May 8, 2023

Sewing Room: Electrical Outlets & Baseboards

You may recall from my last post, that electrical wiring in this room was an add-on, i.e. added after the room was built. Dan contemplated two options for the wiring: either drill holes through the studs and run the wiring behind the walls, or run it along the top of the baseboard and cover it with trim. Then he looked into how log home builders install wiring. In a log home, electrical wiring is run though holes which are drilled lengthwise in the logs. Dan adapted that idea using ready-made tongue-and-groove boards.

First, a hole was cut out for the electrical outlet box.

View from the bottom. The wiring fit perfectly in the board's groove!

Front wall before

After

Besides being the perfect width for a baseboard, the tongue-and-groove planks are much cheaper than the same size plain board. I'll just have to get a primer that will cover the knots.

2nd wall before

After: two sections of baseboard installed, new electrical outlets, and wiring safely hidden.

I now have electricity in my soon-to-be (at least I hope it's soon) sewing room! Then, due to the return of beautiful weather, we were back outdoors again. Hopefully, we'll finish the trimwork the next time it rains. After that, I can start painting.

Next, Sewing Room: Lots of Progress

15 comments:

Rosalea said...

What a beautiful, creative space you will have! Love the windows and all the light.

Ed said...

That is a good solution. I've also seen others just gut a strip out of their wall material, usually drywall, and run the wire through it before covering it with their baseboard but I much prefer your solution because a future homeowner is less likely to put a nail through a wire with it down tight next to the floor in a hidden groove.

Leigh said...

Rosalea, I love the windows and light. I'll lose some of it because rain barrels for the greenhouse will go on the outside wall. I'm curious as to how much I'll have left once it's all done.

Ed, Dan didn't mention cutting out a strip from the wall, but this method had the least amount of cutting! It definitely solved the problem.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Thanks for the explanation and pictures Leigh! I am very much a visual learner; this explains things perfectly (and looks great)!

Leigh said...

TB, pictures truly are worth a thousand words. I try hard to describe accurately (which entails a lot of editing) but a picture is best. Dan has always been big on pictures too, which is why I have so many of them in my books!

Debby Riddle said...

That is absolutely brilliant! I'm borrowing that idea for sure!

Leigh said...

Debby, good to hear from you! Every now and then we come up with a good idea!

Goatldi said...

Good post Leigh!

And that boys and girls is why if you have a real log cabin once the deed is done you can't add any wires that are recessed in the logs. The only way to cover it is using a conduit.

Which to me is very unsightly. Good job Dan!

Leigh said...

Goatldi, I knew you would appreciate that! Wires hidden and outlets flush with the wall definitely look better!

PioneerPreppy said...

Years ago when I was upgrading our turn of the century.. the turn of the 19th century electrical that is. I had shut the power off of course but I grabbed some wire abd with my then 8 year old son pretended it was electrocuting me. I then got to laugh as my son began to panic thinking I was being electrocuted. He still brings it up to this day.

Conduit never bothered me as they were used so much for a while years back I just got used to them.

Leigh said...

PP, why do we love to tease kids so! LOL I think the conduit was indeed, a logical way to do this. I honestly didn't mind it, but Dan had to tear it out when he replaced that front window. His idea for rewiring certainly worked out well.

Chris said...

As others have said, I like the light entering the room from the window. Now with added electricity, it will be fit for purpose as a sewing room. Brilliant idea with the boards.

I like to sew too. Because if you can make, repair or refashion your own clothes, that's making use of valuable resources which might otherwise go into landfill.

Leigh said...

Chris, I love the light too. The only disadvantage is that since the room is south facing, those windows pick up a lot of the sun's heat. Great in winter, not so comfortable in summer.

I confess I got a bit lazy about sewing for awhile. Our thrift store has a dollar rack where the bargains are too good to pass up. But I do miss the creativity of sewing and fiber work. I'll be glad to get back to it again.

Quinn said...

I was amazed that the groove was deep enough for the wiring! Every now and then something just WORKS! :)

Leigh said...

Quinn, I was amazed too! He took a scrap of wire with him when he went to the store and made sure before he bought the boards. It was a win-win.