Adding An Electrical Box and Hiding Cables Like A Pro

 All the electronics on the market lately are filling up our homes. There is an increasing need for more electric outlets throughout our homes. Some useful tips on how to create an electrical extension are outlined in this article.

The most common need people have is adding an outlet box. They never are where you need them! As with anything electrical, take proper precautions against electrical shocks and know your local codes for proper cable types, shielding plates, etc.

Sometimes it is just your lucky day and the room on the other side of the wall has a very close outlet. Back to back is ideal but even one stud off is not a problem. Just make sure the circuit won't be overloaded by adding a set of plugs.

Use a stud finder and find out where the adjacent studs are for where you want to put the outlet box. Depending on the type of box you have, either cut out the proper size hole next to the stud or somewhere in the center. I prefer the renovation boxes with the tabs that are designed to fit in the drywall away from the studs. Align your box hole so it isn't directly behind the other box as two deep boxes won't fit back to back in a two-by-four stud wall.

If you are within the same studs, it is now a simple matter of running the proper wire or conduit from the old box to the new one. If you need to go one stud over, cutting your hole close to the stud makes it a little easier. From the box hole access, drill a hole in the center of the stud following proper guidelines to maintain structural integrity. Keep the hole size at a minimum and no more than 40% of the stud width.

If instead, you want to extend power from an existing box in the room, there are several ways to run the wire between the boxes. One common method is to remove the baseboard trim. Then cut out some of the wallboards behind the baseboard and make small notches (not to exceed 25% of the stud width) in each stud or drill holes in the center of each stud to run the cable for the extension. After installing the cable, make sure to use steel plates on each stud if you did notches to prevent any drywall screws from penetrating the wires.



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