Electrical conduit
Other wireways
Other wireways
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### Surface mounted raceway (wire molding)

 
This type of "decorative" conduit is designed to provide an aesthetically acceptable passageway for wiring without hiding it inside or behind a wall. This is used where additional wiring is required, but where going through a wall would be difficult or require [remodeling](/wiki/Remodeling "Remodeling"). The conduit has an open face with removable cover, secured to the surface, and wire is placed inside. [Plastic](/wiki/Plastic "Plastic") raceway is often used for [telecommunication](/wiki/Telecommunication "Telecommunication") wiring, such as [network](/wiki/Computer_network "Computer network") cables in an older structure, where it is not practical to [drill](/wiki/Drill "Drill") through [concrete block](/wiki/Concrete_block "Concrete block").

Advantages
* Allows adding new wiring to an existing building without removing or cutting holes into the [drywall](/wiki/Drywall "Drywall"), [lath and plaster](/wiki/Lath_and_plaster "Lath and plaster"), concrete, or other wall finish.
* Allows circuits to be easily locatable and accessible for future changes, thus enabling minimum effort upgrades.

Disadvantages
* Appearance may not be acceptable to all observers.
### Trunking

The term *trunking* is used in the United Kingdom for electrical wireways, generally rectangular in cross section with removable lids.

*Mini trunking* is a term used in the UK for small form\-factor (usually 6 mm to 25 mm square or rectangle sectioned) PVC wireways. In India, this trunking is available with self\-fixing tape to ease off installation. 

In some countries including Iran, the term 'Trunking' is a channel that allows installation of switches and sockets.

In North American practice, *wire trough* and *lay\-in wireways* are terms used to designate similar products. Wall duct raceway is the term for the type that can be enclosed in a wall.

### Innerducts

[Innerducts](/wiki/Innerduct "Innerduct") are subducts that can be installed in existing underground conduit systems to provide clean, continuous, low\-friction paths for placing [optical cables](/wiki/Optical_cable "Optical cable"), which have relatively low pulling tension limits. They provide a means for subdividing conventional conduit that was originally designed for single, large\-diameter metallic conductor cables into multiple channels for smaller optical cables.

Innerducts are typically small\-diameter, semi\-flexible subducts. According to [Telcordia](/wiki/Telcordia "Telcordia") GR\-356, there are three basic types of innerduct: smoothwall, corrugated, and ribbed.[GR\-356, *Generic Requirements for Optical Cable Innerduct, Associated Conduit, and Accessories*](http://telecom-info.njdepot.ericsson.net/site-cgi/ido/docs.cgi?ID=SEARCH&DOCUMENT=GR-356&), Telcordia. These various designs are based on the profile of the inside and outside diameters of the innerduct. The need for a specific characteristic or combination of characteristics, such as pulling strength, flexibility, or the lowest coefficient of friction, dictates the type of innerduct required.

Beyond the basic profiles or contours (smoothwall, corrugated, or ribbed), innerduct is also available in an increasing variety of multiduct designs. Multiduct may be either a composite unit consisting of up to four or six individual innerducts that are held together by some mechanical means, or a single extruded product having multiple channels through which to pull several cables. In either case, the multiduct is coilable, and can be pulled into existing conduit in a manner similar to that of conventional innerduct.


Are there any situations where using surface mounted raceway would be impractical?