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EMT in Floors?

B

bannerd

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Joined
Nov 14, 2011
Messages
209
Location
Upstate NY
Hey all,

I'm building my own home which is post and beam. I'm trying to figure out the best layout for the electrician. Is it okay to lay EMT on top of the subfloor? The EMT will be raceways for lights and a TV. I was planning on MC wire but when I went to HD.. it just seems like it wouldn't stop a nail when I start to lay hardwood. Basically the EMT will be screwed into the subfloor and then plywood will fill the gaps(compensate the 1/2 EMT). On top of that there will be the final floor (hardwood), so there is a chance a nail could hit something.

This is for the basement which will be finished and will also be a workshop (finally) for me. I was going to run it through the timbers but after doing some lurking online it doesn't seem right to drill a hole in these beams.

My other option is onto of the timbers(routed) but still is risking a possible nail.
 
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teamextreme

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Aug 10, 2013
Messages
867
Location
Lakewood, CO
Laying EMT in a floor as you describe would be an odd installation that I've never seen and as advised above, probably not a great idea. Nothing wrong with boring holes through beams as long as you follow the guidelines on where to drill, how many holes and how big.
 
T

tfi racing

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Joined
Apr 19, 2008
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2,907
Location
Cedar,BC
Why are you doing the electrician's job? His permit, his methods to comply with local codes, end of story.
 
C

Chuckster in NJ

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Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
2,318
Location
Hunterdon County NJ
I was an electrical contractor and would NEVER allow ANY homeowner to do any work under my license and insurance.
Want to do electrical work? Go ahead, but YOU assume the responsibility!........ Why pay a contractor?
 
L

larry_g

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Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Messages
16,893
Location
oregon
Chuckster in NJ said:
I was an electrical contractor and would NEVER allow ANY homeowner to do any work under my license and insurance.
Want to do electrical work? Go ahead, but YOU assume the responsibility!........ Why pay a contractor?
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like the OP is asking what he can do to make the EC's job easier and cleaner while still in the design phase. So OP I would suggest finding the electrical contractor you are going to use and get some input on your design now. Expect to pay for this. This is money well spent if it saves many hours when the work is finally started and the EC does not have to work around or through a bunch of bad decisions you have made.

lg
no neat sig line
 
P

Pingel85

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2017
Messages
115
Location
Green Bay, WI
bannerd said:
Hey all,

I'm building my own home which is post and beam. I'm trying to figure out the best layout for the electrician. Is it okay to lay EMT on top of the subfloor? The EMT will be raceways for lights and a TV. I was planning on MC wire but when I went to HD.. it just seems like it wouldn't stop a nail when I start to lay hardwood. Basically the EMT will be screwed into the subfloor and then plywood will fill the gaps(compensate the 1/2 EMT). On top of that there will be the final floor (hardwood), so there is a chance a nail could hit something.

This is for the basement which will be finished and will also be a workshop (finally) for me. I was going to run it through the timbers but after doing some lurking online it doesn't seem right to drill a hole in these beams.

My other option is onto of the timbers(routed) but still is risking a possible nail.
Click to expand...

Just as a side note, the od of 1/2” conduit is approximately 3/4”. Plus if you have to add any couplings or straps they would be about 7/8” od. And when you run your floor you wouldnt want it to Hump where it crosses the pipe, so you’d be looking at an additional 1” of plywood on top your subfloor. Seems like a lot and there’s probably a better way to do it due to the issues noted above. Let the electrician use his expertise.
 
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Norcal

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Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
13,769
Pingel85 said:
Just as a side note, the od of 1/2” conduit is approximately 3/4”. Plus if you have to add any couplings or straps they would be about 7/8” od. And when you run your floor you wouldnt want it to Hump where it crosses the pipe, so you’d be looking at an additional 1” of plywood on top your subfloor. Seems like a lot and there’s probably a better way to do it due to the issues noted above. Let the electrician use his expertise.
Click to expand...

The OD of 1/2” is 7/8” add the coupling & it would be around 1”.
 
OP
B

bannerd

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Joined
Nov 14, 2011
Messages
209
Location
Upstate NY
The house is exposed beam so this makes plumbing and wiring or radiant a challenge for all. There will be exposed beam on the first floor and the second floor should be very easy to accomplish as that will be the regular roofing ontop of the timber frame structure. The basement (where I am now) will be the same as the first floor roof.

I was trying to help the EC get a head start when his crew comes in. After talking to the head guy; we will be using mc down a wood channeled (marked) on this floor so I will be getting all the channels where they need to go so they can start to lay wire.

In my first post I was trying to get a feel of what others do in a build like this. With radiant going in as well, we just need to be very careful where the nails go. The metal deflectors on the radiant wouldn't stop a nail that is for sure, it's thin (tin) if you will.

Thanks for the info all!
 
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