Basement: Surface-mounted or flush-mounted?

Hello everyone,

Currently, our new building is being constructed (“schlüsselfertig"). All electrical cables in the basement are being installed surface-mounted, which is not unusual for a basement.

However, I might want to convert a basement room into a study in a few years, which should look somewhat “wohnlich”. Therefore, I would like to ask you how complicated it is to later change from a surface-mounted to a flush-mounted installation. I am especially thinking of the light outlet in the ceiling and sockets on the exterior basement walls.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Baunovize

If that is your plan, just have it built that way now. Stedo is not the problem anyway, but the light outlet will come from the ground floor. Ask your electrician and have the critical points prepared now, otherwise it will be (planned) botch later!

Thank you very much for your response. You hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, I can no longer intervene in the planning for various reasons. I would be interested to know how the light outlet will be solved if it does not come from the ground floor. At first, I thought of a suspended ceiling, but with a ceiling height of 2.30 meters, that is probably not an option.

Normally, the cables are already in the lightweight concrete ceiling, but with you, that will be too late or, if you don't have a floor structure on the ground floor yet, you could drill through the ceiling and lay the lamp cable over the ground floor to the switch. If you don't want to do that now and later can't lower the ceiling because of the room height, the only option left is surface wiring.

Surface-mounted is not necessarily ugly. Have you ever seen the switches in old Tuscan villas? There, the cables are also "surface-mounted" and it is extremely cozy and aesthetic. For example, take a look at Gi Gambarell or other manufacturers that are not in the boring standard electrician catalog.

Sockets in the exterior basement walls

If it is constructed as a white tank in concrete, I would leave it alone. If at all, then only with a drywall in front of the exterior wall or surface-mounted or skirting strip.

Indirect lighting via continuous wall strips (with a light-painted ceiling) can also be very cozy, or several large floor lamps.