Running board or drill?

Status
Not open for further replies.
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Occupation
Massachusetts Master Electrician, one man show.
What would yo do. Obviously I choose to use a running board.
DSC00502.jpg
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Running boards, hands down. I use them all the time. Nice work, by the way. :)

I thought I was going to have to lend you my dog to help you out, seeing as how you have so much difficulty with a screwdriver. :p But I guess I don't have to anymore after seeing that pic.
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Drill for sure. Running board is not that professional. It creates more work for the homeowner come finishing the basement time. My contractors do not allow anything but drilling. Just use what the plumbers use, and drill a couple of 2 inch holes spaced out a bit and its not that bad.

[ May 01, 2005, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: aelectricalman ]
 
Re: Running board or drill?

How many cables do you guy's normally run through a 2" hole? Sorry, had to ask, I don't wire new homes.
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Originally posted by aelectricalman:
.... Just use what the plumbers use, and drill a couple of 2 inch holes spaced out a bit and its not that bad.
Click to expand...
How bad is not that bad?

There are specific guidelines to drilling/notching structural beams...just "doing what a plumber does"...does NOT make the action correct (have you ever seen some butchered joists in a bathroom floor?).

Here's a handy guide:
http://www.tileyourworld.com/construction/JoistBoringGuide.pdf
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Personally I would have ran as many feeders up the 1st fl wall and then out to help distribute the feeders.
Once in the basement, however, I am all for finding one path back and running them below with running boards.
This would be a different story if you were not neat about it, or chose angled routes to take not stright out.
I like it.
Besides, how well could the drywall that ceiling with that flex duct right there? All it takes anyways is a few more 2x2's to lowere the ceiling to that height for drywall anyways.
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Basically a running board is a strip of wood that matches(at minimum) the OD of the cable installed. We use them when running across a ceiling that will be rocked or across an attic floor that may be stepped on. The sole purpose of the board is to protect the wire from damage. It kind of creates a safe channel/chase for the wiring.
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Until a drywall guy drives a screw into the cable. If I am going across a ceiling that I know will never be finished ( say 4 feet high ) and the cable is 6/3 then I do not need a running board. Basement ceilings are a different story and what I use is EMT or PVC.

[ May 03, 2005, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: mc5w ]
 
Re: Running board or drill?

If it is to be "rocked" I presume that you mean covered up by sheet rock. It would no longer be "exposed" and would be a violation of 300.4(D) Of course you could use 1?" running boards. :roll:

320.15
320.23(A)
334.15(A)

Is only for installations where the cable intended to stay "exposed"

334.15 Exposed Work. In exposed work, except as provided in 300.11(A), the cable shall be installed as specified in 334.15(A) through (C).
Click to expand...
 
Re: Running board or drill?

Originally posted by mc5w:
If I am going across a ceiling that I know will never be finished ( say 4 feet high ) and the cable is 6/3 then I do not need a running board.
Click to expand...
Regardless of whether the ceiling is getting finished or not, 334.15(C) allows 6/3 to be run under the joists.

I'm a slob, but piping all the runs? Do you derate them, or run five pipes in a basement? :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top