Absolutely! they definately put electrical outlets in hardwood floors. I've had them and they are great. Mine were brass and they had brass screw tops on them for the outlets that are not in use. Can't answer the carpet question all my floors are wood.

Yep. Wall to wall carpet with a brass screw cap outlet where you want it.

Of course you can put some outlets in the floor, but they aren't very attractive and very soon there will be even better battery powered lighting and wireless lighting.

Today I can turn on and dim all the lights in a home and raise and lower the blinds on my iPhone, even from across the country. "Currently" (sorry about the pun) these switches cost $10.

thanks for the input. i plan on hardwood floors with area rugs in sitting areas. i like the idea of recessed ceiling lights, unfortunately our celing heights are 28 feet. also like the idea of led table lamps. any ideas of sights where i can check them out?

http://www.modernlantern.com/

An arched floor lamp is able to reach further to provide illumination.

thanks, mainline

Cheers

Hi rockbrookway,

In answer to your questions; yes electricians do place outlets in the floor, whether its concrete or framed construction. The placement is critical, and best determined by the exact sizes of the furniture & furnishings, and their layout, etc (just as you're doing). With regard to cutting holes in rugs - I would never do that, and you can avoid it the majority of the time.

The key is to specify a rug that isn't so large that the furniture has to be placed far inside the perimeter of the rug. Depending on the proportions of your room and furniture, the rug could be as in the first photo below, or where the furniture partially covers it, as in the second. (Or where the furniture doesn't cover it all). With each of these scenarios, the plug sits in the outlet underneath the rug and only a very small section of the cord is slightly visible.

Most floor outlets have deep recessed sockets, so the plug itself doesn't sit above the finished floor level and therefore doesn't interfere with the rug's placement.

- Steve

thanks, steve, for all the good information. all it takes is meticulous planning months in advance! :)

You're very welcome Rockbrookway. I'm a big proponent of detailed planning, and while its a great deal of work, it really pays off at the end of the project. The decisions regarding furniture etc have to made at some point anyway, so its better do it far in advance as it affects so many other factors in the early startes. It also helps eliminates surprises at the end too.

Best of luck with your project!
- Steve

When we built our home 20 years ago I knew there were really only two ways we could place a couch in the carpeted living room. Both shared a common point (turning point of an L) and were in the center of the room rather than backed against a wall. I had the electrician install a floor outlet at the "turning point", and have NEVER regretted it. Right now the outlet is underneath a side table with a lamp, so cord just goes down the side to the outlet....when I had a side table at the other end of the couch the lamp cord did the same thing, and an extension cord continued on to the outlet, totally out of sight underneath the couch.

At that time I had a provincial couch similar in style to the one in the Kiawah Family Home photo above and even with the open bottom and the extension cord running under it was out of sight..

thanks, iota. i will get working with my tape measure to measure out the furniture placement.

Thanks Main Line Kitchen Design for the shout out on our cordless table lamps! This topic is the very reason we created our rechargeable lamps.

More often than not, home owners and even professionals they hire for floor planning don't always know how to predict the use of space for lighting needs and retrofitting outlets in floors/slabs is often an expensive nightmare for home owners...

Try Lew Electric we are the largest manufacturer in the world of residential floor boxes (outlets) www.lewelectric.com

Ugly!!!

We were faced with the same Question, but in five years it would be unthinkable to mar your beautiful and expensive hard wood floors. We are going all the way as pro generational as we can. Especially in lighting and technology. Main Line Kitchen Design and Modern Lantern have the right approach in my book.

Thanks. Highly doubt battery operated lamps put out nice light.

Thanks @project_event_plan! Actually, our 3W LED bulb puts out equivalent to 35-40W incandescent and the 5W is approximately 55-60W incandescent. Nice, warm light;)

project_event_plan. I don't feel the Lew electric outlet is ugly. Lew Electric Fittings, can you please tell me the exact model of that floor receptacle? It is exactly what I have been looking for.

Hi. That is our RCFB-1 floor box. You can find it here: http://www.lewelectric.com/residential/rcfb-boxes-and-covers/

Chiming in late here.

When I was a kid, I always thought it strange that commercial buildings had outlets in the floor in large spaces, but never residential ones. Then I forgot about that observation… until I bought the place I live in now. It had an outlet in the living room (really great room) floor.

I had electrical work done before I moved in, and the electrician mentioned it would be easy to get rid of that "strange thing." My answer was an emphatic "no!", and I'm glad I kept it. It's placed so I can plug things in while on the couch, without having to have an extension cord come in from the wall and pose a tripping hazard. Plus it's the perfect place to plug the vacuum cleaner in (it's near the center of the room and can thus easily reach everywhere). I love having it!

I again wonder why floor outlets are so rare in residential construction, and if I ever move I'd seriously consider having a floor outlet or two installed in any large room in my new home.

Yes, it's "ugly" in that you can see it — just like an outlet in the wall is "ugly." No big deal, in other words. It's a 2-outlet brass affair with covers that flip up to expose the outlets.

I highly recommend the floor outlet. I would advise thinking about what size rug, if you will use one, so that your outlet placement does not end up being in an inconvenient spot where it is not usable. We had 2 floor outlets installed. One is perfect, but the other ended up being under the great room rug.

Cords under rugs and carpets are a fire hazard... Advise to have an electrician place / move a floor outlet exactly where you need it to avoid that issue, or choose a cordless lamp.

2013 post

Are there any specific NEC guidelines on when to install floor outlets? I see the 12 foot rule for wall outlets. There are areas in large rooms that support lamps, etc, that are greater than 6-12 ft from wall outlet and pass through a walkway or open hall between furniture items. Cords would be tripping hazards.

I think you answered your own question. They also provide a solution where the 12 foot rule can not be met.

Are you confirming there are no NEC guidelines on floor outlets in residences? If not, seems the NFPA/NEC are overlooking a safety hazard.

250.146 Connecting Receptacle Grounding Terminal to Box.
(C) Floor Boxes. Floor boxes designed for and listed as providing satisfactory ground continuity between the box and the device shall be permitted.

314.27 Outlet Boxes.
(B) Floor Boxes. Boxes listed specifically for this application shall be used for receptacles located in the floor.

Exception: Where the authority having jurisdiction judges them free from likely exposure to physical damage, moisture, and dirt, boxes located in elevated floors of show windows and similar locations shall be permitted to be other than those listed for floor applications. Receptacles and covers shall be listed as an assembly for this type of location.

UL White Book 2012:

NONMETALLIC OUTLET BOXES (QCMZ)
FLOOR BOXES
Floor boxes designed for floor installation as covered in ANSI/NFPA 70, ��National Electrical Code�� (NEC), are provided with covers and gaskets to exclude surface water and sweeping compounds that might be present in floor cleaning operations. Covers with gaskets may be shipped separately from the boxes. Both products are provided with installation instructions. Those boxes intended for installation in concrete floors are frequently provided with leveling screws, threaded hubs, or both and are provided with a marking on the carton to identify boxes of this type such as, ��Floor Box Cover�� or ��Floor Box, Concrete Tight�� as appropriate. Floor boxes may be provided with wiring devices.

No.1 - Initial idea - a cover sits flush to floor over the socket when not used. (1st photo)

No.2a,b - Now another idea that I LOVE to have (I have more jpgs to show what I am thinking of) (2nd & 3rd photo) -

a) socket nails to joist side way, that can be reached to from the floor opening, to be able to plug in a power strip. Surrounded by wood to form a box

b) A cover with two 2" openings that sits flush to the floor to cover the opening, and allow gadgets' wiring to come out.

***If my No.2 idea cannot be done, please recommend a work around so I can have a power strip hidden and not sit on the floor

No.3 - Or maybe this one? (4th photo)

Where can I find one that I can place a piece of wood on the top of the lid? (5th photo)

Love this 4th idea

Not code.

Why is that not code? Pictures 1 and 4? Any options for flush with a wood floor?

Before anyone posts a snarky comment, yes, I know it's an old post. But people still search these things, so... I just found this product through a Google search. Considering giving it a try.

https://cableductuk.com/minima.html

Thanks! perfect timing for us!

Not "Listed" (UL Listed or the like) to be used in the US