How can you tell what is behind a wall? Wires and stuff?
Question:I'm in the process of clipping ntl wires to my wall just above the skirting board and I'm worried the little nails might pierce a wire behind the plaster- how will I know if there's anything there to pierce or damage?
Answers:
During construction the electrical contractor should have followed the electrical codes. Those codes take into account the fact that people may drive nails etc. There should be no wiring closer than an inch and a half (minimum) to your wall surface. Use one and a quarter inch nails and you should be fine. Locate and nail to your studs. Even if the wires pass through the stud you will be safe (again, if the work is up to code).
A detector for cables,pipes or wood.That is what you need.
You can buy wire and pipe detectors from most DIY stores. They don't cost much and will come in handy for future use as well.
You can buy a detector that lights up and/or sounds an alarm when it passes over live wiring.
invest in a pipe and nail detector from any good DIY shop , they cost around 15 pounds.
It might b visible or u can feel it.
You can get a little gadget that works like a metal detector. It will tell you if there are any metal objects in the wall and whether these carry an electric current. Maplin sell one:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?modu...
You can do that yes. However in most well built houses the wires and pipes run in the corners of rooms straight down the walls. If the house is on any kind of estate surrounded by houses which look similar...forget what I just said.
you could run a stud finder across the wall.
it should beep any time it detects metal
as a rule of thumb, wires from any socket.etc should either run diagonally,or vertically,so to avoid unnecessary accidents? unless its a Barrett house and they run the wires in any direction. your best bet is to invest in a wire/pipe detector,they are reasonably cheap,compared to the amount of damage you could do. any decent d.i.y shop will sell them.
I'd use a stud finder to locate pipes and studs, but a compass to locate active wires.
Remember: when current travels through a wire it will give off a slight magnetic field around the wire - this field will cause a change in the compass depending on the direction of the current flow. In an AC circuit the compass needle should swing alternating between the North and South poles of the compass.
In this case the current will be slight so the field will be slight - - therefore, the needle will move slightly but it will be a regular swing from N to S perhaps only a few degrees.
Get a very sensitive stud finder. There are some that can detect wires, ducting, etc. Good luck.
i been nailling everywhere in my room...nothng has happen so far.i think they fix it deeper in the wall so that nails will not hit it.
on ya most house hide its wire on the top or the bottom or the conner so u dun have to worry too much
Did you get to Wickes the other day? if so you should have asked this question in store they would have sold you a pipe,stud and wire locator
buy a pipe and wire detector.cheap and easy to use
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