Any tips for mounting switch blocks, light fittings etc?

Bulls Hit · Post by **Bulls Hit** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 8:13 pm

Well my mini studio is finally underway. The framing is up, the concrete floor is down and the roof is on. No wiring or lining as yet.

There will be 2 layers of sheetrock hung from channels inside the studio.

I'm trying to plan for light fittings & switches, power points, and incoming CAT5 and power wires.

I read in another thread about using pvc conduit, with bends to minimise transmission. Is this much better than just running the raw cables through the wall & caulking?

From Steve's FAQ:
"If using surface mount wiremold, I'd put it just below any wall treatment so it almost disappears. I don't recall what the minimum height for outlets is to meet code, but you should conform to that whatever it is."

I'm not sure I understand. Is this saying to mount the power outlets on the bottom plate?

Also light switches. These would be surface mounted and screwed through the sheetrock into a stud?

Ditto with the light fititngs. I'm thinking of a couple of wall mounted lights. Would these need to be mounted on a stud also? Am I asking for trouble doing the lights like this? Maybe a plug in desk or standup lamp might be a better option than more wall penetrations. Are there any other alternatives?

Appreciate any ideas or tips on what others have done in this area

Post by **Aaronw** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:01 am

What's your ceiling height? What type of isolation do you need? Usually track lighting is the most common as it can be surface mounted and not penetrate your ceiling.

I read in another thread about using pvc conduit, with bends to minimise transmission. Is this much better than just running the raw cables through the wall & caulking?

You can do this. Usually the conduits are there for pulling the cabling after "construction" is done. Most cables are hidden in the walls. Plus, if you ever needed to upgrade to a larger cable or add some additional cables, it's easier if you have conduit. This way you don't have to rip out a wall.

Bulls Hit · Post by **Bulls Hit** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:14 pm

Hey thanks Aaron, that's a great idea. We can attach the track to the top rail. We have plenty of room height wise, and I'm trying to avoid screwing into the studs.

Any further ideas on how or where to mount light switch and power points?

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:46 am

As to where - height of light switches should be between 42-43 inches off finished floor - location is one of the things a full floor plan can help determine. You draw a complete floor plan showing all rooms, doors, windows, and major equipment positions; then, you do a virtual walk-through, pretending to turn lights on and off as you go, and noting anything you don't like (like wanting to turn some lights on/off from more than one place, or having to reach behind a door to get to the switch (don't mount switches on the hinge side of doors) - for multiple switch locations on a single light, you can get 3-way and 4-way switches. These need to be planned for while wiring, because they require more conductors than a normal light switch.

If building a custom console system, having the ability to switch some of the lighting from the console area is very convenient - this would probably be more true of a facility larger than yours, however.

Methods of mounting - for the surface mount stuff, using plastic wall anchors and caulking before insertion of the anchor, and "buttering" the back side of the components near the mount hole, works well. This seals the intrusion into the inner wall that would be caused by the hole for the wall anchor. You would use acoustic caulk for this. Be careful not to drill too large holes for your specific anchors, or you won't get enough holding power and will also be more likely to get acoustic leaks.

HTH... Steve