Exposed Cables On Roof Beams

[Bankdale]

Hi all.

I've recently bought a flat in a converted mill. The lounge has a vaulted ceiling with original wooden roof trusses / beams. The room is lit by up lighters fitted to the top of the exposed beams. The lights are fed by exposed electrical cable which is simply tacked to the top side of the trusses.

I want to add some additional pendant lights which will involve adding a spur and running new cable alongside the top of the beams (as per the existing wiring) to the new lighting locations. However, I can't figure out how the regulations regarding surface mounted cables affects the work. If I have to use conduit for the new cable runs, its going to stick out like a sore thumb! Is exposed cable acceptable?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Riggy]

Exposed cable is fine in the situation you describe.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome to the forum. By exposed cable I assume you mean multicore cables (or flexes) with the outer sheath all intact? It would be in environments such as workshops, garages, external walls where added protection from mechanical damage or sunlight would be needed. You arrangement is certainly far less hazardous than a standard appliance flex lying across a floor plugged into a 13amp socket. You do need to ensure all joints and connections are protected in suitable enclosures, but the cables themselves only need suitable fixings with no added protection.

Doc H.

 

[binky]

Absolutely nothing wrong with clipping Flat twin and earth, or other 'sheathed' cables to beams - easiest way of hiding them.

 

[OnOff]

"Clipped direct" in this situation is quite normal and has benefits such as giving better heat dissipation than methods that enclose the cables. Just follow good practice with the clip spacing to keep it all nice and neat. Be careful too of any timber treatments on the beams softening / affecting the sheath though and don't paint over 'em either. Nothing worse than a length of "glossed" T&E!

You might want to consider the WAGO Light boxes (see forum sponsor & watch the video) for any new junction boxes. Neat, quick and no screw terminals to go loose!

 

[Doc Hudson]

"Clipped direct" in this situation is quite normal and has benefits such as giving better heat dissipation than methods that enclose the cables. Just follow good practice with the clip spacing to keep it all nice and neat. Be careful too of any timber treatments on the beams softening / affecting the sheath though and don't paint over 'em either. Nothing worse than a length of "glossed" T&E!

You might want to consider the WAGO Light boxes (see forum sponsor & watch the video) for any new junction boxes. Neat, quick and no screw terminals to go loose!

Though it is probably not to critical in this particular situation. Onoff's comment re heat dissipation is an example of where clipped direct is a positive bonus over conduit or enclosed in building fabric or insulation. Some insulation methods reduce the cable capacity by half and even with conduit or trunking fixed to a wall, standard 1.0mm & 1.5mm Twin & Earth cables have 3 to 3.5 Amps difference between clipped direct. Which in power terms is another 500watts+ worth of lighting safely supplied. (as a general rule you wouldn't normally put flat T&E PVC cables through conduit.)

Doc H.

 

[MeFil]

It might not be appropriate for your particular situation. But you can get black (very dark brown) plastic trunking. I have used it/seen it used in restaurants with wooden beams and it hides the exposed cables very nicely.

 

[Bankdale]

Wow. Thanks all for your responses. Very much appreciated.

 

[Bankdale]

"Clipped direct" in this situation is quite normal and has benefits such as giving better heat dissipation than methods that enclose the cables. Just follow good practice with the clip spacing to keep it all nice and neat. Be careful too of any timber treatments on the beams softening / affecting the sheath though and don't paint over 'em either. Nothing worse than a length of "glossed" T&E!

You might want to consider the WAGO Light boxes (see forum sponsor & watch the video) for any new junction boxes. Neat, quick and no screw terminals to go loose!

Loving the Wago boxes, what a fantastic invention. Going to save a lot of effing and jeffing... thanks for the heads up.

 

[OnOff]

Don't forget D-Line trunking in wood grain effect too:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Trunking_Pvc_Index/Dline_Wood_Index/index.html

 

[Steve3948]

Or get carpenter to rout out a 10mm deep channel and lay cables in it, that way you don't see any cables when standing at a distance.

I'm sure a client who likes oak beams would cringe seeing plastic trunking stuck on top or cable clips on top, maybe buckle clips if nothing else.

 

[Marta Heine]

Hi there! Newbie here and found your thread quite interesting. I think exposed cables on oak beams or any roof beam will be alright. Aesthetically speaking, exposed beam ceiling look is quite stylish in its' own way but if its about exposed cable, it is still safe to conceal wiring.

 

[Evans Electric]

Ancient thread warning  !!!   Ancient thread warning !!!! 

 

[Sharpend]

It's the resurrection!