Electrical code question

Absolutely, for new work. But there's a whole class of exceptions for remodeling/repair/addons.

Call the city building inspector.

Called Monday and it was the inspector's day off. Called today and the inspector was recovering from a bout of food poisoning. when I called the county, they were out of the office.

If I recall correctly, the exceptions were for situations where you could not reasonably access the joists to be able to support the cable and where it was unlikely that there could be a disturbance. I was not sure that is why I asked.

Roger Shoaf

Were there Rajhneeshees in town?

Rules change. If it was done with a permit at a time when it was allowed, there's a good chance that it'll stand now. If not -- well...

Your inspector is a good source, because the rules also vary from place to place, as do their interpretations.

It's too late now, but it's often a good idea to go through the place with your inspector and point out spots that you think may be troublesome. If the guy's good you'll get a "oh, that's OK because ...". Sometimes -- even if the guy's good -- you'll get a forehead slap and a "wow! good thing you caught that!".

It IS required by code up here - not sure it that is NEC or Canada (or Ontario) specific. In an attic with a ceiling below, the board may not be required, but in basements and open rafter structures it is (apparently to keep people from hanging things on the wire)

No one downloaded that 2011 NEC from the binaries newsgroup?

I'll be quiet now.

MikeB

It is common practice to leave the cables resting on the rafters in a garage. They are supported.

If they were covered with insulation they would not be visible and could be damaged by a person walking on the rafter joists. In this case they would require strapping to the side of a piece of 2 by to protect them from being stepped on.

Inspectors in Ontario by CEC would allow this. If you cover them up you would need to protect them further.

I have never heard of worry about hanging things on them as most basement have open cables strung between the joists or trusses from hole to hole in open air. This is the recommended protection, away from objects hitting them an ripping them out of boxes.

YMMV and particular inspectors may demand something different depending on surrounding environmental factors. This could have been in a basement bedroom with an open joist ceiling and the inspector could see the future coming.

WOW, if a few missing staples is all that you can find wrong don't worry about it!

Come on you guys. Rafters are what hold the roof surface up. (You know the things that are sort of pointy in the UP direction)

The things you walk on in an attic are ceiling joists.

Gee what maroons. :-) ...lew...

Or roof trusses - which are both rafter and joist.

My bad! I must have been insane at the time. I hope nobody has built a roof from my error.

This should have been "rafter ties" or usually "ceiling joists"

The things you walk on in an attic are ceiling joists.

Gee what maroons. :-) ...lew...

--------------- Josepi wrote: It is common practice to leave the cables resting on the rafters in a garage. They are supported.

So, if you're in the living room, those 2 x 12s the ceiling is nailed to are rafters, but if you're in the attic stepping on their top edge, they're joists? ?:-/

Thanks, Rich

That's all you need. If the inspector didn't say it's not OK, it should be OK. After all, the lender is the one who eats it if the house burns down. (a highly remote possibility.) I'd put the

1x's under them and staple the romex to the 1x's just because then you won't have drooping romex, which would look kinda like sloppy workmanship.

I'm kinda persnickety that way. :-)

Cheers! Rich