Service voids

[Hopeful]

Hi there, was wondering if anyone had any images of their projects at service void stage? Keen to see how everyone done their framing and what it looked like with all the services in just before plasterboarding. 

[BMcN]

We put sarking board along the bottom for fixing skirtings. Then 25mm vertical straps at 600mm cc. And 25mm strap along the top. 

 

It's easier doing the top or bottom strap after services are in. 

 

 

[ProDave]

Service void before services:

 

 

Note the gap in the vertical battens at 450mm and 1200mm above floor level.  This is to allow socket and light circuits to run horizontally without having to drill the battens to do so.

 

Similar view with some cables in.  That's a bundle of AV cables that I wanted to take the shortest route.  AV cables are not confined to safe zones like other wiring.

 

 

And here are some pipes as well in the service void, hot and cold water for the kitchen sink.

 

[nod]

I like that view out of the back window 

[Hopeful]

Thanks for that lads. I started my framing upstairs, thinking I would just drill down through the bottom rail for the sockets supply, then thought there must be easier ways than this. Very helpful to see that photos, cheers. 

[BMcN]

9 hours ago, Hopeful said:

Thanks for that lads. I started my framing upstairs, thinking I would just drill down through the bottom rail for the sockets supply, then thought there must be easier ways than this. Very helpful to see that photos, cheers. 

Definitely easier to strap around your services.  I had to multi tool a few I'd forgotten and it's a pain trying not to damage the VCL behind. 

[ProDave]

10 hours ago, Hopeful said:

Thanks for that lads. I started my framing upstairs, thinking I would just drill down through the bottom rail for the sockets supply, then thought there must be easier ways than this. Very helpful to see that photos, cheers. 

My philosophy is any wall that has a socket on it anywhere, run the cable horizontally at that socket height, in the safe zone it creates, the entire width of the wall, leaving a bit of slack cable.  Then in the future, if you need to add an extra socket on that wall, just cut the hole in the plasterboard for the back box and fish the waiting cable out.

 

I had a stand up finger wagging argument with a joiner once who was adamant I was not allowed to do that and the cable must go down below the floor, then along, then up to the next socket.

[SteamyTea]

12 hours ago, ProDave said:

My philosophy is any wall that has a socket on it anywhere, run the cable horizontally at that socket height, in the safe zone it creates, the entire width of the wall, leaving a bit of slack cable.

https://www.flameport.com/wiring_regulations/BS7671_selected_subjects/zones_concealed_cables.cs4

 

Basically anything vertically or horizontally from a socket, switch or control/junction box is a danger zone.