GFI receptacles over concrete floor

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jimbaird

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If a residential concrete floor is painted, sealed, or otherwise surface treated, and is intended as floor for habitable space, do receptacles have to be GFI protected?
 
jimbaird said:
If a residential concrete floor is painted, sealed, or otherwise surface treated, and is intended as floor for habitable space, do receptacles have to be GFI protected?
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What is the "habitable" space going to be used for? There is no requirement that a concrete floor itself means that you have to install a GFCI.
 
480sparky said:
The floor treatment has nothing to do with resi GFI protections.
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That's not true for basements. . It all depends on how you define the word "unfinished". . An unfinished basement needs GFCI protection.

We define "finished" as having:
1] finished wall surface [drywall, plaster, plywood, paneling, etc]
and
2] either finished ceiling [drywall, plaster, tile + grid, paneling, etc] or floor covering [carpet, tile, linoleum, etc]

If it's not finished, then it's unfinished and needs GFCI protection.
 
While inspecting I have been told many times the GFCI protection was for the concrete floor. I have always accepted it but never required it for that purpose alone. Often wondered where that came from??
 
jamesoftn said:
While inspecting I have been told many times the GFCI protection was for the concrete floor. I have always accepted it but never required it for that purpose alone. Often wondered where that came from??
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I can't see any reason the floor should have anything to do with it. The code section seems pretty clear. When you walk into a room you would think it would be obvious if it is habitable. Dry wall, light fixures, some kind of enviromental conditioning, cable hook ups, telephone lines... I would consider signs. Of course if your installing a circuit in an old house and you see couches and tvs I guess you know.
 
Since when does having a concrete floor, finished or not, make a room uninhabitable? Uncomfortable, maybe. Unsightly? Possibly.

FWIW, many governments use the presence of a floor covering in their application of rules classifying a room for tax purposes....
 
jamesoftn said:
While inspecting I have been told many times the GFCI protection was for the concrete floor. I have always accepted it but never required it for that purpose alone. Often wondered where that came from??
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I think it comes from someone's attempt to simplify and generalize. Garages, carports, and basements often share one common item: concrete floor.
 
Just to throw in one other consideration.

When looking at the word "unfinished" in applying 210.8(A)(5), it's not just GFCI requirements that are in question. . It also affects application of 210.52(A). . If the basement is considered to be finished, then 2-6-12 plug spacing would be needed.
 
Iv'e been in many homes that have concrete floors thruout the whole house and gfic protection is only required as per section 210.8.
 
My house has a basement with a concrete floor. When I bought it, I moved a refrigerator, a TV, and a Lazy Boy chair into the basement. It's as finished as it's ever going to get and you'd be surprised how often it's inhabitited. Then again, you probably wouldn't be surprised. :grin:
 
floor grounded

floor grounded

Ive read in the code somewhere that concrete and masonry walls and floors are considered as grounded. But just because it is grounded doesnt mean it has to have gfci. Think about this if a basement is made habitable and ceramic tile is put on the floor does that make it any less grounded ? I can see some peoples point though. If I made contact with a source of current, I would sure rather be on a wood floor than concrete and the gfci would be a nice luxury.
 
I was in a service station last week, it had a polished concrete floor. Looked a lot like terrazzo, the polished floors seen in schools.
Another myth of electricity. I should make a list.
 
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