Log cabins.

[timhoward]

Hello boys and girls.
I just wondered if anyone has any tips/tricks/previous experiences about running circuits in a log cabin. I've not had to run cables in one before. It's looking particularly unspoiled and beautiful!
It seems to be thick interlocking alternately placed external walls that stack up, and then interior foam insulation panels with surface TGV cladding inside.
I've yet to determine whether there are horizontal battens inside too.

The CU is installed, after much haggling a Schneider Easy9 was deemed attractive enough...this customer certainly knows what he wants.
I need to get 5 double sockets in, and about 6 outside lights. We've already agreed on Quinetics for switching as he wants to be able to turn the outside lights on from the house.

I've tried to sell steam-punk galv conduit and metal-clad sockets on the surface and failed. MICC also rejected.
I've considered using the void underneath it but can't see how to support cables as there's no access at all, bricked up on all sides.
I've considered trying to fish through the insulation. I've wondered about conduit on the outside.
Any past experiences or tips gratefully received as nothing is looking like the screamingly obvious answer at the moment.

It's funny as my other main job this week is industrial and the mindset shift regarding form and function is chalk and cheese!

 

[pc1966]

Shame they could not be persuaded to do bare copper MICC as they (to me at least) would go nicely with wood.

 

[littlespark]

You’ll find the insulation is solid. No way to push through it.

I’ve done a cabin which was being used as a workman’s bothy…. Just a glorified garden shed with 60mm thick engineered timber.
I ran cables underneath the base before it was built, and run up inside with pvc conduit.
Aesthetics wasn’t top of the agenda.

It may be an idea in your case to dismantle it if possible and see what is behind the inner skin, although that may not be feasible or wanted.

Other idea would be run surface and get a good joiner to build wooden “trunking” the same as the cabin wood. Only way to disguise if they don’t want surface conduit or MICC

 

[timhoward]

Thanks for responses so far. I had a feeling the insulation would be solid and unyielding.
I also wondered about routing out channels and capping with thin wood and staining - if one vertical channel was permitted the rest could be the same direction as the cladding and look half decent.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Wooden you think they would put sockets and lights in before you butchers it.

 

[SJD]

An updated version of this (though obviously not the cotton covered wire), perhaps?

 

[timhoward]

I supposed worth showing the customer some D line wood effect - nothing to lose!

 

[pc1966]

I supposed worth showing the customer some D line wood effect - nothing to lose!

I was wondering if wood-effect trunking might be a good solution so switches, sockets and even stuff like network sockets (should they ever want them) can be added without further butchery.

But @littlespark suggestion of getting something made in wood is even better, it could be a very "flat" sort of trunking, just a rebated groove on the back for the cable and then sockets sunk through that and in to the cabin wall behind for sufficient depth.

 

[pirate]

Many years ago I had a wooden boat, beautifully built from mainly teak, and all the wires which would have been exposed were run in custom wooden conduits similar to what @SJD pictured above. Such workmanship, such precision, just beautiful...and the "lid" was secured with Robertson screws. The conduits were made from off-cuts of the teak used for the original construction of the boat, and all varnished to blend with the rest of the finish.
Small down-side...everything was wired in red singles!

On a recent job in Spain, I was asked to try to conceal the wiring to an outside light. Just one fancy pendant over a table on the terrace, which was wire with twisted fabric covered cable held in place by ceramic insulators. Quite pretty, but exposed to the elements. The lamp was on a huge wooden beam (thinking about the log cabin here) and client wanted the cable concealed. The solution was to use a router on the beam. Sank a 10mm hole each end, then introduced a 6mm bit, at a depth of 6mm. Then undercut that with a 10mm bit, to create a "T" shaped slot from where the cable exited the house, to where the pendant would be fitted, and repeated the process in a vertical direction so the pendant would hang from the beam.
Finally, ran the cable into the 10mm recess, and capped the slot with a 6x6 stripwood, glued into place, and painted to match the beam.
TBH, it was a bit of work, but the cable is invisible and immune to the elements. I think it's known as Reference method "fek, what do I do here?"
I appreciate the op may not want./be able to, rout all the cable runs, but for those which are exposed and aesthetically important, a router and planning can make a nice job.

 

[timhoward]

@pirate thank you - I'm meeting the client in the morning, and I've certainly not ruled out making some custom trunking, or even just using a wider piece of wood and routing a channel on the reverse. It comes down to whether the client is so concerned about aesthetics he's willing to pay for the painstaking work.
I'm really glad I split this job into phase one to get the supply in and phase two for final circuits now.