Swedish Cope
Log Home / Cabin Construction Guide

INSTALLING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

• WIRING IN LOGS: Typically electricians will run as much of the wiring in any stick fraomed walls as possible. Typically wiring for outlets in the log walls is ran in the s ubfloor. If you are wiring a 2nd floor or a slab on a grade it is common to run wiring behind a trin board.

  ---

• DRILL FOR ELECTRICAL: Some customers will install their outlets in the floor of the home rather than in the log walls. If you are putting electrical outlets in the log walls, the outlet is typically installed in the 2nd or 3rd course of logs. Mark out on the floor where you want outlets to be located following local code requirements for spacing. Next, drill a hole from the top of the 2nd course of log down into the sub floor. Then drill a hole horizontally into the side of the 2nd ocurse of log that terminates in the vertical hole you just drilled. Now you have a chase. Check with your electrical inspector to find out if you need to install conduit in the chase. Most residential codes do not currently rquire conduit but some commercial codes do require it.

  ---

• CUTTING OUTLETS AND SWITCHES: Most customers install electrical outlets in the log wall. Outlets can be installed in the chink line where two logs meet, or in the side of a single log. Most customers install in the side of a single log for aesthetic purposes. The best way to cut outlets is to build a custom jig for a router to cut into the wall. Outlets may also be drilled out with a forsner bit and finished with a chisel.

  ---

• RUNNING WIRE TO SWITCHES: light switches are typically located next to a door opening. The wire chase for these are commonly ran up the side of the door buck. The electrician will typically cut a kerf in the side of the log wall and run the wire up the side of the door. Then they will drill a chase horizontally from the side of the door opening to where the switch will be located. Enclosing this wire in conduit is suggested to protect the wire from being punctured by nails in the bucks. When the door buck is installed the kerf and hole is then hidden. Make sure you do not install any nails or lag screws near the wiring. Low voltage or battery operated wireless switches are also available as an alternative to running wiring for switches.

  ---