UKH

We have a built-in wardrobe in our bedroom, which I'm about to refit with better hanging rails/shelving than the builders put in.

As part of that, my wife wants to put some lights in, which is fine, as there's a socket the other side of the wall, so I can just poke a hole through the plasterboard from the back of that and put a shallow surface box on the wall with a 1-gang socket and hook it in.

The problem is that I can't put the surface box where the cable will come through the plasterboard and I need to put it about 6" to the side and on another wall at right angles and I can't get the cable through the stud on the corner, so it'll need to run on the surface.

What's the best way to tidy up the hole in the plasterboard?

Trunking would be the obvious solution, but I don't really want to have to buy a 2m length to cover 6" of cable.

Any ideas, please?

I'd notch the stud if necessary to chase into the plasterboard and patch over. I wouldn't think you'd need to go more than a few mm in to give a flush finish with the thickness of the plasterboard taken into account.

1) as someone to post you a 20cm bit of trunking as a favour, or ask a sparky. They throw away cut bits like that.

2) can't picture that sorry. There no way you can drill a hole in the stud for the cable?

Can't think of a cheaper way than buying the trunking. Looks like about £3 worth. It's only wasteful if you can't think of anything to do with the rest.

Other options are put a false faceplate over it with the cable coming out of the corner. Or last resort one of those grommets they put round radiator pipes where they come through tiles, but they look crap.

“CantClimbTom; There no way you can drill a hole in the stud for the cable?”

Maybe not a DIY job, but a professional electrician did drill through a corner stud to route a cable internally.

Exactly same set up - from a socket in the room backing on and internal to plasterboard around the right angled stud corner and wired into a flush fitting socket on the other wall. A perfect job with no cutting of plasterboard or other evidence. All internal, I was amazed. Charge, admittedly quite a few years ago now was £20.

How? Sorry did actually see it being done, but apparently a flexible drill head was used, and of course skill and experience.

I've got some trunking you can have

I'd rather see a cable clipped direct any day, can't stand white pvc trunking, it looks so cheap and tacky.

Once finished, it'll be inside a wardrobe and won't be seen, so not an issue. Trunking doesn't collect as much dust as clipped cable, either.

Thanks for the offer.

Since posting, I've found a bit in the garage which I think will do, if I can still get an end and a corner that size. Can't remember where I used it, maybe at the last house for hiding speaker cables round the skirting.