WILL MY WALLS NEED TO BE CHASED WHEN REWIRING MY HOME?
In most cases the answer is YES, you will need your walls chasing to enable the electricians to run the cables into the sockets and switches. Installing your cables this way is the most common and best practice way of rewiring your property. There are ways to minimise the wall chasing if you are trying to avoid redecorating after the rewiring has been carried out. Generally, there is less chasing involved when rewiring your lighting circuits, this is because in most properties across the Fylde Coast the existing cables are installed in either cable capping or metal conduit which are small round metal tubes designed to run cables in. For your sockets, if you install your sockets at the recommended height of 450mm then there will be a 450mm chase up to the sockets, you can mitigate this chasing if you choose to install your sockets just above skirting board heights, this would be a decision for you the customer to have with your electrician.
OK, so you have chased my walls, then what?
If there are wall chases due to the rewiring process of your property, then some companies such as Fylde Coast rewires offer a complete service where we have a plasterer come into your property and patch the chases up. If you choose this option then around two days after, your walls are ready for either painting or wallpapering. You can choose to patch the chases up yourself if you are on a tighter budget, this will save you a around £250.00, just keep in mind, you may end up with more plaster on you than the walls!
Another option if you would like to avoid the chasing entirely is to run your cables in surface trunking, we would only recommend this if you really did not have the budget to have the walls redecorated. Although this method will save on the chasing, white plastic surface mounted trunking does look unsightly and can gather dirt and dust.
All in all, yes you most probably will need your walls chasing when rewiring your house, although in most cases the chases will be neat and done in areas that are less conspicuous such as corners of the room. We hope this clears up this question.