Unfinished

[kwired]

Conductivity, umm I'm not really sure that comes into play much

Isn't that the reason gfci protection is required in unfinished basements, garages, and outdoors?

Homeowner is using electric equipment possibly standing barefoot on concrete or moist dirt and equipment has a fault then GFCI will hopefully protect this vulnerable person. The less conductive the surface you are standing on is the less vulnerable you are to a possible shock.

Maybe you were with me on this all along I did not notice your at first.

 

[Steve Beranek]

I fail to see where paint, coverings, etc have anything to do with whether it is finished or not.

If it is used as a habitable space then it is a habitable space. If you want to call it unfinished you need at least one GFCI protected receptacle. If you want to call it finished you must meet the rest off 210 requirements.

A building code may call it finished or unfinished by what the covering materials are but the NEC does not.

That is where interpretation to the code comes in. In our county if the floor is unfinished, plain concrete, then it is more than likely not going to be used as habitable rooms. And it will more than likely be used as storage for whom ever moves in. This isn't whether or not the builder calls it habitable and he plans on the homeowner using it as a living area.

As I showed in 210.8(a)(5) "...basement not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas..."

Prove that the room is habitable

You know I've read "argueing with an inspector is like wrestling a pig in the mud, eventually the pig wins, and he enjoys it"

 

[iwire]

Conductivity, umm I'm not really sure that comes into play much

I think conductivity is what it is all about.

IMO the NEC requires GFCI protection in dwelling unit unfinished basements entirely because of the conductivity of the floor first and the types of activities that go on in these basements second.

This does not mean I think the NEC requires GFCI protection on any bare concrete only in dwelling unit basements ............ and mall slabs in the next town over. :roll:

 

[iwire]

(Prove that the room is habitable

Prove it's not.

That clears up nothing.

 

[mivey]

I think conductivity is what it is all about.

IMO the NEC requires GFCI protection in dwelling unit unfinished basements entirely because of the conductivity of the floor first and the types of activities that go on in these basements second.

This does not mean I think the NEC requires GFCI protection on any bare concrete only in dwelling unit basements ............ and mall slabs in the next town over. :roll:

What about tile floors?

add: the conductivity, that is

 

[kwired]

That is where interpretation to the code comes in. In our county if the floor is unfinished, plain concrete, then it is more than likely not going to be used as habitable rooms. And it will more than likely be used as storage for whom ever moves in. This isn't whether or not the builder calls it habitable and he plans on the homeowner using it as a living area.

As I showed in 210.8(a)(5) "...basement not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas..."

Prove that the room is habitable

You know I've read "argueing with an inspector is like wrestling a pig in the mud, eventually the pig wins, and he enjoys it"

I'm a pig myself, may the better pig win.

Inspector pig has many other pigs to support him so I have to be a clever pig sometimes to win.

Speaking of pigs I have some work to do soon in a barn full of pigs - always a lot of fun

 

[neutral]

In the case of the mall I believe the inspector is going well past actual code requirements. We just do it and pass the cost up the chain to the customer. Not worth fighting it, when this inspector started in the trade he was wiring homes for cavemen. :grin:

Now we learn the truth, Inspecting is so easy a caveman can do it

 

[mivey]

Now we learn the truth, Inspecting is so easy a caveman can do it

Harumph!