# Forum Home Renovation Electrical  Adding new powerpoint sockets into double brickwalls

## kev084

Hey everyone I just bought a house its about 70 years old double brick, and i want to add extra powerpoints in pretty much every room in the house, whats the best way in doing this ive seen the wall chaser things or could i try go throught the brick cavity? 
any help would be great 
Cheers 
Kev

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## BRADFORD

The external walls will be cavity brick and should not need to chased
The internal walls most likely will be solid, chasing or surface cabling are about your only options.

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## elkangorito

Do you have a tile roof? If so, I'd run the cables through the cavity. Lifting some tiles gives easy access to the brick cavity if the wall is an exterior wall.
I don't know about your interior walls.

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## GraemeCook

> Hey everyone I just bought a house its about 70 years old double brick, and i want to add extra powerpoints in pretty much every room in the house, whats the best way in doing this ive seen the wall chaser things or could i try go throught the brick cavity? 
> any help would be great 
> Cheers 
> Kev

  
Hi Kev 
My house is 130 years old, heritage listed with cavity brick exterior walls and double brick internal walls.   We have some extra powerpoints installed a couple of years ago on both exterior walls and interior walls.  *Exterior walls*.  Sparky drilled 15mm hole through skirting and bricks into cavity.
He then inserted a bit of bent wire into hole and I dropped a bit of fishing line with small sinker from ceiling space down wall cavity and he hooked wire.
I tied the fishing line to the new electricity wire and he pulled it through the hole, wired in the powerpoint and screwed it into place.  *Interior Walls*:  Removed section of skirting and ran wire behind it and then through wall and up cavity as above.
At each powerpoint location he drilled through interior wall and installed a second powerpoint in the adjacent room. 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## seconds away

> *Interior Walls*: Removed section of skirting and ran wire behind it and then through wall and up cavity as above.
> At each powerpoint location he drilled through interior wall and installed a second powerpoint in the adjacent room.

  Do not do the above, it is really not a good idea to run cables horizontally within the interior of any building (roof space and under buildings are OK). The fact that the cable is hidden means it is easy to forget that it is there (or not even known about by others) thus leading to the risk of being drilled through (attaching a door stop to the skirting as but one example).
At least if the cable is run vertically from the power outlet there's a good chance that anyone who thinks about it would expect there to be a cable behind/inside the wall. 
Be aware that there are many other regulations involved in simply adding power outlets, many of which would require a licenced electrican to view the job before advice could be given... there are alot of variables and it's not practical to quote them all. 
A couple of important things that you should have someone check:
1. given the age of your house, is the existing wiring in good enough condition?
2. if the wiring is good, is the circuit capable of being added to (i.e. is it already at maximum?) 
cheers, Michael

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## GraemeCook

> Do not do the above, it is really not a good idea to run cables horizontally within the interior of any building (roof space and under buildings are OK). The fact that the cable is hidden means it is easy to forget that it is there (or not even known about by others) thus leading to the risk of being drilled through (attaching a door stop to the skirting as but one example).
> At least if the cable is run vertically from the power outlet there's a good chance that anyone who thinks about it would expect there to be a cable behind/inside the wall.

  
It beggars belief that you should suggest that a vertical cable should somehow be inherently safer than a horizontal cable.  The wiring was done by a licensed electrician and I am sure he was cogniscant of the standards and did the load calculations. 
Vertical cabling was not an option in our case.   We did not wish to risk damaging the fairly elaborate 130 year old cornices or to rout into the plaster over the brick walls.  Secondly we did not want to have to deal with the Heritage Commission, National Trust, local council or the busy-body on the corner. 
Horizontal cabling to double power points must be significantly safer than double adapters and extension leads. 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## seconds away

Graeme, sorry for the confusion. I posted my advice for the benefit of the OP, I quoted your suggestion of vertical cabling as something that is generally not reccomended. I wasn't commenting on rules or regulations when I made that comment, nor was I passing judgement on your particular installation. 
cheers, 
Michael

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## kev084

thanks guys for all your feedback!!! i think ill look at putting the extra powerpoints on the exterior walls it seems the better option and easier i think and ill get my sparky mate to connect the cables. 
thanks again guys

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