several times before fixing damage, it really is very easy, quick and
cheap to do
. It's also handy to remember if you need access to
pipes or other stuff in the wall - to fix the big holes you had to
make to get in to them
.Also you can check out haymans (or similar) they have got "plaster
mounting brackets" of many kinds for installation of power points etc
in plasterboard walls both before and after construction. The one
that sounds useful for your application would be flat and about 5"
square with a cutout in the centre for mounting of standard power
points, light switches etc. If you are going to do a few of these -
they also have a small "plaster saw" thats really great for cutting
holes out in plasterboard for electrical fittings, general DIY work
etc. Much better than the stanley knife method
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