Extra Garage Plugs - need ideas to cover

[KPHMPH]

So I am getting a garage heater installed next week and I thought I would put some extra plugs into the garage so I could run its own circuit. Now the garage is fully finished so I really don't want to rip out the drywall to put the wires in the wall. So I'm thinking of making a border around the garage to hide the wires. First off is there anything out there already made to house wires? Something that some of you may already have used? Or should I just make it out of wood.

I'm really just looking for ideas, other peoples opinion always helps in situations like this.

[BrknFngrs]

Metal conduit seems like a good way to go. Will look industrial and give the wiring good protection.

[danno]

Sounds like you should do it the proper way and remove drywall and go through the studs. Anything else is more work and not nice looking.

[kenny]

Cutting off a strip of drywall to run electrical is pretty easy, and if cut nicely that same drywall can be reattached, mudded and repainted on the cheap. It will also look far cleaner than running wires through a metal conduit and probably the same price overall.

If you really don't want to cut the wall, metal conduit is probably best bet. If you're going through the trouble to build something out of wood, you may as well cut the drywall.

[HuMz]

For starters pull a homeowners permit. The last thing you want is having your insurance voided if the place burns down because you avoided pulling a permit. Also, if you pull a permit, the inspector will also most likely require you to take off the drywall to run the wires. You can always call and see if he will allow you to run conduit, but making your own enclosure would be a big no no, you may be able to get away with wire mould but again I would call the inspector.

[KPHMPH]

Permit to put plugs in?

That's a first time I've ever heard that.

We ended up using metal conduit - just paint it later.

[TYMSMNY]

Same thing here.... need an electrician to help me put a couple of plugs in the garage....

PM me.

Sorry to hijack thread.

[HuMz]

A permit is required before installation, alteration, repair, or extension of any electrical equipment. The only thing you can do without an electrical permit is replace existing electrical devices such as lights or plugs.

If your garage heater or something else is plugged into one of the new plugs were to start a fire your insurance company could wipe their hands clean if they could pinpoint the fire to an outlet you ran without a permit. Given there is conduit installed in a dwelling it would be a dead giveaway that it wasn't ran by the original electrical contractor who did the permitted work. Personally, I don't get why anyone would take on that extra risk and liability over saving $200 on a permit.

[Maxt]

[raceman6135]

Another option for OP is to drill holes in the top plate (via the attic) then use fish tape to drop your runs to old work boxes.

Fish tape will make it easier to get the wires through the wall cavities that have insulation in them, which I'm assuming you have, since you drywalled the interior walls.

Yes, this will require more wire than going straight horizontal runs through the studs, but wire is cheap. If you really have an aversion to cutting drywall, this may be a better option, and you don't have the look of conduit or wiremold on the wall surfaces.

Something like this:


» Click image for larger version

[KPHMPH]

Dad ended up coming down ( I'm working up north ) and installing all the plugs via conduit. He put the conduit on the cement wall around the bottom of the garage. Guess I'll see what it looks like when I get home.