Hello Forum, I'm an electrician working on a new house for a customer. The new "fad" in our area is homeowners using pole barn steel to finish their garages, used to be garages were sheet rocked, mudded and that's about it. So the pole building steel does provide a very fast way to make a garage look nice, and it can get wet without worrying about the paint.
Now in a normal pole building this would be wired in conduit. The customer is ok with running conduit in their new garage but would really like the wiring in the walls for a cleaner look. On a prior job with an inspector I was told romex could not be installed behind steel because its not fire rated. We are told there is a fire rated sheet steel available we're looking at. But I'm just curious if someone could clear up NEC 2020 code 334.10 (3) for me, as to what defines a "thermal barrier" and what the general purpose this paragraph is getting at? I'm not seeing anywhere else in the code under uses permitted or uses not permitted for NM cable that defines what coverings aren't allowed.
Thanks in advance.
Now in a normal pole building this would be wired in conduit. The customer is ok with running conduit in their new garage but would really like the wiring in the walls for a cleaner look. On a prior job with an inspector I was told romex could not be installed behind steel because its not fire rated. We are told there is a fire rated sheet steel available we're looking at. But I'm just curious if someone could clear up NEC 2020 code 334.10 (3) for me, as to what defines a "thermal barrier" and what the general purpose this paragraph is getting at? I'm not seeing anywhere else in the code under uses permitted or uses not permitted for NM cable that defines what coverings aren't allowed.
Thanks in advance.
