Almost no renovation is complete without replacing or replacing the old one. It also often becomes necessary to add one or more in order to facilitate connection household appliances or equipment, thereby eliminating the need to use cables with splitters. It is best to hide the wires in the wall, and to do this, you can do the gating of the walls for wiring yourself, without turning to the expensive help of construction crews and private electricians. The main thing is to take into account all the nuances of organizing the wiring and perform the gating correctly.
Rules and restrictions when gating
Do not immediately grab the chisel and hammer. You should first draw a wiring plan on paper and think about the location of all connection points and wiring outlets, such as sockets, switches and lighting terminals. You should also take into account the material of the walls and the methods of gating them. The basic rules according to which the distribution of wires in the walls is carried out are described in the regulatory documents SNiP 3.05.06-85. You shouldn’t neglect them, it’s better not to be lazy once and familiarize yourself with it so that you know how to properly tap walls for wiring. The main points are the following:
- Grooving for wiring should be carried out parallel to the main structures of the building, that is, only vertically or horizontally. The slope of the groove is allowed only if it is laid parallel to inclined walls, for example, in the attic.
- Conduct horizontal scoring should be at a distance of no more than 150 mm from the floor slabs.
- The vertical groove (furrow) must be at least 100 mm away from door, window openings and corners, and from gas pipes– not less than 400 mm.
- The width and depth of the grooves should not exceed 25 mm. The length of one groove should not exceed three meters.
- It is advisable to minimize the turns of the groove on the way from distribution box to the switch or socket. It is best if you limit yourself to one angle of transition from horizontal to vertical without taking into account rotations in the horizontal plane at the joints of the walls.
- Do not make horizontal furrows in load-bearing structures. This applies to all walls panel house, because they are all load-bearing there, with the exception of small partitions.
According to these rules, the wiring is planned. After this, you can directly gobble the walls.
“Is it possible to ditch load-bearing walls?”
Wall chipping is regulated by redevelopment rules, which may vary slightly for each region. However, according to generally accepted standards, such actions unacceptable in all types of standard multi-storey buildings.
Tools and methods of gating
There are several methods of gating, differing depending on the tool used:
- hammer and chisel. Long, inconvenient, the groove is uneven. But it's cheap;
- hammer drill or impact drill. Quite clean and fast. The groove is not very smooth;
- Bulgarian The groove turns out to be smooth, but it is produced great amount dust that is difficult to catch even with an industrial vacuum cleaner;
- wall chaser. Using a specialized tool, you can get a perfectly even groove with a given depth and width. However, everything is spoiled by the price of the instrument itself.
For any option, the procedure is approximately the same.
Surface preparation and marking
First of all, it is necessary to check the presence of hidden wiring along the intended route of the groove. To do this use special device, which will indicate the existing electrical wiring. It is important to protect yourself from cases where live wires come across during gating.
Markings are applied to the wall surface along the route of the grooves from the distribution box to the installation site of the socket, switch or wire outlet for lighting.
Immediately before carrying out work on the walls, curtain the doorways with a dampened cloth to prevent the spread of dust throughout the apartment or seal them tightly with construction film.
The process of slitting with various tools
Hammer and chisel
The whole process is broken down into small segments. First, using a chisel, mark recesses along the edges of the groove one or two times the width of its tip. After this, placing it across the furrow, a part of the wall is knocked out in depth. Then you can continue filming upper layer along the intended line and at the end begin to deepen 25 mm along the entire length. You can also deepen the groove immediately after each removal of the top layer. Using these tools, it is almost impossible to make a groove if the wall is concrete.
Hammer
In this case, two attachments with a wide and short drill and a spatula are used. First, along the entire length of the line that marks the location of the furrow, holes 25 mm deep are made at a distance of approximately 10-15 mm from each other. After this, a groove is created using a spatula. The main thing is not to place the spatula across the line of the groove, so as not to break off an extra piece of the wall or plaster. The result will be a groove of the required depth and width, however appearance won't be very attractive. Hammering with a hammer drill is the fastest and cleanest process.
Grinder, angle grinder
When using an angle grinder, you should purchase a diamond disc; this is the only way to properly drill concrete or brick without problems, and even in the case of plaster, the process will be easy. First, two parallel cuts are made along the entire intended line with a distance between them equal to the required width of the groove. Next, you can use a hammer drill or chisel to remove all the material between the cuts to the required depth. Actually, that’s why the whole process is almost identical to the previous methods, except that the resulting groove is much smoother. This is very important, especially if you want to minimize damage to plaster or wall finishes.
While working with an angle grinder, it will produce very a large number of dust, and very soon the whole room will be filled with it. To solve this problem, you can use a vacuum cleaner, preferably an industrial one. A second person will be required as an assistant to hold the suction pipe closer to the cut point.
Wall chaser
Essentially, the wall chaser is a logical modification of the version with an angle grinder. This device already provides the ability to install two cutting diamond wheels with adjustable distance between them. Both circles are covered with a special casing that completely covers the point of contact with the wall. By adjusting the position of the casing, you can change the depth to which the wall will be cut. In most cases, the casing is also equipped with a special outlet for installing the suction pipe from the vacuum cleaner.
Thanks to everything described, perfectly smooth and parallel cuts are obtained, and the walls are chipped without dust. After cutting along the edges of the grooves, you again need to select the excess material with a hammer drill. The disadvantage of this method is the price of the instrument itself. It is too high for home use.
Completion of work
After the grooves are punched, you need to clean them from dust using a vacuum cleaner or broom and prime them. The process of laying the cable and securing it also has whole line nuances that need to be taken into account. After all work, the groove is sealed. This can be done using plaster, plaster or putty, which allows the application of such a layer.
Video: do-it-yourself wall slitting from A to Z
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Discussion:
Alexey said:
The last video made me happy, he said, don’t forget about safety precautions, the worker is without gloves, without glasses, without a helmet (well, let’s say it’s not needed here and will get in the way more). But the best thing is, this worker works as a grinder without a shield 😉
Didi said:
Indeed, if you find yourself on a load-bearing wall, then how does the author of the article suggest wiring? Even if you go through it (the article does not prohibit it), you will end up on it. And what? Let it go through the air? On the wall with tape?)))
First time I hear that concrete slab you can't ditch. After all, you don’t even touch the reinforcement. Nothing will happen. A 2 cm groove can be placed on any wall.
Also in the “rules and restrictions for grooves” under paragraph 4 it is stated: “The width and depth of the grooves should not exceed 25 mm. The length of one groove should not exceed three meters.”
If we are talking about vertical grooves, then there are more than 3 meters of spans between the ceiling and floor, in ordinary apartments and it doesn't happen. Those. the remark makes no sense. And if we are talking about horizontal ones, then the room should be 3 meters long maximum, otherwise we are subject to the restriction. In general, it’s not clear why the ban is so crazy
People of the older generation remember the time when the walls and ceilings of homes were “decorated” with twisted braids of external electrical wiring. During construction modern houses Builders “hide” wires, pipes and other communications in advance in special channels of enclosing structures.
The arrangement of communication channels is taken into account when calculating the load-bearing capacity of building devices. The situation is different with an additional device hidden communications in monolithic, panel houses of old buildings.
Is it possible to trench load-bearing walls in such houses? This article will answer this question in detail.
Is it possible to groove walls in a panel house?
If the grooved channel does not expose the reinforcement reinforced concrete slab, then there is no need to worry To prevent wall communications from spoiling the interior of the room, they are made hidden. For this purpose, pipes are also made in enclosing structures. Is it possible to trench a wall in panel house under wiring? Of course, this is possible, but only if a number of conditions are met.
The installation of channels in the body of partitions in a monolithic house does not cause problems. This also applies to panel houses. A partition is a structure that bears the load only from its own weight and does not affect the load-bearing capacity of the entire structure.
Another thing is load-bearing walls. A significant violation of the integrity of concrete walls will lead to a loss of their load-bearing capacity, and this, in turn, can cause irreparable consequences.
Top layer of concrete in a reinforced concrete slab from 30 to 50 mm On the Internet you can find many articles on this topic that state in a categorical tone that it is impossible to rave walls in a panel house. You should try to refute such statements.
To understand the essence of the problem, you need to know design features reinforced concrete walls. The main load-bearing load is taken by a metal reinforcing frame, “pierced” by a mass of concrete. The top surface layer of concrete plays a protective role. Therefore, if gating walls for wiring does not expose the reinforcement, then monolithic fences will not suffer from this.
The protective layer of concrete is usually from 30 to 50 mm. For a two-core wire, a channel depth of 10 - 15 mm will be sufficient. To lay several cores, you should punch a groove in the load-bearing wall with a depth of 20 - 25 mm. The wider the channel, the more wires can be laid.
The groove must be made in such a way that the load-bearing wall does not have channels with exposed reinforcement.
Location of channels for wiring
All channels must be direct How to groove panels so that the amount of work and material costs are most optimal? Make channels in wall panels perhaps in two ways. In the first option, a horizontal and vertical groove is punched. In the second case, the channels are located diagonally from the junction box to the sockets and switches.
The diagonal position of the channels significantly saves labor costs and material consumption.
Wall gating technology
There are several ways to pierce a wall:
Hammer and chisel
The channel can be made by tapping the chisel with a hammer A channel in the plaster layer can be punched using a hammer and chisel.
Plaster is essentially a soft material.
By lightly tapping the hammer on the chisel, a channel of the required width is punched. You can use a chisel as a chisel.
Drill and chisel
A concrete drill is inserted into the drill chuck. Holes are made along the entire length of the groove at small intervals. Then a channel is punched, removing sections of concrete between the holes with a chisel.
Hammer
A tip in the form of a spatula or lance is inserted into the tool. Working in jackhammer mode, the hammer drill knocks out a groove of the required depth and width in the concrete.
Wall chaser
Wall cutter device The power tool is equipped with one or two cutting discs. A double-disc wall chaser allows you to cut channels of various widths. The distance between the cutting discs is adjusted manually.
Features of laying wires in the floor slab
Do not install grooves in the ceiling Let us immediately clarify that this is not necessary.
In panel houses, the floor slabs are hollow-core.
When building houses, builders lay an electrical wire into one of the voids in the floor slab. A hole is made in the center of the ceiling to allow electrical cord from inside to outside. When replacing the old wire in the void channel, new wiring is pulled.
Grilling in partitions
Partitions that do not take loads from the structures above can be grooved without any restrictions.
When drilling through, one socket is connected to the wire on one side of the wall, and on the other side - a second one.
This solves the issue of saving electrical wiring consumption. To learn how to properly groove, if you are not an expert, watch this video:
Compliance with safety regulations
Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when working with the tool. When using electromechanical tools, you must comply with a number of safety regulations:
- When working with power tools in areas with high humidity, be sure to wear rubber gloves and shoes with rubber soles.
- To protect your eyes you need to wear special glasses.
- To prevent cement dust from entering the worker’s lungs, wear a gauze bandage or a respirator.
- When performing this type of work, the room must be well ventilated.
- Do not overheat the tool. From time to time you need to give your power tool a rest.
- During breaks in work, all cement dust is removed with a vacuum cleaner. If powerful dust formation occurs, then the nozzle of the turned on vacuum cleaner is kept next to the channel during gating.
Laying wires in grooves
After installing the wire, the groove is filled with solution Hidden wiring arranged as follows:
- The wiring is laid in the channels cleared of dust, fixing it with alabaster every 200 - 300 mm; if this is not enough, the number of fixation points is increased.
- The grooves are sealed with cement mortar.
- The hardened cement is primed.
- Finally, the channels are puttied under the finishing coating of the wall. For more information on cable installation, watch this video:
If it is not possible to install channels for electrical wiring, plastic boxes are installed on the walls in which the wiring is laid.
A major renovation involves replacing not only the flooring and wallpaper, but also the electrics, and you need to know how to tap walls for wiring if you are going to carry out this work with your own hands. In the article, we’ll talk about four available tools and a professional apparatus, compare the effectiveness of each of them, and also find out on which surfaces gating is prohibited.
What to consider before starting work?
Before making a groove in the wall, make sure that there is no old cable in the path of the new wiring, and if there is one, check whether it is de-energized. A special indicator will help determine this. Next, we carefully prepare the walls. We remove the remains of old wallpaper and other finishing materials, which can clog the casing of the working device and lead to short circuit. The next stage is preparing a sketch with notes on the location of future wiring, a layout plan for switches and sockets.
Before tapping the cleaned walls, using a tape measure and a pencil, we outline the route for laying the wiring and additional elements. To save time, use a laser level. If you personally carry out the work process from start to finish, check out normative document SNiP 3.05.06-85, which describes in detail how to properly tap walls. The laying of wires is carried out parallel to the base of the structure - strictly vertically or horizontally. Tilting the groove at an angle is allowed when laying electronic wires in inclined walls (in attics).
WITH According to the standards, horizontal grooves are carried out at a distance of 150 mm from the floor slabs, vertical - at a distance of at least 100 mm from the door and window openings, and step back at least 400 mm from gas pipes. The depth and width of the groove is at least 25 mm, depending on the thickness of the cable. For a cable 1 cm thick for 3 cores, the depth should be 3–4 cm. The average length of the groove is 3 m. We advise you to design the wiring plan in such a way as to minimize the number of turns of the groove to the switch and sockets. Ideally, you should have one turn from the junction box to the outlet or switch. It is prohibited to make horizontal grooves in load-bearing structures; this rule applies to all walls of a panel house.
The main points have been taken into account, we get to work, and to comply with safety precautions, we put on a respirator, safety glasses, and open the windows for ventilation. To save time on subsequent redevelopment, before finishing, use a marker and tape measure to mark the distance from the corners of the walls and ceiling to the grooves, and take a photograph of the resulting sketch. This way you will know where the wiring goes, and you won’t be mistaken when choosing a place for a dowel or nail. .
Hammer, drill and chisel - proven old-fashioned methods
It's time to prepare your tools. Use a professional machine (wall chaser) or look for an alternative. The simplest option is a hammer and chisel. We start work with markings. Using a chisel, we mark the recesses where the groove will go through for the electrical wiring. Next, we place the point across the groove, knock out the top layer of the wall with a hammer, continue working along the intended line, and then make 25 mm indentations along the entire length. Dignity this method– availability of tools. But there are more shortcomings. A lot of effort and time are spent, the contours turn out uneven. Making such a groove in brick or concrete is problematic, but for plaster it is a good budget option.
A drill will speed up the process. Along the marked line, we drill holes every 1–1.5 cm to the required depth. After this procedure, you will receive a groove outline. To complete the work and create a single strip, take a chisel and knock out the jumpers between drilled holes. This option can be used for chipping concrete. However, just like when working with a hammer, it will not be possible to achieve smooth lines and uniform depth.
Hammer + grinder - how effective is the interaction?
A hammer drill helps you drill holes into the wall for electrical wiring yourself. Professional and amateur tools differ in quality, set of attachments and additional characteristics, but the main advantage of this technique over a drill is in any version - the impact function. Yes, this function is also available in the drill, but when permanent job In shock mode, equipment wears out quickly.
A hammer drill is a powerful tool; if you wish, you can turn off the rotation and get a full-fledged jackhammer. Therefore, it’s easy and quick to tap a concrete wall with it. For work we use two attachments with a short and a long drill, and a metal spatula. The principle of operation is not much different from the option in the previous chapter. We make holes along the intended line at a distance of 1–1.5 cm to a depth of 25 mm. We clear the recess from any remaining concrete with a spatula. The finished groove turns out slightly uneven.
And if you want to achieve straight lines, combine an angle grinder (angle grinder) with a hammer drill. To make the process go quickly, the grinder is equipped with a diamond blade. This way, working with brick or concrete pavement will not cause you any trouble. We make two parallel cuts at a distance equal to the width of the groove. Next, take a hammer drill and make a groove to the required depth, repeating the familiar steps described above. The combination of these two tools results in straight lines and a fairly uniform groove depth.
The main disadvantage of the method is the large amount of dust that is released when working with an angle grinder. To minimize it, use an industrial vacuum cleaner. For ease of use, hire an assistant to hold the vacuum cleaner as close to the cut as possible. Don't forget to ventilate the room well after gating.
Wall chaser - what kind of tool is it?
Wall chaser is a professional tool used for... This is an improved model of an angle grinder, which is used by electricians. Two diamond disks are mounted in the device, thanks to which an accurate cutting line is obtained with the ability to adjust the distance and width of the groove. The cutting discs are covered with a special casing. They cover the point of contact with the wall.
The wall chaser has an outlet into which a hose from the wall is inserted. Thanks to the suction, dust-free gating is ensured. After cuts are made along the entire length of the groove, excess concrete and brick are removed using a hammer drill. There is only one drawback to this technique – the high price. If for a domestic instrument Interskol you will pay 4500–5000 rubles, then for foreign-made brands ( Bosch, Makita, Metabo) you will have to shell out an average of 30,000–55,000 rubles, depending on what the case is made of.
Holes for sockets and finishing - how to do it right?
If it becomes necessary to make holes for a socket or switch, follow the following instructions. First, make a hole in the center with a diameter of 8 mm, and then make a small notch with a crown to mark the outline of the future socket (switch). Along the perimeter of the marked contour, do 8–10 thin holes, after which you can effortlessly make one through hole with a crown. When drilling a hole for the switch box and socket, do not touch the fittings. Violation of the integrity of the reinforcement can lead to the appearance of cracks in the walls and their destruction.
When installing the socket at a short distance from the floor, you don’t have to carry out gating in the wall. Lay the wires on the floor.
After the grooves and everything required holes will be prepared, we clean the walls from dust using a vacuum cleaner and a broom. After laying the cable, we seal the grooves using putty, gypsum, plaster or. Please note that the walls must be tiled before plaster finishing to achieve the most even surface possible before wallpapering.
What structures are prohibited from ditching?
The main question that arises for an inexperienced builder is “Is it possible to ditch a load-bearing wall?” If we are talking about external walls and partitions, gating is allowed, since they are thick and strong, which allows them to withstand the loads of perforating equipment without consequences. The same cannot be said about internal load-bearing walls of frame-panel type. To carry out such work, it is necessary to obtain permission from the municipal construction committee.
It is also prohibited to make a groove in the floor of a panel house. If it is necessary to lay wires, make concrete screed and provide space for the cable. You can only ditch the ceiling along the shortest path to the lamp. Are grooves made in reinforced concrete partitions? No. This leads to the appearance of cracks in the structure and adverse consequences. As a last resort, if it is necessary to make a groove, a shallow groove is made so as not to damage the reinforcing frame.
Mounting or wooden house, do without gating. The walls of such buildings are made of wood or timber; the material will have to be sawed rather than tapped. This is a complex process that takes a lot of time and effort. Therefore, installation is used open wiring. The same rule applies to wooden floor coverings. The wires are laid behind boards, chipboard panels, baseboards, and insulation.
Plasterboard walls are a thin and fragile material, so it will not be possible to install horizontal or vertical grooves in them for laying cables. As with wood, the wires are laid in corrugations or between profiles. But making a hole in the drywall for an outlet or switch is allowed. To do this, use a crown. Latest materials, which I would like to pay attention to are aerated concrete and foam concrete. In them, the groove is made using a manual wall chaser, which costs about 1000 rubles. In any case, the rules for gating walls may differ in each region, so we recommend that you familiarize yourself with them first.
Chasing walls for electrical installations in a house is a process where you have to both break and build at the same time.
To standard two-room apartment, on average, up to 50 meters of grooves are cut. Moreover, for some reason, many are sure that all furrows are made exclusively for wires or plumbing pipes.
In the meantime, this work can be well combined with the manufacture of niches for socket boxes.
Drilling or scoring
Drilling niches for socket boxes is one of the most labor-intensive operations when installing all rough electrical equipment.
Often, to make 3 holes for a recessed block of sockets, it takes no less time than to make all the grooves taken together that go to this niche. 
Today there are three main ways to do this work:
The simplest, fastest and most efficient in terms of labor costs is the third option. Why this is so can be explained by several reasons.
- maximum versatility
The wall chaser can handle any material, from foam blocks to high-strength reinforced concrete. Accordingly, impact crowns of the SDS plus type are no longer needed here.
Yes, they cope with foam blocks and bricks, but problems already appear with concrete walls. It takes much more time, plus the hammer drill itself is operated in a more severe mode. In fact, at its limits. 
If it hits the reinforcement, you simply can’t get enough crowns. It’s only in advertising that they cut it like clockwork. 
- delicate attitude to the surface
Let's say you have masonry that was laid just a couple of days ago, then plastered and at first glance everything is dry. But if you hammer it with an SDS max hammer drill, you will see that you will have to call the plasterers again. Or do the work for them yourself. 
Even taking into account the fact that the hammer drill has the ability to work at half strength, this does not guarantee that microcracks will not appear between the blocks at the joints, which will become even wider over time.
When cutting with a wall saw, the wall material does not resist the disc at all, so such damage does not occur here. Moreover, after cutting out a groove or niche, you can use a regular chisel and carefully gouge out everything you need from the inside. 
Again, without using a hammer drill and its blows.
Of course, professionals can make neat holes with a hammer drill in bare, unplastered concrete wall. However, it is correct to do electrical work after plastering, and not before. 
- fittings
The SDS-max hammer drill cannot always pass through and cut through reinforcement. And in this case, don’t even dream about any 60mm recessed socket boxes and installation of wiring without junction boxes. 
True, when doing this work, never forget about such a factor as load-bearing walls. To find out whether it is possible to ditch them and, if so, how exactly, read in more detail at the end of the article.
Diamond blades
A very important thing when cutting grooves and sawing out niches is the quality of the diamond blades. You should never save money here and only buy well-known brands. 
Even if your wall cutter or wall cutter is not Hilti or DeWalt but some other little-known brand, buy only expensive consumables. On cheaper diamond blades, the first thing that can wear off is not the diamond coating itself, but simply tearing out the seat under the fastening nut. 
If buying a wall saw is an unaffordable luxury for you, but in the meantime you already have a hammer drill and don’t need to buy anything else, then work the old fashioned way. 
For all the secrets of drilling out socket boxes, and ways to avoid breaking crowns when passing through reinforcement, read the link above.
Cable grooving - tool selection
To groove directly under the wiring, there is no need to engage in handicrafts and gouge out curved and oblique slopes and furrows with a spatula or chisel. 
Today, there is already a rich assortment of wall chasers that are relatively affordable in price and quality, as well as cheap attachments for chasing on a regular angle grinder. 
You can easily purchase them, even if you need them to renovate just one apartment. With their ridiculous price, you won’t feel any increase in your budget. 
The cutting speed at which these attachments work will pleasantly surprise you. And again, with high-quality discs, the material of the walls will not play a dominant role. 
When choosing wall chasers and attachments, it is especially worth paying attention to the possibility of sawing corners at 90 degrees. And all this should be done without dust. 
Any comfortable gating is impossible without dust removal. Of course, few people will buy a professional construction vacuum cleaner for renovation of one apartment or house. 
In this case, take care of at least minimal dust collection devices or convert an ordinary vacuum cleaner to serve the functions of a construction vacuum cleaner.
By the way, the Air Duster nozzle freely throws out all the waste during gating, even without a vacuum cleaner. True, a protective mask in this case will be a mandatory attribute of your work. 
It is a mask, not just glasses and a respirator. Our Chinese comrades offer a very high-quality model. 
Its price is several times lower than professional masks from ZM, and the build quality is at the same level. Read the reviews.
You can find out the latest current price and order a similar mask from here.
Grilling technique and work procedure
Let's move on directly to the gating process. The order of work is as follows.
After marking, first use a wall cutter to make holes and niches for the socket boxes, and then the grooves themselves.
The technique for cutting niches is simple. Take the machine and first apply the edge that is closest to the dust extraction to the wall. 
After the disk is completely buried, there will be no dust at all. Of course, if you have a vacuum cleaner. 
Do not forget that gating is an operation always associated with a great risk to your health. Therefore, the use of minimal means personal protection Necessarily. Even if you only need to walk a few centimeters. 
After cutting the strips, use a chisel to knock out the resulting squares by hand. In order to do this without a hammer drill and chisel, the cubes must be relatively small in size.
Therefore, in addition to the perimeter of the niche, with a double block of socket boxes, also run the wall cutter disc through the center. And with a triple block or more, several such incisions are made. 
But in any case, it is still several times faster than drilling with a crown. She will be the best option only in soft walls- gas block, foam concrete.
The only advice is to use it larger diameter than the socket itself. When you plant it on the mortar, you will need a good gap between the socket and the wall. Only in this case will the solution or plaster hold the box well and securely.
And when installing sockets, there will be no problems with them falling out or being pulled out when using even a non-standard plug. 
Distances, depth, groove width
What nuances should you pay attention to when cutting walls for cables? Firstly, this minimum distances and indents. Here, adhere to the following recommendations and rules:
- max groove depth - 25mm
- when installing one cable without corrugation, a width of up to 5 mm is sufficient
- when using corrugation - 20-25mm
Also pay attention to the location of the furrow relative to the socket box. It shouldn't go straight down the middle.
Always orient it closer to the edges. Moreover, left or right also plays a role. 
If the future socket or switch is located close to the doorway, then it would be more correct to draw the groove exactly to the far edge from the door. Otherwise, when installing doors, installers will damage the cable with a long dowel when drilling. 
They are also often used when gating laser level. Firstly, it makes work easier and faster. And secondly, the cable will be laid perfectly straight.
In the future, when you drill a screw into the wall for a picture, you will know exactly how many millimeters away from the outlet you have a cable under the plaster. 
You won’t need to use all sorts of fancy devices and fancy wall scanners to detect wires under plaster. 
The correct cutting direction is top to bottom. You will be less tired, and gravity, on the contrary, will be an assistant when working. 
It is enough to attach the wall chaser to the wall, and then high-quality discs and the force of gravity of the earth will do most of the work for you.
Is it prohibited to tap into a load-bearing wall?
Most main question which worries everyone - is it possible to cut and groove load-bearing walls. And what do SNiP and GOSTs say about this?
Although it was signed for Moscow, its recommendations are followed in other regions. Specifically, clause 11.11 says: “It is prohibited to make grooves in HORIZONTAL seams and under internal wall panels. It is also prohibited to make grooves in wall panels and floor slabs.”
It turns out that it is impossible to cut grooves in the ceiling in any direction. 
There, use only external cable fastening using clips and corrugations. 
In monolithic panels, it is possible to cut grooves only in the plaster layer, without going deep into the wall itself and without weakening its surface. As for other load-bearing walls, only vertical grooves are allowed there, but even then the integrity of the reinforcement inside must not be violated. 
This is why electricians say that the plaster should always go before the electrics, and not vice versa.
You thereby get the necessary head start, a couple of extra centimeters of the plaster layer. And when cutting a furrow or drilling out a socket box, you simply won’t reach the fittings. 
Just imagine that in the load-bearing wall in the photo below, you will cut a niche for recessed socket boxes 6 cm inward! And the same amount on the back side in another room. 
What if your neighbors below and above do the same? How long will your high-rise building last and who will be to blame if one day it collapses like a house of cards?
Of course, this is the most extreme and unlikely case. However, most often such houses, after 10-15 years of operation, are considered unsafe.
What to do if you can’t do without socket boxes in a monolithic wall? In this case, place drywall there and mount the socket box in plasterboard wall without disturbing the monolith. 
As for panel houses, where virtually all walls are load-bearing, then in them standard option is the use of factory voids in slabs. Otherwise, you will have to run the electrician along the ceiling (on clips) or along the floor (in a screed). 
According to the decree of the Moscow Government of February 8, 2005 No. 73PP, in residential buildings of standard series it is not allowed to “install grooves in horizontal seams and under internal wall panels, as well as in wall panels and floor slabs.”
Let us consider these cases in more detail. Horizontal seams mean seams between panels, or between a floor panel and load-bearing wall. In some old panel houses, the walls are made of two slabs standing on top of each other. If the integrity of the seam is compromised, the load from the top slab will be distributed over a smaller area, which can lead to its collapse. When installing grooves in the upper and especially lower horizontal seams, the connection between the ceiling and the load-bearing wall on which it rests is lost.
Destruction of the reinforcement of floor slabs and load-bearing walls is extremely dangerous. Concrete itself is a strong material, but fragile, and if it is provided with reinforcement, it is flexible metal frame, - then under critical load it will not collapse completely, but will only give small cracks. In this case, the load will not fall only on the reinforcement. A curved slab, stretching on one side, is compressed on the other, where concrete prevents its compression.
All slabs, without exception, bend, both horizontal and vertical, therefore, without even touching the reinforcement, you can significantly reduce the load-bearing capacity of the slab. Usually the protective layer of concrete is 25 mm, but in case of defects it can be less, so there is a risk of exposing the reinforcement during shallow gating. Exposed reinforcement rusts, and this does not have the best effect on the condition of the structure. In general, given the poor quality of the vast majority of houses, gating even in places not specified in the above decree can be dangerous.
There are areas in residential building structures where gating is permitted, but not desirable, and where it can significantly reduce its ability to resist external and internal loads
For example, rigidity diaphragms are walls that prevent load-bearing walls from moving away from their design position, found in monolithic and brick buildings. The rigid structure, as a rule, is the staircase-elevator unit, therefore, in the apartments adjacent to it, the possibility of gating is more limited than in others. Vertical seams in panel houses are not recommended for gating, since vertical slabs, and especially outer wall, not only compress under the influence of loads, but also bend, while the outer wall tends to bend outward. In addition, a noticeable impact on the home can be caused by strong wind, which the outer wall would not be able to resist if it had no support. This support is provided by perpendicular panels that prevent it from falling and protect each other from deflections. Therefore, cutting horizontal seams is only relatively safe.
It is possible, perhaps, to trench the walls under the cladding without causing harm only in brick houses, where their thickness is approximately 300-400 mm, and in some monolithic new buildings. Important factors determining the possibility of gating are the scale of unauthorized redevelopment, leading to a partial loss of the load-bearing capacity of the building structure, the presence of defects in all types of houses and the wear and tear of old buildings.
Grooving is usually done with a hammer drill, but there is a drilling technique with a diamond cutting surface that allows you to lay a channel for wiring without unnecessary noise, dust and vibrations that cause cracks in concrete.
Is it allowed to ditch where decree No. 73PP does not prohibit? The answer to this question can be found in Resolution No. 883PP dated November 15, 2005. It states that “replacement and (or) installation of additional equipment (engineering, technical) with an increase in energy and water consumption and (or) with the replacement of existing or laying additional supply networks (excluding the installation of heated floors from communal water supply and heating systems) » refers to reconstruction work and is carried out according to a project that is being approved by the relevant organizations.
In addition, the project includes the installation of household electric stoves to replace gas stoves or kitchen fireplaces, installation of outdoor technical means(air conditioners, antennas, etc.), elements that ensure unhindered movement low mobility groups population (squeezing telescopic elevators, double-row handrails, etc.), as well as the installation (transfer) of toilets, bathrooms and kitchens.
Rearrangement of plumbing fixtures in the existing dimensions of toilets, bathrooms, kitchens is carried out according to the sketch
Replacement (without rearrangement) engineering equipment similar in parameters and technical device carried out without drawing up design and permitting documentation.
From Resolution No. 883PP it follows that the replacement and installation of additional equipment will have to be coordinated if it is planned to replace old ones and lay new supply networks, but in practice everything is much more complicated.
Residents of only some new buildings will have to order an electrical project if there is no plan to increase energy consumption and have it approved, where this may be required by the organization managing the building.
If you plan to increase energy consumption, then the project will be taken seriously, because in this case the participation of a specialist will definitely be required.
The project can be ordered from design organization, which has the appropriate license and, as a rule, is also involved in its coordination and implementation.
Resolution No. 883PP dated November 15, 2005, as well as the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, require the following documents to be provided for approval of a redevelopment project:
1) application for reconstruction and (or) redevelopment in the form approved by the Government Russian Federation(written on a form issued by the Housing Inspectorate);
2) title documents for the residential premises being rebuilt and (or) replanned (originals or notarized copies);
3) prepared and executed in in the prescribed manner project for reconstruction and (or) redevelopment of rebuilt and (or) redesigned residential premises;
4) technical certificate rebuilt and (or) redesigned residential premises;
5) consent in writing of all members of the tenant’s family (including temporarily absent members of the tenant’s family) occupying the residential premises being rebuilt and (or) redesigned on the basis of a social tenancy agreement;
6) the conclusion of the body for the protection of architectural, historical and cultural monuments on the admissibility of reconstruction and (or) redevelopment of a residential premises, if such a residential premises or the house in which it is located is an architectural, historical or cultural monument.
Illegal reconstruction threatens with a fine of 1,000 to 2,500 rubles, or a court order and a requirement to restore the premises to their previous form.
According to the current legislation, this package of documents is submitted to the “one window” service of the Housing Inspectorate in order to obtain the final document - “Decision on approval of reconstruction”, which allows the specified repair and construction work to be carried out. At the same time, the organization implementing the project is issued a “Journal of repair and construction work”, which records the entire process of performing the work, and which it is obliged to maintain until the acceptance committee issues the “Certificate of Reconstruction”. This scheme is valid in the case of rearranging plumbing fixtures in the existing dimensions of toilets, bathrooms and kitchens, carried out according to a sketch made by the residents themselves, as well as in the case of installing or moving toilets, bathrooms and kitchens, carried out according to the project.
If the premises are not restored to their previous condition within the time frame and in the manner established by the body carrying out the approval, the social tenancy agreement will be terminated with the tenant and he will be evicted without the provision of new housing. The owner's apartment will be sold at public auction with the proceeds from the sale paid to him minus the costs of executing the court decision.
To summarize, I would like to urge the reader who is planning to make a ditch at his own discretion to be extremely careful.
The project may be expensive, but much more expensive is the confidence in the reliability of your home and in your own safety.
In the end (unfortunately or fortunately), the situation is almost entirely in the hands of the residents, that is, in our hands...