ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area EMT question

If you wiggle the drill while boring the stud you might be able to get the hole just a teeny bit larger than 1" and have an easier time pulling smurf tube into it.

Happy Smurfing.

IBC notching and boring in wall studs:

IBC 2308.9.10 and 2308.9.11 respectively.

notching 25% load bearing, 40% non-bearing.
boring 25%/60%

Greg...

This Old House had a single series dedicated to remodeling a Chicago code home.

The general style:

Lots of vertical drops -- strapping, per the NEC, was highly optional. (!)

The framing would normally be stepped out from any basement wall -- typically 1.5-2.0" so it was no trouble to get your horizontals across, in a flash.

In the ceilings, it was customary to provide cross-furring so that there was every opportunity to run pipe in one gap or the other -- with strapping an absolute breeze.

When it was impossible to get the pipe back from the surface, there was no hesitation to throw in the occasional stick of GRC/RMC.

The relaxed strapping permitted the EMT to fly into the home.

In the case of the remodel, the actual scope of pipe work was stunningly modest. They simply added on a run, here and there, and then ran new wires. For the runs involved, the old work became pull lines -- and then scrap.

So no fishing time to speak of. They were big into stranded, too.

Only rarely did the boys run anything bigger than 1/2." In a three wire system you can get four hots and two/four neutrals in one pipe. These are short runs, and the number of bends is modest.

The consequent speed of these pipe runners is astounding.

The additional thicknesses of the various walls provides for more insulation -- of which Chicago can certainly use.

I went with the Smurf.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/Deck%20going%20down.jpg

We are putting down the $2k worth of Ipe decking this weekend.
It is what happens when you give the wife a choice of samples

Greg,

I think we have spoke before, you should NEVER EVER allow your wife more than 1 or 2 choices!

All though I know who rules the roast around my house. (her)

SWMBO She Who Must Be Obeyed.

I was an easy sell, I hate Trex and we got a bunch of Ipe cut offs from a dock they were building in the bight in Key West.
(we packed it home on the ferry)
When we were deciding I brought her a piece of trex, a piece of the solid plastic and the Ipe. I was happy she took the Ipe but I still griped about it

Now that I am committed, I am using the Ipe for the sills and I am building a small bar top from some. I did get a deal on a 10 foot stick ($20) because the edges were not finished but I am jointing it anyway so I a happy guy. It is $5.50 a linear foot normally.

I am really surprised the smurf is not more popular tho.
It gives me all the benefits of a raceway system without a cost much more than Romex.

Greg...

Out my way it is simply PROHIBITED for power wiring.

It rules the roost for low voltage chases.

It's that simple.

BTW, I can't believe that you got so lucky with the ipe 'buy' --- did you use a gun?

For those unaware...

Ipe = IRON WOOD -- it's so heavy it can't float. (!)

I used smurf piping before and it goes in relative easy. I have had it break inside the wall and come out of the fittings after the wallboard has gone up. It's not the easiest to pull wire through with a fish tape.

It kinda strikes me funny that you can't knotch the studs although yet smurf offers less protection to the conductors the Romex sheathing. Some juristdictions