ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area thru the wall or over the top

This is a question for the residential electricians that use EMT when roughing walls. In a two story dwelling, do you go thru the top plate of a wall, across the attic space and back down the wall for openings or do you drill the studs ?

I personally go over the top. Some say it uses more material but I argue the savings is in time. Just looking for some opinions....

Well here in jersey we don't pipe house's but i will say i go up and over with my runs regardles. It allows access later to know where things are when your crawliong in the hot attic in the middle of july? My only change on this is in kitchensand baths. other wise its up and down or down and up if there is a basement or crawl. Sorry i cant help on the pipe part but for romex this is how i do it. i also drill out with a larger hole in the begining to allow for additions later.

I'd say for the most part, up and over is the norm. There are times with openings on the same wall space where it's easier to just drll thru the studs.

I am guessing your talking about open walls and cielings. I would like to drill thru the studs but more often up and over. Not that I can't get a pipe thru most corners of the room it seems easier up and over. Depends how the corners were framed. I try to avoid drilling thru more than 3 2X4 thick if I don't have to. Around some windows it may be a pain to get thru all the wood. I try not to go above doors even if there is no header. Some people don't like it. Then you also have beams and plumbing blocking your way. Up and over really eats up the material. Somewhere of 30' box to box with some scrap left.

When I go box to box I normaly don't go strait out of the side but a min. 90 out of the box. Otherwise your pipe may block a cable jack or other fucture opening. For wood studs I think it is easier to fit together that way.

Tom

"up and over" uses more mats, but takes less time than cutting your sticks to 30" length to fit into drilled horizontal holes.

I've used both in the same house - depends on construction (obstruction is more accurate) and needs of the room.