Panelling and wall lights in bedroom

[Pootle40]

Silly question from me. If we wanted to do something like this does anyone know the sequence of getting it done? Ie do we speak to an electrician first who can make sure there is an electrical feed at the points we want wall lights? Presume they mark the wall/drill a hole and then we would do the panelling and painting before fitting the wall lights?! Thanks

yes, it’s basically as you have described. Getting the wiring to the correct position on the wall is known as first fix. Then you do/ hire someone to do the woodworking/ decorating. Then the electrician returns to do the second fix (attach fittings).

I may have oversimplified it but that’s my understanding.

Thank you ViaRia

Ideally, you do it like this:

1. Design stage: Speak to your electrician first to find out from where he needs to get the electricity: are there already outlets in the wall, or is it easier to feed through the ceiling? Then speak to your joiner to hear where he needs to place battons, which distance. If you want to fix shelves and heavy wall lights/mirrors etc, they need to be ideally fixed onto a batton for support. Then design accordingly (e.g. if sparky says it's easiest to get cable through ceiling, plan a ceiling high panel, or if you are dead sat on half height, you'll need to book a plasterer to make good after chasing in)
2. Have joiner put in battons, i.e. the structure that holds up the panels.
3. Electrician comes for 1st fix and puts cables into right place between battons
4. Joiner fixes panels after cutting holes for the sockets, and pulls through cables
5. Decorator paints the panels
6. Second Fix, electrician connects the sockets/lights etc ontop of the finished panels.

Above is what needs to be done for 'proper' panelling. The photo above is, I reckon, a cheat. I think what they did is, they glued thin mdf strips straight onto the plaster. For this you need all fixings in place and a smooth plaster job, then glue on basically square stickers and then paint the stickers and the plaster inside the sticker squares with the same eggshell paint.