Re-wiring a 3-way switch. Running NM along stair stringer ok?

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Miguelito

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I am finishing my basement. There is only one existing circuit I will touch. Currently, I have a switch at the top of the stairs as part of a circuit that looks like this:

52e7857f298f6d0f2be3ce489f8e1b38dc954039.gif

where the end switch is in the unfinished basement and the light is at the top of the stairs. I am pretty sure of this because those are the wires going into the switch boxes and the above is the only circuit that would make sense.

What I want, is to add a couple more lights to that circuit at the bottom of the stairs in the landing area and add a 3rd switch at the other end of the basement.

The easiest thing in my mind is to turn the current circuit into this:

single-light-4-way-switch-power-via-switch.jpg


Where the first switch is the one upstairs, the basement switch becomes a 4-way (middle) switch, I run 14/3 to the new switch, and I wire all lights off that last new 3-way switch. Obviously I'd have to sever the current wire from the first switch to the light at the top of the stairs. The only tricky thing about this is the wiring from the last light in the basement at the bottom of the stairs to the light at the top of the stairs. The whole staircase area is finished. The least painful and destructive way to get to it would seem to be to remove drywall between two stringers and run NM along the inside of one of the stringers.

I see no NEC violations in doing this, but I wanted your input. Thanks!

I do have a permit for this work.
 

Stuff

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You should be fine attaching to the stringer as long as you attach it at least 1 1/4" from any edge.

Why not fish the cable up a wall at the landing? The ceiling corner can be messy but otherwise a lot less drywall work.
 

Miguelito

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You should be fine attaching to the stringer as long as you attach it at least 1 1/4" from any edge.

Why not fish the cable up a wall at the landing? The ceiling corner can be messy but otherwise a lot less drywall work.

Thanks. Yeah, no out of the question, but I do have a large duct in the basement ceiling up against one side making it tricky to have good access and a foundation wall on the other side (so that's out).
 
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