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  • Carpentry-trackworld: Meter cupboard
  • mtbtom
    Free Member

    I have gas and electricity meters and consumer unit inside my hallway. The old fitted cupboard got ripped out when I had the house rewired recently (too small for a modern consumer unit). Unfortunately it got ripped out before I had a chance to examine the construction.

    Internal dimensions need to be around 100cm wide, 100cm tall and 28cm deep.

    That puts it outside of hacking up an Ikea Billy bookcase to cover it up, Billy bookcases are only 80cm wide. I haven’t had much luck finding something else suitable.

    That probably leaves me with something custom. I’m happy to DIY it and have most of the tools from my deck build last summer, but don’t want the finish to look terrible, which is why i’ve been looking at modifying off-the-shelf stuff. Rough sawn work in the garden is different in terms of finish from indoors!

    Currently thinking of a painted plywood carcass, attached to the wall for strength and resistance to racking. I have a sheet of left-over ply in the garage.

    Anyone got any tips or photos of similar projects they’ve completed?

    [Edit: Mods – sorry put this in the bike forum by accident, feel free to move it]

    nickdavies
    Full Member

    How close are your dimensions? Thats big for a meter cabinet, if you have space at the bottom then a kitchen wall unit would do best, get a 100cm wide double, 300mm deep will give you approx 280mm internal, and 920 high. Mount that on legs to get the extra height and put plinth over the legs, finish the top with a bit of bathroom worktop. If you really need the 100cm internal space then you could hack a bit out of the base, you wont see it when its closed.

    GrahamA
    Free Member

    I’d try looking for a local kitchen or bedroom company, you should be able to find one that can make a cabinet with custom dimensions

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    mtbtom
    Free Member

    Thanks Nick / Graham – that sounds workable. Must admit I hadn’t considered kitchen cabinets – they’re usually so deep, hadn’t occurred to me you can get half-depth / slimline ones.

    You’re right, that is a big space for a meter cupboard. Includes a big gas meter which has been moved over as a result of a new feed coming into the property at some point. Is a right eye-sore!

    Plenty of space at the bottom, a good 15-20cm, so asides from fitting around pipes / cables coming out of the floor it should be good.

    Thanks both, this will save me hours of cutting, sanding and painting something custom.

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    The change to smart meters is coming,it may be worth waiting until it has been changed.

    jamj1974
    Full Member

    Can you not get an external gas meter in either a wall-mounted box or a semi-concealed meter in a ground-level box…?

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    I looked into that. Over £1k to have the meter moved through the wall. This is even though they were replacing the meter anyway.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Pretty simple really. Just bear in mind that this is just a box with doors to cover something – you’re not going to be using it to store stuff – so it doesn’t need to be capaable of holding 50 cans of soup and baked beans.
    I knocked this up a few years ago from some spare mdf to cover ours.

    It’s just screwed together at corners. As long as you make sure top & bottom and sides are exactly the same lengths, it’ll be square enough when you screw it together.
    Offer it to the wall with a boat level sat inside, draw lines down the side for battens. Screw in battens and screw cupboard to battens.

    Make doors & use simple hinges. Fill everything and paint to match wall. Job jobbed.

    project
    Free Member

    Measure up what you need make a basic drawing of the box in isometric and then transpose those sizes into a cutting list, pop down to Band Q and get the 3/4 mdf cut to size, then just screw together, youll need help when afixing to wall if its mounted high up. Also be aware there may be wires coming out of the fuse box up or down or side to side.

    jamj1974
    Full Member

    I looked into that. Over £1k to have the meter moved through the wall. This is even though they were replacing the meter anyway.

    Sorry, last had one done 12 years ago – seems it’s got a lot more expensive or time has eased the pain…

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