Holes through brick walls

[Broadie451]

Do you need to sleeve holes in exterior brick walls if you are using the hole to run electric cable in (T&E) to a light fitting.

Also can you use the cavity to run cable from the first floor to a hole in the wall on the ground floor, for the exterior light.

[Disco Fever]

The answer to your first question is no you don't have to but just make sure that the hole is covered by the fitting and no water ingress will get into the cavity.

If you run a cable in the cavity you are supposed to make allowances to the cable size as a cable in a cavity wall has to be slightly bigger in capacity due to external influences of the cavity wall insulation keeping the cable warm....

[Broadie451]

Thanks Disco,

the house is early 70's construction and the is no insulation in the cavity. It looks like a 3" air gap between the inner and outer walls. I was going to use 1.5mm T&E or do you tink flex is better.