Installing an outlet box in concrete block walls can be challenging, but the easiest way to provide electricity is to surface mount all conduit using pressure treated materials. For older homes with brick interior walls, electrical outlets may lay on the floor and have brick interior walls. To install an outlet box, follow these steps:
Shut off power, remove the wall plate, loosen the top and bottom outlet screws, slip a spacer behind the outlet screws, tighten the outlet screws down onto the spacer, and replace the wall plate.
Place electrical boxes on the interior of the concrete wall form with the opening flush to the face of the concrete form. Nail the boxes into position.
Retrofit electrical boxes are installed after drywall has been put in place, allowing you to retrofit an existing wall. However, there is no effective way to fill voids in an existing concrete-block wall. The only option is to cover the inside of the exterior walls with a continuous layer of insulation.
Before cutting into walls or running wires, plan your outlet locations carefully. Measure and mark locations for new outlets to ensure they’re evenly spaced. Check for obstructions in walls using an insulation rod or drill 1/4-in holes without a hammer drill. If able to use a Tapcon to secure the box, do so.
Cut the blocks and run conduit into the block while building it. PVC conduit is acceptable, but EMT is preferred as it can get premade bends if you don’t want to invest in a conduit bender.
Position the Handy Box and find appropriate fasteners. Prep the Handy Box by removing knockouts, installing a ground wire, and attaching an appropriate hole. Use a small angle grinder with a cement cutting wheel to make the hole, wear a dust mask, and drill a hole through the concrete wall at the marked location.
📹 Outlet Box Too Deep in Wall!!
This works for boxes up to 1.5″ too deep in the wall!
Can you put an outlet in a brick wall?
In consideration of the elevated dust production, the speaker has elected to utilize a respirator. As an alternative, a vacuum will be employed, and the box will be secured to the wall.
How are outlets wired in a wall?
In order to establish a connection between the wires, it is necessary to utilise the black or red wire with the hot screw, the white wire with the neutral screw, and the green wire with the ground screw. Subsequently, the hook should be wrapped around the screw in a clockwise direction. Thereafter, the outlet should be repositioned within the box and secured with screws.
How do electricians run wires in walls?
This text provides instructions on how to add or extend an electrical circuit in drywall. It explains that the process is relatively easy if you have a basic understanding of electrical work. However, the challenge lies in fishing the wires through finished walls. During major remodeling projects, drywall can be removed and cables can be run through studs and ceiling cavities. However, in some cases, removing drywall is not practical or desirable and is often messy and expensive.
Despite this, it is possible to add or extend circuits in finished walls without destroying the walls or putting oneself through an enormous ordeal. This process is also used when old wiring is replaced with new cable during system upgrades. The process is similar to adding or extending circuits in unfinished basements or attics.
How do you plug holes in cinder blocks?
Following the patching of approximately 50 holes, the additional weight resulted in a sagging of the lower portion of the block. Therefore, the block was permitted to set and harden for a few minutes.
How do you plug holes in concrete walls?
To properly prepare uncoated and previously coated concrete surfaces, remove loose debris, clean the area, and apply a thin layer of concrete patching material. Blend the repaired area into the existing surface using a wet sponge and allow it to dry. Home Depot’s 9 in. x 1/4 in. Polyester Adhesive Roller Cover is recommended for applying adhesives to smooth surfaces and stippling, as well as sand paints. This product is only available in-store at Home Depot.
How to run electrical in a block wall?
A hammer drill with a rotary and reciprocating action, in conjunction with a masonry bit, can be employed to create an aperture through which wire can be run. Subsequently, the hole should be sealed with fiberglass insulation, after which the wire should be threaded through.
How do you install an interior outlet?
To wire an electrical outlet, turn off the power, prepare cables, strip the wires, attach Pigtail Wires to Circuit Wires, connect the Ground Wire to the Receptacle, attach Neutral and Hot Wires to the Receptacle, attach the Receptacle to the Box, and attach the Cover Plate. This process can be simple when replacing an existing receptacle, but can be complicated when rewiring an outlet. If you are a confident DIYer with wiring experience and have already installed the electrical box, this guide can help you learn how to wire outlets yourself.
Before starting, it’s important to understand the two ways outlets might be wired from installation. One way is to bring power from the home’s electrical panel, while the other is to carry power to other outlets or fixtures.
Can you put outlet inside wall?
Before installing electrical outlets, plan your locations carefully, ensuring they are evenly spaced and spaced according to code. Use an insulation rod or stud finder to check for obstructions in walls and ensure new outlets are spaced every 12 feet within living areas. To begin installation, trace the outline of the electrical box on the wall, drill corner holes to pilot the saw blade, and use a jigsaw to cut out the opening for the box, ensuring clean, straight lines for a snug fit.
How do you drill into an interior concrete wall?
Experts suggest using a hammer drill with masonry drill bits or concrete diamond point screws for drilling into concrete. These drills are designed to hammer while rotating, making them effective in drilling into concrete. Wearing appropriate personal protection equipment is crucial during the drilling process. Gather all necessary supplies and materials in one place, including a tape measure, a hammer drill, and bits, to avoid delays and ensure safety.
Before drilling, ensure to clean the surface and surrounding area by clearing furniture, vacuuming or cleaning the area, and removing any cobwebs or dust. Wearing well-fitting safety equipment is also essential due to the high amount of dust, debris, and jagged edges in concrete. Starting with a clean canvas can help avoid problems later on.
How to install powerpoint in concrete wall?
In order to install a new power point, it is first necessary to create a channel for an electrical PVC pipe. Subsequently, a larger hole must be created at the other end in order to house the new assembly. Once the incision in the concrete has been made, the power point should be relocated to the new position. Nevertheless, the existing socket-outlet may prove inadequate for safely looping additional wires, due to the dimensions of the terminals within the socket.
How do you run cables in solid walls?
To install cables on a wall, use clips or plastic trunking to route them along skirting boards and around door and window frames. For a neat finish, conceal them. In a solid wall, cut a channel in plaster and run the cable through an oval plastic conduit or top-hat capping. Run the cable vertically to a fitting in the wall, plan the route using a spirit level or plumb line, and check it with a cable detector. Wearing gloves and safety goggles, cut the channel 6mm wider than the conduit or capping, cutting away to the depth of the conduit and about 3mm.
Cut the plastic capping or conduit to length with a hacksaw and feed in the cable. Capping is fixed to the wall with masonry nails, conduit snaps into clips nailed to the wall, or can be held with masonry nails driven in each side. The cable will be held firm by the plaster when filled the channel.
📹 How To Install Recessed Outlet Box Into a Brick Wall
In this video from Steve’s Garage I cover the installation of an outdoor weatherproof outlet into a brick wall. I will be recessing the …
As an electrician, I wholly recommend this article and product. This is the best, code compliant solution. And using the proper size (#6) machine screws is important as well. This is a pro-quality fix. 99% of the time when I need to fix these, esp. after tile, there are long drywall screws run into the box which can destroy the bosses in the box and make a major project of a minor one. Kickass article Ben.
Nice recommendation! Those are very handy things to have when you have this problem. BTW, minor suggestion: the usual pronunciation for “6-32 screw” is “six thirty-two screw”, not “six thirty-seconds screw”. The reason for “thirty-two” rather than “thirty-seconds” is that the 6 and the 32 represent different things. The 6 (or #6) is the code for the screw diameter, and the 32 is the number of threads per inch. Saying thirty-seconds makes it sound like the 6 and 32 are some sort of a fraction, and they are not.
Don’t use the 6/32 with the ” big head ” or it might interfere with the cover plate, and it won’t look nice if you use some kind of screw less face plate like like Lutron type . Long 6/32 pan head screw aren’t easy to find in box store, so I usually buy toggle bolt type anchor with the 6/32 screw and cut the screw to the desire length with the wire stripper usually equipped with the proper screw cutter .
Definitely use the screwless faceplates. Over a lifetime, they will save you two lifetimes of messing around trying to make the receptacles sit properly. The adapters have little windows cut in them so that you can adjust the inner receptacle screws and the screws on the adapter plate at the same time.
This is a good fix; I’d add one thing and that’s horseshoe spacers, they’re plastic spacers that interlock with each other to make whatever thickness needed. The horseshoe spacers basically go between the box and the box extension to give the outlet a place to tighten down too. These spacers can also work it you simply need to pick up an 1/8″ so things snug up and aren’t left to simply the cover to basically hold the outlet firm while it’s simply floating above the box.
Not that it’s particularly common these days, but for homes which feature wood paneling, you might need these box extenders per code (or at least best practices). They prevent the screw terminals from making physical contact with the wood, which could lead to a fire risk. Not that wood is particularly good at conducting electricity, but who knows. Electric code has a lot of overly precautious voodoo in it, lol
Yeah, these work great! We used these in our bedroom renovation, where we installed a second layer of 5/8 sheetrock to help deaden sound and make our bedroom quieter from outside noises. We also used adjustable boxes in our kitchen renovation because I didn’t want to do the math on the backspashes. We were using sheetrock and then installing tile, and I thought using them would be easier than trying to figure out how thick everything was going to be. Lol!
Hello my friend, I’m an old hardware man and I can’t help but cringe when you refer to the screws as “six thirty seconds”. It is not a fraction. The screw that you’re using is actually a six thirty two. The first number six is the thickness on the wire gage scale. The second number, 32, is the number of threads per inch. My apologies for being so anal! You’re wonderful. Merry Christmas
I was going to make a comment about the 6-32 thing but I see that was already mentioned. I used to work for a company that did electronic system installations and that was a common mistake by some of the newer (not necessarily younger) installers, even by older techs who should have known bettter. But I was really surprised one day when I was perusal an episode of “Ask This old House” and heard one of their professionals say X-32nds. Not a big deal but it is just something I learned as a young tech many years ago.
Hi Dear! I am a beginner I am sorry if my question is not related to your articles but as I found it as your recent article, I just wanted to ask my question in the comments. As a general rule I know that the drywalls should not be tight in place and recommendation is to consider 1/4 inch short but I don’t know how in practice! For example in ceiling: Must the first sheet be tight against the corner or considered 1/4 inch gap against the corner? What about the next sheet beside it? And last sheet on ceiling? And the then after hanging on ceiling, the same questions for walls? Would you please explain me or if you have a article about it, refer it to me? Thanks
I wish I had seen this article 15 years ago. Around that time, I had some Quarts counters installed in our kitchen and the backsplash sections were 3/4″ thick causing my receptacle and switch boxes to be recessed. Lutron Caseta Decora screwless cover, WIFI programable/dimmable switches and receptacles are what I use. I wanted them to fit nicely against the flat quarts and against other drywall areas of my home. This required me to independently dig thru the home store electrical department until I discovered the extenders and how to use them. Interestingly, many of the boxes located in my home were poorly installed during initial construction (too deep in almost every case). So in those cases, I use shallow depth box extenders. Works like a charm. Thank you again for your content.
Any electrician in here has soo much to say LoL! I am an electrician from Alberta who moved to BC last year. It was a good article Ben. To be honest in all my years(since 1998 when I was indentured) I have never seen or installed double GFCI receptacles. Was that a mix up with a 3 wire being too close to the sink? Also people should know that it is an oversized decora plate . The hole cut in the tile is ginormous. I would imagine a regular sized 2 gang decora plate wouldn’t cover. I tile a considerable amount also and typically have the ears of the device catch the edge of the tile. Depending on the device sometimes you have to notch above and below for the screw the plate to go through. Regardless of my “arm chairing” that’s a clean install and looks good. 🎉VERTICAL SCREWS RULE🎉 horizontal screws hold dirt!!!👎
This is how I’ve been doing it for years BUT I found if I add some bolts and washers placed in-between the box and back of the outlet to create custom spacers then it gives more strength to the outlet. In the past I used to drill holes in paint sticks slightly larger than the screws and use those as spacers. Either works fine