Hello,
This is my first post and I could not find a forum dedicated to electrical work so I apologise if this in-correctly categorized.
I have just built a 32×48 steel sided outbuilding with 2×6 walls 24″ oc. And am just starting to plan my branch circuits. I have 1×4 gerters running horizontally on the backside of the wall that the exterior steel siding is screwed to. I do not plan to insulate and rock for some time but do plan on eventually. My question is when running my circuits according to NEC, do I need to drill through the studs or can I run the romex along the gerters?
Thanks
Replies
Steel studs have holes in them for running wires and pipes. You just need to go get a bag of grommets made for the purpose and pull the romex through. You could also use MC cable or ENT (the blue flex conduit) without the grommet.
Personally I like the ENT solution because if you want to change something after you close up the wall you have a raceway in place. I did a home run to a big J box in the attic from each box so I have a lot of options. I have already changed 2 things my wife changed mind on ;-)
Running the wires on the furing strips is not legal. It needs to be 1.25" from the edge of the stud.
Thank you for the response Greg, I should've been more clear in the original post. I have wood 2x6 studs. The steel siding is screwed to the 1x4 horizontal gerters. And I was thinking if I could just run my wire on the gerters behind the 2x6 so I didn't have to drill through all my studs.
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Greg points out the distance needed from edge of framing to safely run your wire. This a both sides measure, from interior and exterior. Laying the wire on top of them doesn't keep them back from your exterior finish enough.
Thank you both for the responses.
Thank you both for the responses.
What's a "Gerter?"
It sounds to me like you will have 1x4's - firring strips- mounted horizontally to the outside face of the 2x6's, to support the metal siding. It sounds like you want to fish the romex behind the studs, using the space created by the firring strips between the studs and the sheet metal.
If this is what you mean. the NEC might actually allow it, as you are not ever passing 'through' a framing member .... but it opens a host of questions about how you will staple the Romex, etc.
Even if this method "works," I don't like having the wire being placed right next to the outside sheet metal.
There are many other matters that I worry about - things I've seen messed up by ambitious handymen. Things like how you get power to the shed, disconnecting means, etc. There are many details that might be 'legal,' but that experience has shown are bad ideas.
Let's refer back to my original post. I just need to know (by NEC) can I run romex cable on firring strips on my shed.
It is my understanding that romex must be protected. If you don't insulate or sheetrock this building, the romex will be exposed. It will not be code complient until the cable is covered.
It is what we call "hold your
It is what we call "hold your nose" legal.
As long as you remember it is there and don't shoot Tek screws or drill holes in the metal siding you should be OK.
I would be sure that siding is well grounded.
code aside
More than once in remo work I've seen where rodents have chewed all the insulation off the wires presumably to enlarge the path
at a constriction. One case had a decayed skeleton between the wires at a stud hole, owner said "I once had trouble with something tripping that
breaker." Another case someone had put aluminum flashing around the range wire to thwart the rats passage. When I pulled out
the range there was all this shiney coppper just a whisker from the flashing. Yikes!
Your suggestion to ground the siding is well advised but I'd prefer the wire wasn't close to where it could ever touch metal.
When I was in Puerto Rico a dozen or so years back, doing hurricane recover work, they had us wire the houses with UF, due to the rat problem.
Since the siding is already in place, he might be able to argue he is "fishing" the cable. Whether the inspector would buy that is a crap shoot but I doubt an inspector is ever going to see it.
Your 1x4 as you describe can be considered as running boards, so you can staple the NM cable right to the surface of those 1x4, except where within 6" of the floor. Staples at or < 4.5 ft apart.
Cannot paste from NEC, so look as exposed NM sections of NEC.
look at section 334.15 (A), 334.30
I ran NM along a horizontal 1x4 nailed to the surface of studs in shop I built last year, was OK with inspector.
Th distrance from stud surface mentioned earlier is only for NM thru studs, so that drywall screws, et do not hit the wire.
Those sections you quote are for EXPOSED cable runs. The OP is talking about running the cable on the siding furring strips, where it will be buried between the side and insulation.
Because it is hidden, the risk is anyone adding a fastener through the siding for what ever purpose ( shelf, signs, reattaching loose siding .....) could hit the electrical cable. The 1.25 inch clearance rule has to apply in this case, so the cable cannot be run on the furring strips without additional protection ( the 1/16" steel plates).