The wire was broken when installing suspended ceilings. Stretch ceiling - “During the installation of the ceiling, a disaster occurred - my electric wire was pierced!” Common mistakes when installing electrical wiring on the ceiling

Hi all! I have no complaints about suspended ceilings, so I give them five stars. And today I want to tell you a story that left a bad taste in my soul.

First to the suspended ceiling installation company Status Design I contacted them in 2011 and ordered a satin ceiling for my room. I was satisfied with everything, and after moving to a new apartment, I again turned to this company to make a ceiling in the kitchen. For the new built-in kitchen, the electricians provided me with separate “automata” for the hob and oven, and also made several additional sockets. I had a plan drawn up of where the wires ran in the walls, down to the centimetres. Accordingly, the plan was shown to the ceiling installers to make their work easier.

After the installation and the installers left, I realized that there was no electricity in the apartment. At first I thought that they forgot to turn on the automatic machine on the staircase and went out into the entrance to do it myself, but all the automatic machines were turned on. Of course, the thought flashed through my mind that they had drilled a wire into the wall, but I just didn’t want to believe it! Firstly, it was New Year's Eve, I had a lot of friends over, and I was without electricity. How to cook, how to live in general?! And secondly, I didn’t have a kitchen for a long time, so I had to buy a slow cooker in order to somehow eat, and most importantly, feed my family. And now there is no electricity, and I couldn’t figure out how to cook food without a slow cooker)))

I started calling the manager, who came to measure my ceilings. So, over the phone, I explained that the electricity had gone out and it was quite possible that this was directly related to the installation of the ceiling. The manager immediately chose the attacker’s tactics, saying that these were just installers, not electricians, and tried to lead the conversation in a different direction, in the end he even said that even if the installers really pierced my wire, they didn’t do it on purpose! So, I myself understand that I didn’t intentionally, and I didn’t even blame them for anything, well, everything happens, an accident, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to fix everything!

Then we called back with the manager several more times, but the conversation was the same, they made it clear to me that they had done their job, the ceiling was hanging in place - sit and admire it! By the way, I want to add again, it was December 29th. I have already imagined a terrible picture of how I call electricians, they remove my ceiling and simply throw it in the trash, since I will not hang it back, and no one from Status Design is going to come to me, since the ten-year warranty applies only on the ceiling itself, and this has nothing to do with electricity.

To be honest, I was so sad that I called the manager for the last time and just cried into the phone. It was only then that he relented, called back a few minutes later and said that the installers would come tomorrow and look at the ceiling. The next day, the installers arrived with their electrician, checked the wiring plan again, and quickly realized where the wire had been broken. We did everything in 10 minutes, we had to bend a piece of the ceiling a little, but in the end everything was restored to its original form! It’s good that I didn’t have time to put up the wallpaper, otherwise it would have been ruined.

This is my sad story. Then one knowledgeable person told me that it was still unknown how exactly they did the wiring; if they simply connected and wrapped the wires, then over time they could catch fire. And if you made some solders, such small attachments for connecting wires, then everything will be ok. I don't understand anything about electrics, but I hope everything will be fine

My ceiling itself is two-tone, brown and white. I ordered glossy because I already had satin and wanted something new. I decided not to hang a chandelier, but made LED lamps)

I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else or if I'm just so "lucky"

Drilling walls and ceilings is a common task for an electrician, installer, or repairman. And even the common man may occasionally have a need. And if you have a drill or hammer drill at home, then you can do everything yourself, only by answering the question of how to avoid getting into hidden wiring.

If you hit the wiring with a drill or auger, then in the most optimistic case you will break the cable, and you will have... With less luck, a short circuit will occur through the tool, the circuit breaker at the entrance to the apartment will trip, but the wiring will again have to be repaired. In the worst case scenario, a person will suffer an electric shock or even a fire. Therefore, when drilling, it is better not to get into the wiring. How to avoid getting caught in the wiring will be discussed in our article.

Drilling the wall

Let's say you decide to install a wall bars for a child, and the fastening to the wall must be done with 10 by 100 anchor bolts. The tool has been prepared, it's a matter of drilling. Look at the wall below the ceiling. At a distance of at least 150 mm from the ceiling, a horizontal wire is usually laid inside the wall leading to a distribution box, from which at least one wire inside the wall goes to the socket.

The wire to the socket from the junction box usually runs vertically downwards, that is, at a right angle. Even if the junction box is not visible, it is rare that the wire is not brought vertically to the outlet from above. Therefore, the first conclusion is not to drill directly above the socket!

The second option is that the socket is located on a partition that does not reach the ceiling. Here the wiring is most likely connected to the outlet vertically from below. This means you can’t drill directly under the socket!

Various options for laying wires in apartments and houses are discussed here:

If you are one of those people who likes to frequently update the interior, for example: hanging pictures, installing hanging sets, coming up with new places for bookshelves, then you need to either have a wiring diagram for your home, ideally, or purchase a hidden wiring detector.

A hidden wiring detector is a portable, battery-powered device about the size of a flashlight, which, if necessary, you just need to turn on and place it on the place on the wall where you plan to drill a hole. The device will immediately make a sound or signal with a light indication if a wire passes here. This way you will know exactly where to drill.

Drilling the ceiling

As for the ceiling specifically, initially, even at the construction stage, a wire is connected to the future chandelier inside the ceiling slab. The wire runs perpendicularly from the wall to the place where the chandelier will hang; this is traditionally done in panel houses.

If you do not know exactly which side the wire comes from (maybe from above, if we are talking about a monolith), then you will need to use a hidden wiring detector, or partially open the surface of the ceiling near the terminal, and see in which direction the wire goes. After that you can safely drill.

In any case, for safety reasons, drill if possible with the voltage turned off in the room. To do this, turn off the circuit breaker that is responsible for supplying electricity to the branch of the wiring that is in danger of being damaged. Connect the hammer drill or drill through an extension cord in another room.

After drilling, turn on the machine, and if it doesn’t immediately knock out, then everything is in order, you haven’t damaged the wiring. Be as careful as possible when drilling holes when there is a lack of information about the location of hidden wiring, because a short circuit can not only damage the wiring, it also poses a threat to your health.

Melting the canvas

When carrying out installation work, lamps and any other heating elements must be insulated from the canvas with special thermal pads (thermal rings). They remove heat and serve as thermal insulators.

Poorly glued thermal ring

Particular care must be taken when insulating chimneys and heating devices (pipes) passing through the ceiling. Otherwise, several months after the completion of the work, the owners may notice melting of the canvas, the appearance of yellow or gray spots.

When installing the ceiling, it is unacceptable to touch the PVC material with the gun or bring the gun close. You also need to regulate the heating temperature of the canvas. PVC fabric cannot be overheated above 60-70 degrees, otherwise there will be dire consequences.

If you work carelessly with a gas gun, dire consequences, including fire, are possible; this is unacceptable and is the biggest mistake of suspended ceiling installers.

Lagging of the structure from walls and pipes

Curvilinear shapes and complex angles can create some difficulties when calculating and fastening the suspended ceiling frame. Carelessness in measurements and rough installation lead to the appearance of cracks and gaps, or strong folds that cannot be corrected.

If protruding corners are measured incorrectly, situations with wrinkles may also arise.

Small wrinkles can be removed from the corners if you heat the ceiling evenly and approach the outer corner. In the case of rough (large) wrinkles, it is necessary to reshape the material.

The most common mistake when installing a ceiling, is wrinkles, folds, as well as cracks when bypassing heating pipes.

Only well-organized measurements and experienced specialists who provide a guarantee for their work will help to avoid such situations. All frame elements must fit tightly to the surface of the walls and be securely fastened with appropriate hardware.

Sagging ceiling

Ceiling sagging may occur in a situation where flooding occurs. In this case, the resulting “bubble” can be eliminated quite simply. It is enough to drain the water through the hole for the lamp/chandelier.

Sometimes the ceiling sags even in a completely dry state due to the existing air flows between the main and suspended ceilings. This situation can be prevented in advance. To do this, you need to make sure that all the cracks in the ceiling and walls are eliminated, and that the canvas is tightly fixed in the structure and does not allow heated air to pass through it.

Wrinkles and folds

Incorrect cutting of the fabric can lead to skew and folds. This is also facilitated by uneven heating of the material during installation work. This is quite common error when installing suspended ceilings.

Competent measurements and high-quality patterns in the hands of experienced craftsmen who can predict the degree of shrinkage of the canvas will help avoid the appearance of creases, folds and wrinkles on the ceiling.

Electrical cable breakdown

When carrying out fastening work, it is necessary to drill holes in the walls and ceiling. If there is hidden wiring, it is quite possible that the drill will get into the cable. To prevent such a nuisance, it is advisable that the owner of the premises provide a diagram of the location of electrical communications. If such a diagram is not available, you can use basic search engines that help determine the passage of electrical wires and cables, and also allow you to find reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures.

In any case, if the repair is just beginning and it is planned to replace all the wiring, it is advisable that the specialists leave a diagram of the location of electrical appliances and cables. Otherwise it is difficult to avoid such mistakes when installing suspended ceilings.

It’s even better when wiring inside the frame occurs openly in a corrugated sleeve. This will then allow repair work to be carried out without dismantling the suspended ceiling.

When heated air escapes through the ceiling, negative pressure is created. In this case, the canvas is pulled up to the main ceiling and fits around the fastening elements.

This problem can be solved in two ways.

If the existing air flow is not provided for by the plan and occurs through cracks in the ceiling, it is necessary to repair the existing damage and seal the ceiling.
When the existing flow of air from one room to another is provided and useful, installing ventilation grilles in both ceilings can solve this issue. In this case, the negative pressure will be compensated and the blade will be in the correct position.

Melting of wallpaper, drywall and plastic structures

Some workers, if they want to heat up a problem area of the canvas, may bring the heat gun too close to the surface. It should be borne in mind that the temperature with which the device affects the canvas and surrounding materials from afar differs from that obtained close. In any case, it is necessary to strictly observe all temperature conditions and not use heating equipment in close proximity to flammable and melting objects.

Poor welding of seams

When preparing a stretch ceiling in production, mistakes can also be made.

In rare cases, the seam may rupture when stretched.

If installation is incorrect, or rather if the ceiling is heated unevenly, wrinkles on the seams are possible.

You can make hanging beauty with your own hands. If a person is just starting out, it is advisable to train in small areas. You can speed up the learning process when you have information on how to avoid mistakes when installing suspended ceilings.

Today, a common finishing method is the installation of suspended ceilings. This type of finishing allows you to forget about additional leveling of the surface; its appearance is distinguished by its originality and aesthetics. But you need to install the wiring according to all the rules, otherwise there is a possibility of its rapid breakdown. Wiring under a suspended ceiling may need repair or replacement - this should be taken into account in advance.

Errors when routing wiring on the ceiling

When installing suspended ceilings, many people do not think about the quality of the wiring, although this is worth paying special attention to. Not only the uninterrupted supply of electricity, but also the safety of the residents of the house depends on the serviceability of the wiring. Sometimes a simple mistake can lead to the breakdown of the entire system.

The most common and simple mistake is the incorrect placement of the mounting molding.

When installing suspended ceilings, many craftsmen do not pay attention to whether the mounting profile and the distribution box located on the wall intersect. Ceiling coating should only be done using special professional equipment. This is especially worth paying attention to when installing a hidden wiring detector.

Mistakes when installing suspended ceilings:

If the technician has not first checked the ceiling for hidden wires, he may simply damage the already installed wiring.
Many people do not follow the rules for installing wiring. Wiring cables must be laid in special corrugated pipes made of plastic.
When installing ceilings, it is important to consider the possibility of wiring failure and its repair. To make the repair convenient, it is important that you can remove part of the ceiling, and not the entire ceiling.

To avoid mistakes, you need to carefully study the rules for installing suspended ceilings. Before installing ceilings, it is important to pay attention to where all lighting fixtures and devices connected to the electrical network will be located. A preliminary plan will help you avoid mistakes that are often made when laying wires.

Before installing suspended ceilings, it is important to pay special attention to the routing of wires. A complete electrical circuit plan should be drawn up in advance. Be sure to take into account all fire safety rules.

Before installing the canvases, it is important to correctly make calculations that will allow you to install them tightly at the correct distance from each other, which will affect the correct location of the lighting fixtures.

In no case should safety rules be neglected for aesthetic purposes. If, according to the rules, it is necessary to maintain a distance of 15 cm between the plane of the tension fabrics and the base ceiling, then the fabrics must be installed exactly at this distance, but not less. The wires are usually routed with some margin.

Tips for installing ceilings and wiring:

Care should be taken to ensure that the corrugation does not sag. To avoid unnecessary sagging, care must be taken to install special fasteners for the wiring, for example, plastic clips or a dowel that secures the cable.
Cables should be installed in accordance with the specific type of luminaire.
It is important that the power of the lamps is selected correctly, otherwise the film may melt.
It is best to use LED strips as lighting fixtures on suspended ceilings. Their installation is very simple and safe to use.
When laying the wiring, it is important to ensure that the wires do not intersect.
If there is a crossing between the wires, they should be further protected to prevent a short circuit.

Modern apartments are increasingly equipped with stretch ceilings. They can be installed easily and simply, but it is worth considering that if the wiring breaks, the structure will need to be removed completely or partially. Therefore, before installing the ceiling, it is important to install the wiring correctly.

Common mistakes when installing electrical wiring on the ceiling

Under no circumstances should wiring installation be done without professional assistance. Wiring should not be carried out without the use of special installation boxes and protective corrugated pipes. Improper wiring can lead to a fire that spreads to the ceiling and can lead to very tragic consequences.

If the electrical wire is damaged, adjacent parts of the entire ceiling structure will inevitably catch fire.

Following the rules, the wiring must be laid using a special protective metal hose or corrugation made from plastic, which has the property of self-extinguishing. To avoid short circuits, lighting fixtures should never be connected to the same device responsible for the protective connection. Such a connection always causes inconvenience.

Errors when installing wiring:

Some craftsmen make the mistake of connecting the switch not to the phase wire, but to the neutral wire. This means that even when switched off, lighting fixtures pose a risk of electrical shock.
Many people make a mistake when choosing a cross-section for wires. Often this depends on the desire to save money. Poor quality wires constantly overheat, which increases the network load.

To avoid the most common mistakes, you should carefully read the instructions before installing the wiring. You should not do the installation yourself. It is good if the installation work is carried out by professional electricians. An important factor is the correct choice of wires - they must be of high quality.

Is it possible to lay VVGNG cable without corrugation?

Many people, faced with installing or replacing wiring for the first time, are wondering whether it is necessary to lay electrical cables using corrugated cables. It is important that electrical wiring is installed by a professional. Many unscrupulous workers may neglect the rules, which can lead not only to a lack of lighting, but also to a fire.

The installation of wiring largely depends on whether it is being done in a residential or industrial building.

The fastening of the wires depends on the type of base. Wires can be laid on a concrete or wooden base. The wiring can also be installed in a groove, which is covered with a thick layer of plaster, or on an open surface. If the cable has a fireproof sheath, then it can be secured without the use of corrugation.

In what case is corrugation necessary:

Hidden wiring with combustible bases;
If you need a fireproof gasket.

Corrugation is capable of not supporting combustion. If we are talking about a wooden house or frame structure, the rules do not allow laying an electrical cable using a corrugated pipe. To find out more detailed information, you can study the rules for design and installation of electrical wiring.

Electrical wiring under a suspended ceiling (video)

1.50 (4 Votes)

Stretch ceilings today are the most convenient, practical and inexpensive finishing method, which, in addition to its decorative qualities, also has the same irreplaceable property that easily resolves electrical issues.

Electrical wiring in suspended ceilings is carried out in special corrugated pipes for electrical wiring, which are securely attached to the concrete slab with clip-on clips. The ends of the cable on the chandelier come to the right places. As a rule, this is the geometric center of the room. The leads are also routed to spotlights on the ceiling, if such are provided for in the electrical design.

Why do electrical work under a suspended ceiling?

Customers often ask us this question. There is no electricity coming to the chandelier, you need to run a new wire from the switch. How can I do that? The answer is often frustrating, but in reality there are not many options here.

The first and easiest way is to supply electricity in the cable channel. But from an aesthetic point of view, the option is flawed, and it is quite natural that not everyone agrees to this.

The second way I can suggest is to try replace the electrical cable with the chandelier. This is possible if in your apartment this cable is laid in a special technological hole in the floor slab and can be easily pulled out from there. It is not always possible to do this, since it often happens that this cable is walled up in the slab. And sometimes, especially in Khrushchev-era houses, it runs along the floor of the upper apartment. Yes Yes! This is how it happens! And you won't do anything about it.

Well, method number three: guide the electrician along the floor slab and cover it with a suspended, slatted or suspended ceiling. But a suspended ceiling, if it is made of plasterboard, is a heavy structure that still requires additional puttying and finishing. A slatted ceiling is most likely suitable for a bathroom or toilet. It is rarely used for residential premises.

The simplest option remains - a stretch ceiling, which will be made without dirt and dust, in a very short time and will look great. It comes in countless varieties of materials and colors. And its illumination can be limited only by the degree of wildness of your imagination.

It is prohibited to scratch the ceiling!

Wait!!! - say the Customers. But how to cut a small hollow and hide this notorious cable for the chandelier there? And you don’t need to do anything fancy either with the electrics or with the suspended ceiling!

Not at all. According to SNIP (building codes and regulations), it is STRICTLY PROHIBITED to groove floor slabs. We comply with SNIP and will not do such work. Maybe there will be a master craftsman who will accommodate your every whim, because he cannot live in your house. And the responsibility will not be his, but yours. After all, if, God forbid, the slab cracks, you won’t find this master even during the day. Therefore, it is better not to act at your own peril and risk, but to hide the electrics under a suspended ceiling, which will be a wonderful decoration for your room.

Wiring under a suspended ceiling. What to consider?

When planning electrics in a suspended ceiling, you must take into account a number of nuances so that unforeseen problems do not arise in the future.

Electrical wiring in suspended ceilings, as mentioned above, must be carried out in corrugated ducts. This is the requirement of the PUE, SNIP and they must be observed. This is due to fire safety and the need to provide for the possibility of changing the wiring in the future after many, many years, without removing the fabric.

Do not make connections in electrical wiring under a suspended ceiling!

The electrics under the suspended ceiling must be solid. The cable that is laid under the canvas should not have connections. Ideally, there should not be a single junction box. Many electricians will tell you: this is not possible, and it is not necessary.

Definitely, necessary! Any connection point, junction box, is a potential place for loss of contact in the future. If the situation discussed at the very beginning of the article, that there is no light coming to the chandelier, repeats, it will be necessary to remove the ceiling. There will be no access to the junction box. This is something to keep in mind.
Besides, it's possible! We switch switches without additional junction boxes. There will be no short circuit with a solid cable. Yes, and he is not in danger of a cliff either.

Electrics and lighting: errors when installing a stretch ceiling.

Now let's talk about lighting.

When the ceiling craftsmen stretch the canvas, make sure that they place the mount under the chandelier. There are times when they have stretched the ceiling, and then they are looking for an electrician to install the chandelier. The master electrician arrives, and then the dance begins with tambourines to install the chandelier mount through the tiny hole left by the ceiling makers.

No, of course, everything can be done. And, unfortunately, we often encounter such cases. The other day we had a call for an electrician in Shchelkovo, when we just had to redo the base for the mount for the central chandelier, since the ceiling makers did not calculate its level and it turned out that the chandelier was pressing the canvas very tightly. Quick work!

But here it is a question of possibility and chance. The electrician is forced to do jewelry work, and if he suddenly damages the canvas, then you will be very dissatisfied with the work of the electrician. But in fact, the root of evil lies elsewhere. We must scold the craftsmen, who seem to be professionals in the construction of suspended ceilings, but are not far-sighted, and suddenly forgot to place this little thing under the chandelier mount. This is important to know and understand!

Plan the electrical wiring for ceiling lights correctly.

Here's another interesting point. If you have planned several spotlights, then pay attention to this. The store will offer you 220v and 12v light bulbs. 12V light bulbs will require the installation of a transformer in the circuit, which will turn the 220V voltage into 12V. This transformer will have to be hidden under the canvas, and it will burn out in a couple of years. There is only one way out: disassemble the ceiling again. Therefore, the electrics of a suspended ceiling should be oriented towards 220V light bulbs. Well, or you need to plan to install the transformer in an accessible place. We had a project, we were doing electrical work in Mytishchi in a new building. We laid the output for such a transformer in the closet, which was next to the room where the spotlights were supposed to be.

The same problem as with a transformer can also occur with a soft starter. Many people advise installing it to extend the life of halogen lamps. In this case, your light bulbs will survive the soft starter, which will burn out at some point. But the light bulbs are easy to change, and that little box is no longer there! But the result is still the same. The canvas will have to be removed. Well, or stop using this light.

When planning electricians for suspended ceilings, take into account all these features so that good electricians do not have to disappoint you. Electricians are not magicians, although sometimes the opposite happens.

If the material in this article was interesting and useful for you, share it with your friends on social networks. Perhaps this information will be very useful to someone. Best regards,