Supporting horizontal CAT6 runs

[gromitsupport]

I am looking to wire my house with CAT6 and COAX. I am looking to properly support the long horizontal runs that I will have in my house. I was planning on using Bridle rings or zip ties screwed into the underside of the floor joists. But after some research I discovered that that is not the optimal way of supporting CAT6 cabling. I was then looking at the CADDY supports, but I can't seem to find any that fit my install application. My cable runs will all be run perpendicular to the floor joists, and I can only find the CADDY brackets that can be screwed into the wooden beams that would run parallel with the CAT^ cables that was why I was going to use Bridle rings that I could screw into the bottom edge of a 2x10 that run ever 16" OC spacing them ever 3-4 feet.

Any idea? Is using zip ties OK if they are loose and I space them out every other floor joist?

 

[jrgood0852]

Panduit will have what you are looking for..............

http://www.panduit.com/wcs/Satellit..._cat_id=1532&prod_id=1532&pagename=PG_Wrapper

Always look out for the next tech. because one day it will be you!

 

[gromitsupport]

Thank you for the info, I will look at Panduit products.

 

[wires]

In residential you usually don't want to attach anything to the top/bottom of joists since it can be damaged or someone might want to drywall over it later. The usual practice is to bore a hole large enough for all cables (+15%) at least 1" in from the edge. Snap a chalk line and use a square so the center of the holes are on the same line.

Otherwise I just bang in a a NM staple to the side of a joist and use a loose zip tie. Once again snap a chalk line so you can keep everything nice and straight.

Since the joists are 12"-16" apart the zip ties don't have to be tight to do the job.

Stay at least a foot away from AC power or cross at 90 degrees.

 

[gromitsupport]

Thanks again for the info. I was going to drill holes, but then I realized that there where already many pipes running below the joists, the basement already has 9ft ceiling, so losing an inch is not a big deal, plus its my house and I will never Sheetrock my basement ceiling and can't stand people who do. It makes future work so much more expensive. I will be going drop ceiling at some point.

Yeah I think I might just go the staple and zip tie route, paying $3 - $5 for a CADDY or Panduit J-Hook seems a bit nuts to me.

 

[jrgood0852]

It all depends on if you don't mind seeing exposed wires. I would use the moulding wherever the exposed is, and the cable ties/velcro, etc. where you can't see the cabling.

Always look out for the next tech. because one day it will be you!

 

[wires]

Yep, if there are already pipes and such secured to the bottom of the joists there is little reason not to put your cables there also. I'd bang a staple in each joist but not zip tie all of them until you are done running cables.

 

[gromitsupport]

Thanks everyone, I think I am going to bang a staple in every other joist, run a zip tie through each staple and leave the zip ties loose. I am running about 15 CAT6 cable per bundle coming from three direction locations all going to a wall mounted rack. Where they combine I will run the zip ties on every joist, or break down and get some j-hooks for the last bit of run where all the cables are bundled together. Or just run them in 3 separate bundles. We'll see as I go along.

 

[allworxguy]

You shouldn't use zip ties on cat6. Get velcro.

Marv ccna

http://www.telemarv.ca

Sales, Installation & Service for Norstar, BCM, Samsung & Allworx Serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario since 1990

 

[gromitsupport]

Any place online to get a roll of velcro that is affordable?

 

[wires]

As long as you don't deform the cable anything will work.

 

[jrgood0852]

Wires is correct. Cable ties are cool, JUST DON'T OVER-TIGHTEN! Just snug enough to keep them from drooping.

Always look out for the next tech. because one day it will be you!