Thanks Anthony. I just haven't given much thought to the wood floors yet
as this wall has consumed all my project thoughts . But, I am now
thinking about the conduit route as I will probably have moulding that is
taller than I do now and more stout. Thanks for all your help. It
appears I can install close to the floor at least and that was my main
concern. Now to work out the details.
Cheers,
cc

As long as the metal was at least a few inches high, probably so. Remember
that nails sometimes hit knots and bend when they get driven in. So, you
may protect the face of the wire, only to have a nail driven higher bend
down and penetrate the wire from the top.

That's why I suggested conduit. It protects all around the wiring. It can
even be left exposed if you wish, though it would look terrible!

Anthony