I have a flat roof territorial style home with 2 x12 ceiling joists though out the home. This is also a slab home...so no basement or attic to work in/through.
If I run additional electrical outlets/circuits/lines...can I drill a 1/2 to
3/4 inch hole along the path of my wiring in the ceiling joists to extend my romex to whatever location is planned ?Otherwise...how do you do something as simple as installing a ceiling fan circuit in any room ?
Thanks, Tim R
It can be done, HOW EVER drilling holes in the middle of a bearing span is NEVER a good idea.
everything you drill will be come a 2 x 10. Better get someone to look it over.
Surface conduit, wiremold can be used.
You do know that a ceiling fan box is a special box attached to the structure. RIGHT?
Sure, as long as the joist isn't swiss-cheesed already. Drill as close to the middle of the joist as you can.
aem sends....
perfectly fine to drill it, just stay at least 2 inches from the edge
Code does limit the amount of cross sectional area that can be removed by a hole (sorry I forget the limit but it should be well within what you describe).
Incedently, notching is generally worse than holes WRT loss of structural support. Far less notching is allowed than a hole.
If these beams are exposed, it would probably look better with a conduit even though that is not required. Running along the wall then against the side of one joist would also limit the visible portions of the run and eliminate most of the holes for just a few $ more in wire and staples. One could even nail up some furring strips to form a channel then cover with some trim to completely hide the wire. Just some more ideas
If you like, I can send you a pdf showing limits on drilling & notching based on IRC 2000. TB
Here is a link to the joist boring guidelines:
In general, bore holes in the center of the joist, not near the top or bottom, and it is better to place them closer to the ends of the joist rather than out in the middle of the span.
Dennis
If this were true, then electrical work in much of America would become a big deal. Drilling a small hole in a 2X12 doesn;t make it a 2X10, any more than the occasional knot or other imperfection in lumber used for construction.
The top of a 2x12 is in compression (it is being pushed together). The bottom in tension (it is being pulled apart). The center just keeps the top and bottom separated. Note how an I-beam is construted with almost all the material at the top and bottom, or a bar-joist with minimal material in the center. Drilling in the center, or away from the edges, of a 2x12 does not affect its strength - it does not take much to keep the edges separated. Notching an edge has a major affect on the strength.
bud--
Is this true for solid wood joists? It is definately NOT true for I-joists.
For I-joists, you can put a hole up to 1.5" in diameter anywhere you please - in fact, they come wth pre-stamped 1.5" knock-outs about a foot apart all along their length.
For larger diameter holes, there are guidelines as to how close you can be to a bearing surface - the larger the hole, the farther you have to be from a bearing surface.
Actually, the center 1/3 span restriction is for notches, the graphic address both notches and holes.
Dennis
Bud,
I never thought of it that way before...
thanks for the insight
Mark
Just for added thought..
Romex or at worst conduit can be hidden behind moulding, either baseboard or crown or anything else you like. There are also commercial products that are moulding raceways and have seperated sections for low and high voltage cables. I don't recall any names but try Leviton.com and similar.
RickR
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