# hiding 14/2 Romex in an exposed rafter porch ceiling



## bozuzu (Aug 4, 2008)

Hi all; I'm building an enclosed porch with an exposed rafter ceiling, it's a 15' x 20' with a 4/12 gable roof.
I'm installing 4 small separate light fixtures at each quarter and a ceiling fan in the center. My question is, How do I hide the wiring to these? I'd like to avoid conduit or anything visible for cosmetics. The joists are 2x8s, as is the ridge board, and I'm using 3/4 sheathing for the ceiling, and may use bead board for the underside to cover the plywood. It will be painted white. This seems like a very common project, yet hours of searching and I've come up empty handed. Thanks for your time.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Wiremold. It will still show, but you're making it impossible to hide anything.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Route out a channel in the top of the rafter, lay your romex, and then drop it down? I'm not an electrician; I obviously don't know if this would meet code but it would hide the line.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

fur up the roof deck?drop down the ceiling in between the rafters


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## Kgmz (Feb 9, 2007)

How are the lights hanging? Off of the bottom edge of rafter?


First I would figure out a rafter layout so that a rafter is centered in each quarter. Then I would double up that rafter, and router a groove in the center of one of those rafter pairs. This way when you put them up you will have a groove for the wire in the middle of the doubles up rafter. Also run a groove down where the light will hang and at top of wall. Wire will have to be installed when these are set up.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Metro and KGMZ have the explained the best method but if you are going to put beadboard under the 3/4" sheathing for looks then why not just nail it to the bottom of the rafters and not worry about the wires. If the HO wants the beam look i would talk them into rough cut with the the hand hewn look and mount those for the beam look.


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## Railman (Jan 19, 2008)

You might also consider putting a routed 1x2 cover over the bottoms of all the rafters, or rout a 1/2 to 5/8 slot on the bottom of needed rafters, & cover with a 1/4" lattice. 

On the roof sheating, you might consider two layers of osb, with the best clean side down. The shingles can be put on with out bottom break out, if done with reaonable care.
Joe


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## bozuzu (Aug 4, 2008)

Wow, y'all are really helpful, thanks so much! I really like railman's idea; I think I'm going to route a groove in the bottom of the rafters that I need wiring and then fir out all of them with 1x2 on the bottom. I've got 7/8 roofing nails and am using 3/4 osb for sheathing so it's going to be close, I just have to make sure my roofer uses finesse. This HO is super cheap so I don't know if he'll even spring for bead board. I ran all of the connections today from the house, this house is a piece of [email protected] from 1970, even has alluminum wiring!


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

bozuzu said:


> Wow, y'all are really helpful, thanks so much! I really like railman's idea; I think I'm going to route a groove in the bottom of the rafters that I need wiring and then fir out all of them with 1x2 on the bottom. I've got 7/8 roofing nails and am using 3/4 osb for sheathing so it's going to be close, I just have to make sure my roofer uses finesse. *This HO is super cheap *so I don't know if he'll even spring for bead board. I ran all of the connections today from the house, this house is a piece of [email protected] from 1970, even has alluminum wiring!


If they don't want to spend the money to hide the wire then they are going to end up with exposed wire.Pretty simple.


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## Railman (Jan 19, 2008)

bozuzu said:


> Wow, y'all are really helpful, thanks so much! I really like railman's idea; I think I'm going to route a groove in the bottom of the rafters that I need wiring and then fir out all of them with 1x2 on the bottom. I've got 7/8 roofing nails and am using 3/4 osb for sheathing so it's going to be close, I just have to make sure my roofer uses finesse. This HO is super cheap so I don't know if he'll even spring for bead board. I ran all of the connections today from the house, this house is a piece of [email protected] from 1970, even has alluminum wiring!


 I'm pretty sure 7/8" nails will break out the bottom of 3/4" sheathing. The nail don't have to go all the way through to break the bottom. It just needs to get close. I did my gazebo with two layers of 7/16" osb, with 7/8" nails, & it worked like a charm. 
Joe


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## househelper (Mar 20, 2007)

bozuzu said:


> Wow, y'all are really helpful, thanks so much! I really like railman's idea; I think I'm going to route a groove in the bottom of the rafters that I need wiring and then fir out all of them with 1x2 on the bottom. I've got 7/8 roofing nails and am using 3/4 osb for sheathing so it's going to be close, I just have to make sure my roofer uses finesse. This HO is super cheap so I don't know if he'll even spring for bead board. I ran all of the connections today from the house, this house is a piece of [email protected] from 1970, even has alluminum wiring!


Romex wiring requires 1,25" of wood between it and the surface or you must provide protection in the form of a metal plate 1/16" thick... or place the wiring in metal conduit.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

those 7/8 nails should be fine if you're nailing through two layers of shingles...but the starting row and row up the eaves may be troublesome. make sure the roofer staples the felt and doesn't nail it  osb isn't very pretty to look at for the long term...wonder if the tradeoff of using short nails and increased chance of shingles blowing off is worth the tradeoff.


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