# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  plastering around taps & power points

## Alana

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me! We have just bought our first family home & have pulled out the old kitchen to replace it. The kitchen company have sent out the plumber & electrician to move taps & replace power points however we cannot get the old tiles off & have been told we will have to cut them off and replaster the walls. How do we do this around tap connections & power points. What materials/ tools will we need, how much will it cost, how long will it take & do we need to wait before painting over it?
Thanks.

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## Rod Dyson

Without seeing the job it is very hard to give you real advice Alana. 
Typically when taking tiles off plasterboard you will tear the paper face and patching can be a nightmare.  So replacing the sheet is a good idea. 
Replacing a wall should take only one day and then sanding the joints a day or so later.   
You will need to take off all the cover plates and disconect the wiring, not a hard job but I would recomend an electrician to do that for you if you haven't had experience with wiring.  You will need to remove the taps as well (turn the water off first) and cap them until the plumber can move them to the new location before you re-plaster.   
How big is the wall to be replaced?   
Minimum Plastering tools required are:
Hammer
Tape 
Stanley Knife
4" joint knife.
8" joint knife.
12" joint knife (dont buy plastic)  
These are bare minimum tools. 
Cheers  Rod

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## AndrewPatrol

taps will have to come off ( leave spindles on to block water from pipes - only remove the handle and shroud)  , switch off power and unscrew power points then poke them back into wall cavity ( can remove plaster with them sticking out but risk damage). DO NOT rely on any one fuse switching all one rooms power points, test by plugging in an appliance then pull fuse, try each point. re-plaster walls, install cabinets then retile. Cost - same as the length of "that" string. You have to work out a lot of variables, difficult sight unseen. plastering tools, tiling tools, painting tools and more besides for all the little jobs ( taps, power points etc ) are you sure you shouldnt be getting someone in. Unless you are quite proficient with DIY then it will take more time and frustration than you'd believe. I do this stuff all the time and there is always something that catches you out.

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