I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 12/01/2025 11:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

I have used dado trunking now for several applications but I am not aware
of a low profile type which I think you are going to find hard to source.
The back boxes for all the ones I have used have all been 35mm deep to
cover all circumstances and there is usually a gap behind the boxes and the back of the trunking. You then have to add the thickness of the socket
front plate to the protrusion unless you intend to use the low profile sockets for which you will most likely need 35mm back boxes.

Richard

Yerss. My solution in one area of the kitchen that had a non straight
wall., was to make a false wall out of MDF that stood proud of the
actual wall by enough to get back boxes and cables into it.

The cavity is bounded by a wall at right angles and kitchen cabinets and worktop through out

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

--
Canada is all right really, though not for the whole weekend.

"Saki"

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

I have used dado trunking now for several applications but I am not aware
of a low profile type which I think you are going to find hard to source.
The back boxes for all the ones I have used have all been 35mm deep to
cover all circumstances and there is usually a gap behind the boxes and the back of the trunking. You then have to add the thickness of the socket
front plate to the protrusion unless you intend to use the low profile
sockets for which you will most likely need 35mm back boxes.

Richard

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

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On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.


--
No Apple devices were knowingly used in the preparation of this post.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/01/2025 11:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

I have used dado trunking now for several applications but I am not aware
of a low profile type which I think you are going to find hard to source.
The back boxes for all the ones I have used have all been 35mm deep to
cover all circumstances and there is usually a gap behind the boxes and the back of the trunking. You then have to add the thickness of the socket
front plate to the protrusion unless you intend to use the low profile sockets for which you will most likely need 35mm back boxes.

Richard

Many thanks. All the sockets in the Screwfix catalogue claim to require
a 25mm back-box. Although some articles do suggest 35mm would making
fitting easier.

For me the low profile aspect is important. I can't believe there's not
a demand for it.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/01/2025 11:30, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 11:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between >>> rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

I have used dado trunking now for several applications but I am not aware
of a low profile type which I think you are going to find hard to source.
The back boxes for all the ones I have used have all been 35mm deep to
cover all circumstances and there is usually a gap behind the boxes
and the
back of the trunking. You then have to add the thickness of the socket
front plate to the protrusion unless you intend to use the low profile
sockets for which you will most likely need 35mm back boxes.

Richard

Yerss. My solution in one area of the kitchen that had a non straight
wall., was to make a false wall out of MDF that stood proud of the
actual wall by enough to get back boxes and cables into it.

The cavity is bounded by a wall at right angles and kitchen cabinets and worktop through out

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

An interesting idea or perhaps use plasterboard.

My hope was for a simple system that negated any need for cutting of plasterboard and tiles etc.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

You could possibly use what is called bench trunking which is triangular in section and sits at the back of the worktop against the wall. This is often used on lab benches but I am not sure about kitchen use, perhaps some of
our more knowledgable on the regs. might confirm its compatibility?


https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Trunking_Pvc_Index/Bench_Trunking/index.html

Richard

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Fredxx wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

Maybe I haven't understood, but why not just sink a back box in the wall?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/01/2025 14:09, Fredxx wrote:

On 12/01/2025 11:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between >>> rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

I have used dado trunking now for several applications but I am not aware
of a low profile type which I think you are going to find hard to source.
The back boxes for all the ones I have used have all been 35mm deep to
cover all circumstances and there is usually a gap behind the boxes
and the
back of the trunking. You then have to add the thickness of the socket
front plate to the protrusion unless you intend to use the low profile
sockets for which you will most likely need 35mm back boxes.

Richard

Many thanks. All the sockets in the Screwfix catalogue claim to require
a 25mm back-box. Although some articles do suggest 35mm would making
fitting easier.

For me the low profile aspect is important. I can't believe there's not
a demand for it.

In my experience always fitting a 35mm back-box for sockets make fitting
much easier, and perhaps also for switches. I've had experience where
the actual socket can fit in a 25mm back-box but it only left a few mm
between the socket and backbox for the wires that have to attach to the
back of the socket.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 12/01/2025 15:38, No mail wrote:

Fredxx wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was
wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed
between rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this
could be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Has anyone done this?

Maybe I haven't understood, but why not just sink a back box in the wall?

Yes, I can do that. I was trying to find an easier method where I could
perhaps mount a PVC trunking to a wall, say about a row of tiles, which
I could fit sockets at convenient intervals without cutting through
tiles and plasterboard.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 12/01/2025 19:47, alan_m wrote:

For me the low profile aspect is important. I can't believe there's
not a demand for it.

Probably mainly dictated by the 13A plug where the earth pin is 23mm long.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Fredxx wrote:

I was trying to find an easier method where I could perhaps mount a PVC trunking to a wall, say about a row of tiles, which I could fit sockets
at convenient intervals without cutting through tiles and plasterboard.

Can't see any trunking which takes sockets that is slimmer than 50mm,
would look a bit to much laboratory/workshop spec to me for a kitchen.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 13/01/2025 10:15, RJH wrote:

On 12 Jan 2025 at 13:36:57 GMT, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

. . . or inhale its dust.

Ah yes. Full face respirator when machining. You do eventually cough it
up, but its not good

Sawing and drilling its mainly OK


--
“It is hard to imagine a more stupid decision or more dangerous way of
making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people
who pay no price for being wrong.”

Thomas Sowell

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 12 Jan 2025 at 13:36:57 GMT, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

. . . or inhale its dust.
--
Cheers, Rob, Sheffield UK

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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In article <[email protected]>,
Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:

Fredxx wrote:

I was trying to find an easier method where I could perhaps mount a PVC trunking to a wall, say about a row of tiles, which I could fit sockets
at convenient intervals without cutting through tiles and plasterboard.

Can't see any trunking which takes sockets that is slimmer than 50mm,
would look a bit to much laboratory/workshop spec to me for a kitchen.

what is available is triangular backboxes/trunking. It would look a lot r neater than rectangular stuff.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England - sent from my RISC OS 4t�
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

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charles <[email protected]> wrote:

what is available is triangular backboxes/trunking. It would look a lot r neater than rectangular stuff.

The only thing about the triangular bench trunking is its price! For some reason it comes at 4/5 times the price of standard Dado rectangular
trunking both for the trunking and the accessories. I am surprised nobody picked up on that from my previous post.

Richard

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On 13/01/2025 10:30, charles wrote:

In article <[email protected]>,
Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:

Fredxx wrote:

I was trying to find an easier method where I could perhaps mount a PVC
trunking to a wall, say about a row of tiles, which I could fit sockets
at convenient intervals without cutting through tiles and plasterboard.

Can't see any trunking which takes sockets that is slimmer than 50mm,
would look a bit to much laboratory/workshop spec to me for a kitchen.

what is available is triangular backboxes/trunking. It would look a lot r neater than rectangular stuff.

Some of the trunking is tapered top and bottom rather than rectangular
but still at least 50mm deep.

Triangluar probably would have to be fitted at the back of the worktop
taking possibly at least 150mm plus a clearance for the plug and lead
from the worktop depth. This would mean that some worktop appliances
could not be pushed back fully to the back wall.

Possibly in a kitchen near a worktop it may be best to have sockets
mounted on a vertical surface well above the worktop in case of
accidental spills of liquid.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Fredxx <[email protected]d> wrote:

I'm aware you can get dado rail style housings for sockets and I was wondering if there was a low profile style suitable to be placed between
rows of tiles above a kitchen worktop.

My main concern is protrusion away from the wall but thought this could
be limited to 25mm less the tile thickness?

Look up 'shallow screed trunking': https://tamlex.co.uk/products/3-compartment-225x25mm-flush-screed-trunking-2-metre-length/

It's designed to be part of a suspended floor, to run wires to floorboxes.
You would normally put carpet tiles or similar on top.
It typically comes in 1", 1.5" and 2" depths - 1.5" sounds about right for sockets. Seems to be mostly steel.

You'd likely have to make your own fixings for socket screws, but you could
eg tile the front.

Although once you've got to this point, it might be easier to just make your own trunking out of timber. Run some battens horizontally along the wall,
then screw a strip of ply or similar on top. Then cut holes using a
multi-tool whereever you want a socket. You could tile the strip (which
would blend it but make it harder to add new sockets later) or paint the
strip in some finish to blend with the tiles, at which point you can easily just cut in more sockets.

If this wasn't recessed (ie the whole tiled wall brought forward to make it flush) you could make it into a little shelf for putting small items like
spice jars on.

The nice thing about this is that (subject to the usual separation rules)
you can run other wiring in there besides mains - eg TV, audio, data, etc.
And if you ever want to reconfigure the kitchen (eg switch from gas to induction hob) then a new cable can be pulled for that without disturbing anything.

Theo

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alan_m <[email protected]> wrote:

On 12/01/2025 14:09, Fredxx wrote:

Many thanks. All the sockets in the Screwfix catalogue claim to require
a 25mm back-box. Although some articles do suggest 35mm would making fitting easier.

For me the low profile aspect is important. I can't believe there's not
a demand for it.

In my experience always fitting a 35mm back-box for sockets make fitting
much easier, and perhaps also for switches. I've had experience where
the actual socket can fit in a 25mm back-box but it only left a few mm between the socket and backbox for the wires that have to attach to the
back of the socket.

Some sockets have the wires coming out of the back, others have the
wires going in the side - the latter are better in a low profile box.

The trouble with office-style dado trunking is you need space for the accessories (which can include network ports, which may be deeper) but also
the cabling to run behind them (could be dozens of ethernet cables). Cat5/6 cable is 6-8mm, allow a few more mm for cable clips etc, and you're starting
to feel tight if you're much under 50mm.

Theo

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On 13/01/2025 10:15, RJH wrote:

On 12 Jan 2025 at 13:36:57 GMT, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

. . . or inhale its dust.

I was told that due to USA rules where if standard Formaldehyde glue is
used in new builds there must be a warning to its occupants. As a result
much MDF is now non Formaldehyde based.

If you get waterproof MDF then you're pretty safe as that doesn't
contain Formaldehyde resin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde#Safety

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On 12/01/2025 13:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

Emulsion is wet. It needs a proper basecoat sealant
before using water-based paint.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 13/01/2025 20:07, Andrew wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

Emulsion is wet. It needs a proper basecoat sealant
before using water-based paint.

No it doesn't.
How do I know this? Because that's how ALL mine - many square meters -
was painted.

--
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale
returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

Mark Twain

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On 13/01/2025 20:07, Andrew wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:36, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 12/01/2025 13:03, No mail wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
... snipped

MDF takes emulsion and tiles extremely well.

MR MDF does, not so sure about the regular stuff

I just bought whatever the builders merchants had

Its a first rate material if you don't let it get wet.

Emulsion is wet. It needs a proper basecoat sealant
before using water-based paint.

Acrylic paint is wonderful stuff. After polymerising it becomes a very effective vapour barrier.

MDF absorbing a little water just means the paint will become a durable
finish. No need for a primer or base-coat.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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