painting indoor exposed conduit

[IVB]

Apologies for starting all these posts, clearly I have too much time on my hands and am pounding through the HoneyDo or VivekDo list far too quickly.
 
One of the absolutely ancient things on the list is to install some lights in closets that don't currently have them. Three of them will be problematic to mount a switch inside the wall for reasons not worth mentioning.  I'm contemplating putting in some conduit, hopefully non-metal but I need to check local codes, then painting it.
 
Two of the locations are in a closet so I can tell the WAF to suck it as they'll literally never be physically seen. But one location is in our "mudroom". (In CA, sometimes the solid front door isn't actually on the outer perimeter but rather its just a glass/flimsy door entering into a 6' x 6' room where you can walk in, take off shoes, then enter your house. So as not to track mud when it rains.)  That location would be highly visible to anyone who comes to the house.
 
Anyone ever try running exposed conduit and painting it? How was the WAF?

 

[wkearney99]

I believe Panduit and some other folks make surface mount conduit precisely designed for this sort of indoor use.  It's a square-shaped assembly, a U-channel gets screwed to the wall and then another U-shaped cover clips into it, with the wires inside.  They make all sorts of corners and edge turns for it, so you can run up, over, down, around the various surfaces.   I had some in an old apartment and painted it. 
 
I don't think most folks give it a second look if it's installed cleanly.  Just about any old crap material can be overlooked when it's done right.  But even the best materials will look like an eyesore if you do a poor job of it.

 

[IVB]

Sweet thanks!

 

[Neurorad]

Wiremold would be another manufacturer to consider.

Surface mount EMT, if done well, would be ideal, IMO.

 

[tmbrown97]

Give the wife the choice - either surface mount, or open the walls.

 

[Neurorad]

I think EMT takes a lot of practice to do well.

 

[42etus]

HomeDepot carries this and all the fittings
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiremold-Legrand-Nonmetallic-Raceway-White-NMW1/100657474#.UU-8DFeRe8A

 

[Del91574]

Since it's line voltage, there's really only 2 choices, either wiremold (the metal kind) or EMT....

 

[apostolakisl]

Personally, unless you have the industrial look going, exposed conduit never looks good in my opinion no matter how perfectly done, and especially when it is painted.  And the wire mold can look nice, but when you run into a surface mounted switch, well that blows it in my opinion.
 
Cutting holes in the drywall and dropping in romex very well may end up being easier and looks the best.  Drywall holes when done well and located properly can be totally invisible.

 

[IVB]

Alas, if it were drywall I wouldn't think twice about cutting it. The problematic location is what used to be an exterior wall. Royal PITA.

 

[Neurorad]

I had a good look inside my exterior wall on Sunday, in the attic, from above. Lots of space between the brick and sheathing, might want to consider it.

 

[IVB]

Got the electrician coming tomorrow for a look&estimate, will ask him. Biggest issue is that this is a 102 year old Craftsman house, and this (was) the original front. When I drilled through for the interior doorbell, I got through about 3" of wood, stopped, and surface mounted it over the hole. 
 
This old house is awesome. Until it isn't, in which case its far from awesome. (seriously resisting urge to rip down living room plaster/lath walls to studs, get electrician to remove knob/tube, put in 3wire romex, put sheetrock up).

 

[apostolakisl]

If you have any short sections of wall or other convenient areas, you can make a false wall with furring strips and run wires in there.
 
I had a house that was built in 1880.  It was brick.  In 1880 a brick house was actually brick.  So I built false walls in various places.  Low voltage wires got hidden by pulling molding off a bit, tucking them in, then reapplying.
 
You may also consider using something like the Insteon in-line linc.  The in-line linc mounts in the light fixture.  You can radio control it and put a switch on the wall that is just applied and runs off batteries.  Zwave and UPB may have similar things.

 

[Del91574]

It's hard to say, as we can't see the construction of the house, but many times, running concealed is possible, just creative drilling and wire paths are needed. May have been you were drilling into solid framing, but going at an angle one way or another you could've hit a hollow.
 
In my own house, all my walls and ceilings are 8" T+G bead board with a crown and various banding at the ceiling height. Because of this, every stud bay has at least 3 nailers going across them....makes for very challenging wire paths. Doable, but requires a little effort and thinking vs. a standard framed house.

 

[wkearney99]

This old house is awesome. Until it isn't...

 
I hear ya there. 
 
Be aware if you rip down interior walls that are painted you may be dealing with lead paint.  Various regulations exist now on how you're supposed to handle this, as in, spend a lot more money.  But I'd absolutely consider it if I knew there was knob and tube present.  Like you said, it's fine... until it isn't.