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jb721 08-21-2012 10:07 AM

Replace a stud with electric wire through it
I bought my house a couple years ago and there is a garage conversion room where the carport used to be which is now completely finished. I think at some point before I bought it somebody hit the front of the room with their car and broke a stud. The stud has electrical wire running through it. I've cut out the bad piece of stud but I'm not sure the best way to replace it with the wire going through it. I was thinking of drilling a hole for the wire and then cutting out a big dovetail letting me stick the wire in the hole and then reassembling the stud. I've also considered cutting the wire and putting a junction box. Not sure what the "best" solution is but I need it to be by the book. It isn't bearing any load.

The real reason I want to make sure that it is all done by the book is that the previous owner that enclosed the carport and made it a room pulled a permit with the city but never had any inspections done so the permit is still open. I'm trying to close it out and the electrical inspector wanted me to notch the sheetrock every 3rd or 4th stud where the wires are run to make sure there was at least 1.25" from finished surface to wire. Lucky me I notched the sheetrock where the broken stud is so now I need to fix it and make sure it is done right since the electrical and building inspectors will be seeing it. Thanks. :huh:

jeffnc 08-21-2012 10:38 AM

If there is slack in the wire, then one solution would be to cut the wire, thread it through the stud, then reconnect in an electric handy box. The box cannot be hidden behind drywall, so you can then cut out a space for it in the drywall (as if you were putting an electric outlet there), but cover the box with a solid plate. Code requires that you have access to wires connected like this.

Another option if the wire doesn't go too far is simply to disconnect at one end and feed it back through.

hammerlane 08-21-2012 10:51 AM

Is there a close junction point to the cable in question. If so you couold disconnect at its source, tape string aorund end pull thru disconnect cable from string, feed thru new joist, reattach to string, pull cable back thru to junction point???
just a guess.

ddawg16 08-21-2012 12:52 PM

A bit late now.....but I would have just sistered a new stud against the broken one with a notch around the wire.

Other than that...I would go with the disconnecting it from the closest box.....

Another option...stub in a new stud where you cut out the old piece and then sister a stud against the repair.

jb721 09-22-2012 10:33 AM

A month later I've come back to this issue. There isn't enough slack in the wires to put a junction box. What I think I'm going to do is put in a new stud with a notch for the wires (there are 2, one of which has no close junction point). That stud's notch will open into the room. Then I'm going to sister in a piece with a notch opening out from the room. Do you think there is any code violation there (assuming I do it so the wires are far enough back from the finished surface)? That stud isn't bearing any load. Thanks.

Fix'n it 09-23-2012 09:15 AM

get 2 new studs. when installing them,turn each one. and put 1 on each side of the wire. there will be a 1/2" gap for the wire.

Fix'n it 09-23-2012 09:16 AM

oh. and then put 1/2" spacers in between the new studs.
