wiring up or over?

[dond]

I'm a newbie to the site. I have a pole barn garage with 6"X6" poles set 8' apart. I've mounted part of the outlets on the sides of the poles. I have a 5 CB sub box in the garage wired underground. One friend suggested I run the wiring up from the box, across the top plate and down the posts to the switches and outlets. Another friend said this would use way more wire, just drill through the posts and use metal clad wire. If I go with the 1st approach, I avoid drilling through the 6X6 treated posts. I have 250 ft of 12-2 Romex, and 20amp breakers. The garage is 26'W x 36'D.
The outside is sheathed with 1/2" OSB and house wrap. The OSB is mounted on 2'X6' horizontal streatchers. I would like to enclose the inside in a similar manner: and insulate. I don't mind using extra romex if it makes it just as safe. So, my question is: shoud I go up over and down - or drill through the posts and nail the romex along the top of the inside streatchers? Any suggestions?

 

[Gary S]

Do whatever you are comfortable with.
And.............plan on buying more wire. I put 3 of those 250ft 12-2 boxes of wire and 1 of the 14-2 250ft boxes of wire into my garage. For me, wire never seems to reach as far as I think it should.

 

[dond]

Thanks Gary. Is drilling through 6X6 treated posts real tough sledding? I'd have to do about 9 posts.

 

[ForceFed70]

Thanks Gary. Is drilling through 6X6 treated posts real tough sledding? I'd have to do about 9 posts.

Not with the right drill and bit.

 

[djmartins]

For me, wire never seems to reach as far as I think it should.

Me too, I have over 2,000 feet of 12-2, 6-2, and 10-2 in my garage and I haven't wired the overhead lights yet.....

 

[6768rogues]

I ran mine both ways. The receptacles on the wall with the panel have their wire through the poles. The ones on the other side go up and over, then feed through the poles. Voltage drop is a function of wire length, so I took the shortest path from point A to point B. Besides, I am too cheap to buy extra wire.