Outlets on unfinished walls (columns?)

I have a basement family room with finished ceiling but unfinished fieldstone walls. I'm interested in adding outlets to the walls. I know I can do EMT around the perimeter or EMT from the ceiling (but with a finished ceiling I'd need access panels for the junction boxes used for the Romex/MC to THHN/EMT transition, right?).

I'd leave it be, or add more ceiling outlets but when I told the electrical inspector I wanted to add outlets to the finished wall separating the family room from the finished office/bedroom, he kind of implied that he'd expect a full 210.52 outlet spacing on the entire room.

I was wondering about putting outlets in decorative columns along the wall, a little cleaner IMHO than EMT. There are commercial solutions out there like Wiremold 30TC, but they're pricy. Any competing products or off the shelf columns that would work for hiding an electrical box and outlet?

 

No plan to add stud walls and just incorporate your wiring with them?

 

None. That was done for a portion of the basement. I like the old school look of the fieldstone.

 

Yeah, hang tight for the pros here but it also wouldn't hurt to talk to the inspector again, seeing as he's the one you have to make happy in the end.

 

The finished wall between the rooms (as well as the wall in the finished room) has lost it's lower 2 ft of drywall due to mold remediation. Before the drywall goes back up, I'd like to add more outlets both inside the finished room and on both sides of the common wall. It's when I brought up adding outlets to the common wall that he mentioned extra outlets in wiremold or EMT. There may have been a miscommunication there. He may have thought I meant add outlets to the entire room, which would be nice but not really needed. My interpretation of the NJ Rehab code is that 210.52 only applies if unfinished space is converted to finished space.

Edit: I take that back, I could use some more outlets. I don't need 12 foot spacing or outlets in every corner. Ceiling outlets would work for me.

 

You did not mention how hard it will be to get the needed circuits for the new outlets, but I'll assume it will be not an issue.

I would suggest if you are going to that the time to install outlets, that you just wire it to code. IMO EMT would be the best way to to wire it. You can keep the exposed stone and use 4"x4" boxes and industrial covers to keep with an old school feel of the walls. If you ever did want to insulate and cover it, all you would need to do is change the covers to mud rings. If you don't like the silver of the conduit you can just paint it. EMT that is bent correctly looks way better then Wiremold and is cheaper to boot! A hammer drill and plastic anchors make quick work attaching the conduit and boxes.