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I'm currently working on wiring my workshop, which has a loft space created using attic truss. By the stairs is a single wall, three sides of which is made up by doubled-up attic truss. I understand that it's never OK to drill into engineered framing without a note from my mom, doctor, the attorney general, etc.

My question is: how do I get wiring into this wall for a convenience recep, given three sides are entirely truss framing, and the fourth side is open to the room?

Framing Photo

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Any thoughts? Thank you for your help.

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  • You should be contacting the truss engineer. Chances are good that you can drill through one portion of that girder without consequence. – isherwood Oct 2 '17 at 15:13
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If it's a workshop, then does it matter if it's not pretty? Could you just have the cable in conduits on the surface of the wall, rather than buried in the wall?

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    Thanks-- fair point. It's going to be a fully finished space, I was hoping to keep things neat. I assumed this must be a common problem, but it seems as if the guy that put the wall there wasn't really thinking about accessibility. I think my choices are to do as you say, or redo the wall in 2x6. – JeremyLee Aug 22 '17 at 12:39
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Is that a double rafter in the upper left of the first picture?

It looks that way. So, I would drill through that upper left point into one of those rafters. Creating a channel for wire. With two rafters there one of them is unnecessary and can safely be drilled to allow access.

Good luck!

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  • Thanks for your reply-- It is doubled, but it's all part of the attic truss system. I was worried about drilling through a truss member and/or failing the inspection. I think they doubled it because of the stairwell opening. I suppose I could contact the engineers that designed the truss, and see what would be acceptable? – JeremyLee Aug 20 '17 at 22:08
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No need to rebuild the walls. Add 2x2's to one side of the studs and beams. Locate gaps as needed for wiring and cover the gaps with metal protector plates. Add other 2x2's as needed to complete the framing modifications.

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