Running Wire inside basement walls

i have done this, you may find some blocks here and then requiring more holes, repair all well with mortar or concrete.

do realize at home resale time they will probably not count these room as finished spaces, no insulation block wall etc.

probably the major downside to your plan

It may make more sense to run emt or wiremold on the exterior of the block, but if you want to run cable inside the block you may need to use cable like UF or other cable for wet or damp locations

Although, if you're punching holes in the blocks anyway, you might as well dump some vermiculite in there which will add something like R2 to the walls.

NM ("Romex"), NMC, and NMS are explicitly Code-approved "to be installed or fished in air voids in masonry block or tile walls." [2005 NEC, Art.

You're correct, but in normally dry locations. Interior masonry walls would be dry, but perimeter walls may be damp or moist

No drywall or panelling or anything? Just block? Uh, okay.

The only technical issue I can think of is that it's best to keep the air inside the wall separated from living space - for humidity and radon reasons, for example. Just don't decide in the future to stick drywall or panelling up against the block and call it finished.

I have a basement that was finished that way. Holes knocked in the block to recess the outlets and then tacky brown panels stuck to furring strips. The mold behind the panels was unbelievable. Damp air would draft in through the holes in the block.

But, to answer your question, the holes in the block didn't seem to affect the structure of the wall in any way. They were large enough to hold an electrical box, chipped through the thin part of the block (don't forget the inner 'rib' of the block), and no closer together than 8 feet or so.

Someday someone will have to fill them in and will curse you while they do it.

-rev

snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net wrote:

Interesting. So what is your recommendation?

A complete vapor barrier against the blocks with maybe sheet foam insulation on top of the barrier and then the drywall or paneling?

I would run EMT on the outside of the walls

"DK" quiried

If you are going to put up finished dry wall leave a 1-2" space between the block/poured wall and your inner wall, use PT for the studs, and use the moisture proof drywall. Oh yeah, and NEVER attach anything directly to the masonry! In fact use construction adhesive for the wall bottom where it meets the concrete floor.

just my opinion