Installing Plugmold and UCL's there's got to be a better way?

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relochris

relochris

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North Carolina
A builder I've worked for has fallen in love with the plugmold behind the UCL installation in his kitchens. My problem is that I never feel satisfied with my installs. I've been using fender washers to get the plugmold off of the cabinet enough to get the UCL wire behind it. The plugmold is installed facing down with the UCL directly in front of it. Does anyone have a good way of doing this type of installation. I think everyone hates wiremold, but once a builder falls in love there's nothing you can do. Thanks.
 
relochris said:
The plugmold is installed facing down with the UCL directly in front of it. Does anyone have a good way of doing this type of installation.
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When this type of "look" is requested by the people holding the purse strings, I have to include a bit of added time (and cost on the bill) for coordinating with the cabinet installers and for precise elevations of the cabinets at the time of roughin.

I try, to the best of my ability, to place the UCL stub at the left or right end of the plugmold strip, and then run into the end of the luminaire. If the luminaire that I am required to install has a wiring compartment that is only on one end, then I have to know that, as well, at the time of rough in.

Then, I need to make sure the cabinet installers know that I want the stub right in the corner of the underside of the upper.
 
Almost all of the kitchens I do get this setup. Kitchen cabinet layout and elevation is a must. I install a wiremold box with a 2000 series knock out in it usually a 2 gang, this allows me to locate the GFI in one of the boxes it also holds the plugmold out from the wall to allow wall warts to plug in. When the undercabinet lights are line voltage I wire mold from the 2 gang to the fixture, some of the fixtures I use already have a wiremold insert if not there is a wiremold to 1/2'' ko fitting. I also use alot of seagull low voltage this is brought out next to the wiremold box they have a romex to low volt cable box which makes a good transition. I alway try to get my stuff up before the tile guy, you can cut drywall and reposition if need be. Take a piece of tile and use it as a guide for setting boxes next to the wall. The two biggest things are think it through during the rough in stage, and install after the counter tops are set or before the bottoms are installed.
 
Thanks Scott. My question is rhetorical, mostly.

My point goes to the mention of WM 2000 Series earlier in the thread. That is, WM 2000 Series doesn't satisfy 2008 NEC 406.11.

The other point goes to aesthetics and the expectations of the designer, decorator, owner, GC, etc., who "knows" what a good install should "look" like.

The person paying for this aesthetic is buying the absense of any electrical hardware in plain sight.

The Tech Lighting rail is enormous, and, to be out of sight, requires custom valences, and most "designers" I know will say the look of the resulting cabinets is wrong.

The WM 24R Series is definitely better, at 7/8" thick, but the width of ~2" makes it hard to mount to the back splash and hide without a super wide valence, . . . and when mounted to the bottom of the upper, the end feed sticks down ~ 2". Same problem.

Either the customer has to be told to change their idea of what looks good, or I have to find a better material solution. Remember, this is a customer paying more. . . paying for the "look" that is promised by the 1" thin luminaires.

What other TR plugmold solutions are there?
 
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In regards to the tamper resistant plugmold, 2005 NEC is enforced in 90% of my working area. I also have the luxury of 2'' light rails on the majority of upper cabinets. I will need to start looking into the tamper plugmold though, we are going thru the adoption process now.
 
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