My main electrical panel is mounted on the outside wall of my garage.
It is stucco on the outside and the framing is 2x4's. The garage is
mostly unfinished. The section around the back of the electrical panel
has drywall. It's there to protect all the NM cable (romex) that comes
out of the panel. There is a drywalled raceway at the top of the wall
that the NM cable runs through to get into rest of the house.

The drywall panel that covers the back of the electrical panel is quite
damaged and broken up. I would like to replace it. The back of the
panel is flush with the inside drywall. Do I have to replace it with
another piece of drywall, or can I use a sheet of plywood? I would
much rather use plywood to cover the panel and the romex. I like the
extra strength, so the damage doesn't happen again. Is it code that
the panel must have drywall behind it?

plywood is fine and actually prefered

I have read that some jurisdictions require a non-combustible backing.
You need to check your local Code.

Perce


On 06/12/06 04:47 pm Carl wrote:

My main electrical panel is mounted on the outside wall of my garage.
It is stucco on the outside and the framing is 2x4's. The garage is
mostly unfinished. The section around the back of the electrical panel
has drywall. It's there to protect all the NM cable (romex) that comes
out of the panel. There is a drywalled raceway at the top of the wall
that the NM cable runs through to get into rest of the house.

The drywall panel that covers the back of the electrical panel is quite
damaged and broken up. I would like to replace it. The back of the
panel is flush with the inside drywall. Do I have to replace it with
another piece of drywall, or can I use a sheet of plywood? I would
much rather use plywood to cover the panel and the romex. I like the
extra strength, so the damage doesn't happen again. Is it code that
the panel must have drywall behind it?

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
I have read that some jurisdictions require a non-combustible backing.
You need to check your local Code.

Perce


On 06/12/06 04:47 pm Carl wrote:

My main electrical panel is mounted on the outside wall of my garage.
It is stucco on the outside and the framing is 2x4's. The garage is
mostly unfinished. The section around the back of the electrical panel
has drywall. It's there to protect all the NM cable (romex) that comes
out of the panel. There is a drywalled raceway at the top of the wall
that the NM cable runs through to get into rest of the house.

The drywall panel that covers the back of the electrical panel is quite
damaged and broken up. I would like to replace it. The back of the
panel is flush with the inside drywall. Do I have to replace it with
another piece of drywall, or can I use a sheet of plywood? I would
much rather use plywood to cover the panel and the romex. I like the
extra strength, so the damage doesn't happen again. Is it code that
the panel must have drywall behind it?

Around here plywood is a code requirement..........

Like someone mentioned ,check your local code. Around hereplywood is
allowed but some places require fire rated plywood or a coat of fire
retardant paint.

Bill

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:37:41 -0400, (... ...)
wrote:

Like someone mentioned ,check your local code. Around hereplywood is
allowed but some places require fire rated plywood or a coat of fire
retardant paint.

Bill

Fire rated plywood?????
Never heard of that. What is it made of? It cant be wood.....

wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:37:41 -0400, (... ...)
wrote:

Like someone mentioned ,check your local code. Around hereplywood is
allowed but some places require fire rated plywood or a coat of fire
retardant paint.

Bill

Fire rated plywood?????
Never heard of that. What is it made of? It cant be wood.....

It is wood that is specially treated, It saws and installs like regular
plywood but usually there is a "stamp" on it and very difficult to
paint due to the treatment.

According to ... ... :
Like someone mentioned ,check your local code. Around hereplywood is
allowed but some places require fire rated plywood or a coat of fire
retardant paint.

Indeed. Electrical/Building Code at least in Ontario Canada
_requires_ a fire resistant backing, and everybody uses drywall.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.