# stapled wires in Crawl Space



## Robert Ellenberg (Feb 8, 2010)

I read the posts concerning no longer being able to stretch cables all over the crawl space and stapleing them where the cross the bottom of the joists.  As an alternative to drilling and pulling wires perpendicular to joists, is it permissable to fasten a 1x board across the bottom edges and perpendicular to the joists and then fasten the NM cable to the face of the 1x since that then provides  a solid back behind the cable and prevents "hanging" anything on them?  I am looking at this for use with steel joists and spacing the 1x at 8' intervals where a wire dropping from  the floor above would be within 4' of one of these 1x "raceway" boards?  Getting from the drop hole to the board it would be parallel to and up between the steel joists.


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## raider1 (Feb 8, 2010)

Re: stapled wires in Crawl Space

What you describe would be a running board and would be acceptable according to 334.15© for an unfinished basement or crawlspace.

Chris


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## Robert Ellenberg (Feb 8, 2010)

Re: stapled wires in Crawl Space

Chris,

I thought so but appreciate the opportunity to run it by the forum.

Bob


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## raider1 (Feb 9, 2010)

Re: stapled wires in Crawl Space

Your welcome Bob, and by the way welcome to the forum.  

Chris


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## Robert Ellenberg (Feb 19, 2010)

Re: stapled wires in Crawl Space

Follow up question:  If you are between joists with a run of NM cable, either fastened along the side of one or passing through bored holes where you are up higher than the bottom of the joists, when you come to a girder is it permissable to drop down under the girder and go back up between joists on the other side?


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## raider1 (Feb 19, 2010)

Re: stapled wires in Crawl Space



			
				Robert Ellenberg said:
			
		

> Follow up question:  If you are between joists with a run of NM cable, either fastened along the side of one or passing through bored holes where you are up higher than the bottom of the joists, when you come to a girder is it permissable to drop down under the girder and go back up between joists on the other side?


I see no problem with passing the NM cable under a girder in the scenario that you mention.

Chris


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