How to Install an Electrical Box in a Brick Wall

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Things You'll Need

  • Marker

  • Pencil

  • Cold chisel

  • Hammer

  • Concrete screws

  • Drill

  • Pliers

  • Screwdriver

Putting an electrical box into brick requires some chiseling.

At the time that many brick buildings were built, their interiors were covered with lath and plaster because brick wasn't considered attractive or fashionable. Since that time, the interior walls of many houses, apartments and lofts have been stripped back to reveal bare brick. You may want the convenience of an electrical outlet in the middle of your bare brick wall.

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Step 1

Mark out the location of your planned electrical box on the surface of the brick wall with a marker or a pencil.

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Step 2

Break out the brick along the outline that you made using a cold chisel and a hammer. Bring the wire to this location either by drilling up from underneath the floor, inserting the wire from the other side of the wall or running a metal conduit along the surface of the wall.

Step 3

Insert the electrical box and pull the wire out through it. Secure the box to the brick using a hammer drill and concrete screws.

Step 4

Attach the bare wire to the green screw on the bottom of the outlet, the white wire to the silver screw on the side of the outlet and the black wire to the gold screw on the side of the outlet.

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Step 5

Press the electrical outlet into the box and secure it by screwing it in. Place the plate over the surface of the outlet and box and screw it on.

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