3

I'm considering drywall cover some part of the wood frame on the unfinished side of the basement. The wires and electrical boxes are exposed as in the picture. Not sure if it is necessary. I would appreciate your advice... enter image description here

isherwood
  • 137,324
  • 8
  • 170
  • 404
Dennis
  • 31
  • 3

2 Answers2

2

No, but they do need to be secured to the framing according to the NEC schedule. You must staple (or otherwise restrain) within 12" of each box, and every four feet along framing members, centered on the board. By doing so you reduce the likelihood of cable damage due to snags and fastener penetration.

A neat wiring job involves straight, flat runs, gentle, consistent bends, and adequate stapling. For example:

enter image description here

isherwood
  • 137,324
  • 8
  • 170
  • 404
  • +1 But there is a requirement to protect cables from damage, so if they are in an area that would subject them to being hit or tugged, a covering might be needed. – bib Mar 24 '17 at 14:36
  • Wouldn't they also need to add the little metal cover plates where the wires run through the framing members? – Mobius Mar 24 '17 at 14:44
  • 1
    Only where they're close to the surface. If you put your bores in the center of standard-size studs, they're not. – isherwood Mar 24 '17 at 15:29
  • @bib I think that it's generally assumed that wiring inside wall cavities is relatively safe. Wiring on the surface of walls, beams, joists, etc. is in a different category. – isherwood Mar 24 '17 at 15:30
  • How about using plywood board to cover up only the areas when the cables run ? is that going to be a fire hazard ? – Dennis Mar 24 '17 at 15:43
  • No, using wood in a wall is not a fire hazard. :) You'll need to decide whether that's necessary. It looks like you might be planning a work area there. A backboard would be wise in that case. – isherwood Mar 24 '17 at 15:48
  • Thanks, those twisted cables going into the sides of the panel will haunt my dreams. – Tester101 Mar 25 '17 at 00:40
  • The half-twist? That's the right way to go in my opinion. Flat bends put a lot of stretch into the outer conductor. – isherwood Mar 25 '17 at 12:02
0

You might want to consider armor-clad wiring in this case. It may not be required, but it would ensure the exposed wiring won't be damaged (which would cost more in the long run). This is also safer, since you reduce the risk of shock. We have an unfinished attic where I work that adjoins a finished room. On the unfinished side all wiring is armored.

Machavity
  • 24,720
  • 7
  • 42
  • 93
  • Armor-clad also the part of wire that pass through the studs ? – Dennis Mar 24 '17 at 15:44
  • You would want to go to metal boxes and armor clad inside the studs, yes – Machavity Mar 24 '17 at 15:52
  • To do that, do I replace the plastic outlet boxes with metal ? – Dennis Mar 24 '17 at 15:57
  • Yes. You can buy metal boxes with armor clad clamps that should help the process long (example) – Machavity Mar 24 '17 at 16:03
  • 1
    This answer suggests unnecessary work from a code standpoint: AC cable is subject to the same physical damage requirements as the current NM wiring. – statueuphemism Mar 24 '17 at 16:59
  • Can you tell from the picture if there is anything that needs to be fixed or improved. The area around the on-off wall switch. Should there be more protection on the wire around there ? – Dennis Mar 24 '17 at 18:11
  • @statueuphemism As I stated, it's not required, it just might be a good idea. Code is just a minimum level of safety – Machavity Mar 24 '17 at 18:28
  • @Dennis Other than securing the wire to the stud it looks fine – Machavity Mar 24 '17 at 18:32
  • @Machavity I wasn't knocking you for your answer, I just wanted to make sure Dennis understood it is not required since he was asking a number of questions related to how to do it. That said, I would opt to throw up some drywall before I would completely rewire with AC cable for protection from physical damage. – statueuphemism Mar 24 '17 at 19:12