romex in commercial

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ActionDave

Chief Moderator
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Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
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Licensed Electrician
That might actually be worse unless the TGI's are going to be drywalled over before the drop ceiling is hung, otherwise the NM is still going to be exposed. Just run MC.

Once I did a two story office building and we grouped all the NM between furring strips nailed to the bottom of the TJI's and a drywall cap was added. Not worth the effort but that's what the bosses wanted.

The easiest thing to do is just run MC.
 

hunterhare

Member
Location
utah, usa
eh i know I should of grabbed some MC, I called my boss and told what's up, that the ceiling is open now and sprayed black and he said just run romex. I guess they'll never be able to add a drop ceiling because of my work :( crap but it's what I was told to do. I just didn't want to put that limitation in that room but everything else was MC and it's one hold strapped to the bottom of the TGI's so they'll never be able to sheetrock it anyway. oh well
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Catch 22... if they did a drop ceiling you would be in violation of 334.12(A)(2). If they can't sheetrock it you will in all probability be in violation of 334.10(3).
There was a reason that MC was there. :D
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
Is a Assisted Living Retirement Home considered multi family or commercial? I'm wondering about romex above a suspended ceiling. Theirs 50 rooms. The Memory care section has 30 more rooms
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Is a Assisted Living Retirement Home considered multi family or commercial? I'm wondering about romex above a suspended ceiling. Theirs 50 rooms. The Memory care section has 30 more rooms

I think that one will depend on if there are individual "dwelling units", and the type of construction as this could possibly be considered a multifamily dwelling, if so NM cable could be permitted.
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
I know this is an old post but since it got necro'd...

Is the limitation on NM above a suspended ceiling only if the drop ceiling is the only ceiling? iow, if I have a code-compliant installation of NM above a drywall ceiling, I could add a suspended ceiling under that, yes?
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
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Retired PV System Designer
I know this is an old post but since it got necro'd...

Is the limitation on NM above a suspended ceiling only if the drop ceiling is the only ceiling? iow, if I have a code-compliant installation of NM above a drywall ceiling, I could add a suspended ceiling under that, yes?
An excellent thought problem.
As long as the NM is compliant above the hard ceiling I do not see how adding a suspended ceiling below that changes anything.
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
Yes, thanks.
The units have there own furnace, there own panel, condensing unit, sink, fridge, microwave but no stove.

The building is wood on a slab.
We used romex everywhere so far. All above sheet rock.
It's pretty common in hallways to sheetrock above a drop cieling to retard a fire.

I'm thinking about the can lights in the hall.

There is NO inspections in this county.
But I'm doing mostly every thing by code.

The building will be sold. I presume will have some type of bank inspections.
Thanks
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Yes, thanks.
The units have there own furnace, there own panel, condensing unit, sink, fridge, microwave but no stove.

The building is wood on a slab.
We used romex everywhere so far. All above sheet rock.
It's pretty common in hallways to sheetrock above a drop cieling to retard a fire.

I'm thinking about the can lights in the hall.

There is NO inspections in this county.
But I'm doing mostly every thing by code.


Thanks

The building will be sold. I presume will have some type of bank inspections. Does the hall have suspended ceiling or are can lights you mention in the drywall ceiling? You said there is no inspections, but often such a corridor will be required to have a 1 hour finish, some cans may not be suitable in the 1 hour finish but would be fine if in a suspended ceiling with the one hour finish above it.

The corridor is an egress route and the reason they want it to be a 1 hour finish
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
Yes the hall is a suspended ceiling. The sheet rock / fire protection also in the hall is about 4 ft. above that. As you mentioned we will be using can lights.
 
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