Posts: 3,146
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Litchfield County, Ct
Hi all,
I'm going to be hanging some barn pendants in my screened in porch, the power would be coming from an existing sconce on the porch wall, the switch is inside the house. The ceiling is open frame, and the porch is subject to moisture in bad weather.
I'm confused about what cable to be purchasing for this- the pendants are 2 wire plus ground- and whether I should be running this in conduit or liquidtight. I would be installing weather resistant junction boxes. but my main question is cable and conduit.
Below is a pic of the porch and ceiling. Thanks in advance.
Posts: 20,865
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Sioux Falls SD
I'd run it in conduit. I'd prepaint all the conduit a nice dark color or accent color. Surface mount would work well with timber frame.
WoodNET... the new safespace
Posts: 16,604
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Ra-cha-cha, NY
I'd probably do the same thing. Surface conduit like Wiremold is probably less offensive than round EMT as it lays flatter and is rectangular in section, so it tends to blend better with exposed framing. EMT always looks sort of, well, industrial. And obvious.
OP: Try to bring it up inside the wall to the ceiling/roof if you can, so you don't have it on the wall. Might need a box where it comes out of the wall, and you can use NM inside the wall, but change to THHN or THWN inside the conduit.
Panduit power-rated surface raceway linky
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
Posts: 2,742
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
PVC will hold up better in the damp than EMT [rust], easier to work than rigid. I'm thinking that Wiremold is for dry locations only.
My boss is a Jewish carpenter. Our DADDY owns the business.
Trying to understand some people is like trying to pick up the clean end of a turd.
Posts: 16,604
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Ra-cha-cha, NY
They make plastic versions. I think the stuff I linked to above is plastic, and suitable for damp locations, but I didn't specifically check for damp.
Tom
“This place smells like that odd combination of flop sweat, hopelessness, aaaand feet"
Posts: 1,529
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2007
You can do a very nice and neat job with PVC. They sell all the fittings and straps and boxes to really do a nice job if you know what you are doing. Easy to work with.
John T.
Posts: 2,742
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2010
Even make your own custom bends, offsets, etc. Heat it evenly until soft, form to fit, cool with a wet rag.
My boss is a Jewish carpenter. Our DADDY owns the business.
Trying to understand some people is like trying to pick up the clean end of a turd.
Posts: 5,732
Threads: 2
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
I would also use pvc. Moisture isn't a big deal in that application. If you get enough wind that any of it gets wet then the house will have also blown away.
