ᐅ Waterproof concrete + flush-mounted electrical boxes in the basement – how can this be addressed?
Created on: 13 Jun 2017 02:22
D
DReffects
Good evening,
We have commissioned a single-family house with a basement from a developer. Three of the four basement rooms will be used as living space or offices.
The basement exterior walls are made of 24cm (9.5 inches) thick waterproof concrete. From the beginning, it was clear to me that in a new build, electrical and network outlets should naturally be installed flush-mounted. Surface-mounted trunking is absolutely unacceptable to me, especially in living areas.
We have discussed this several times with the developer and were always told, “No problem, there have never been any issues with this.” Now, however, the electrician has raised concerns, and the developer is now siding with him.
So, my question to the community: What is the actual risk here? I thought that either the concrete is waterproof or it isn’t.
Are there any guidelines on how deep a flush-mounted box should be installed or other practical experience you can share?
Surface-mounted installation is, unfortunately, a huge no-go for me — which is exactly why we chose a new build, so that my office rooms don’t have to show something like that.
There are also decentralized ventilation units in the basement rooms that require electrical connections embedded in the concrete.
What options are available for this?
Thank you very much!
DR
We have commissioned a single-family house with a basement from a developer. Three of the four basement rooms will be used as living space or offices.
The basement exterior walls are made of 24cm (9.5 inches) thick waterproof concrete. From the beginning, it was clear to me that in a new build, electrical and network outlets should naturally be installed flush-mounted. Surface-mounted trunking is absolutely unacceptable to me, especially in living areas.
We have discussed this several times with the developer and were always told, “No problem, there have never been any issues with this.” Now, however, the electrician has raised concerns, and the developer is now siding with him.
So, my question to the community: What is the actual risk here? I thought that either the concrete is waterproof or it isn’t.
Are there any guidelines on how deep a flush-mounted box should be installed or other practical experience you can share?
Surface-mounted installation is, unfortunately, a huge no-go for me — which is exactly why we chose a new build, so that my office rooms don’t have to show something like that.
There are also decentralized ventilation units in the basement rooms that require electrical connections embedded in the concrete.
What options are available for this?
Thank you very much!
DR
tomtom79 schrieb:
I'm more concerned about the statement "maximum 3 holes"—why would it become leaky with, say, 4 or 5 holes? I was told this relates to the structural integrity of the wall itself.
Bieber0815 schrieb:
Don’t stress! In a year, you probably won’t remember exactly when your house was finished, but you will definitely know if it was done properly. Well, we have already terminated our apartment contract... the whole project was supposed to be finished in September, so we ended our lease for November 30th to be safe. Now it’s the end of June and we are still far from having the screed installed. Basically, you are right.
Update for you: The developer now suddenly claims that even if the boxes had been cast in from the start, there would no longer be any warranty on the waterproof concrete. Extremely frustrating—I can’t even tell you how much this annoys me. Why did I even have a basement built...
According to the Building Owners’ Protection Association, for a modern single-family house offered and bought with a living basement, all installations in living areas, including the basement, are assumed to be done flush-mounted.
Unfortunately, for me the damage is already done. I definitely will not give up the warranty for the basement. So now the only option left is the unpleasant and never intended solution of the baseboard conduit. I’m so angry.
According to the Building Owners’ Protection Association, for a modern single-family house offered and bought with a living basement, all installations in living areas, including the basement, are assumed to be done flush-mounted.
Unfortunately, for me the damage is already done. I definitely will not give up the warranty for the basement. So now the only option left is the unpleasant and never intended solution of the baseboard conduit. I’m so angry.
Alex85 schrieb:
You can also lay electrical wiring in the screed and then install a surface-mounted box. That way, you don’t need a cable duct. Is the screed already installed?No, not yet. Surface-mounted boxes are, in my opinion, visually quite unpleasant. We have now decided on the baseboard trunking option, as the device holders are at least somewhat neat and not as deep as classic access point boxes.
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