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Drilled Holes in Wood and Strain Relief

Mule

Mule

REGISTERED
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
1,520
Location
Texas
Okay, had a meeting with a local contractor and I need to know how you guys feel about this scenario.Hole drilled around 3/4 from face of stud but the wire is toward the back of the hole. The electrician says this type of installation is okay because it meets the intent of the code of being at least 1 1/4 inches from the face of the stud.We brought copies of the section of the code for the last three code cycles where the code specifies the hole for the wire shall be at least 1 1/4 inches from the face of the stud.He still believes this type of installation meets the intent of the code.What is your opinion. We say add a nail plate. Pictures below and two more questions on the same house.

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This is more of a uh huh...sure than anything else.Stress relief on double gang boxes. I saw that there were "stress" marks on the plastic box where the romex was pulled through the box. Electrician said is was due to a faulty product and that when they pull the wires through it was causing the strees marks and then the tabs would not spring back to secure the wire.I said are you sure your not jabbing the screw driver in there and reaming the tabs so it is easier to pull the wires through???? Uhhh no!!! Well then what happened on this box then?View attachment 1416

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Next....how many wires under a staple???? Electrician says.. he uses S100's...don't know what the pecs are but.....View attachment 1417

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Looks to me that the boxes need to be replaced. As for the bored holes @ 3/4" I say needs protection. Not sure what pecs means?

Specs for 100S staples I believe is the question!????
 
It doesn't matter where the cable is in the hole, if the edge of the hole is less than 1¼" from the face of the stud, it needs protection. 300.4(A)(1).
 
RJJ said:
Looks to me that the boxes need to be replaced. As for the bored holes @ 3/4" I say needs protection. Not sure what pecs means?Specs for 100S staples I believe is the question!????
Click to expand...
Sorry..yes Specs....
 
Nail plates are cheap, if in doubt use 'em. As to the plastic tabs, they can be very difficult to work with and actually can strip insulation. As long as the wires are stapled to the framing within a reasonable distance, no big deal on that.
 
A little bit of insulation stuffed in the hole will keep the cable more than 1-1/4" from the face. That seems to meet the intent of the code.
 
[1] Provide a minimum a 1 1/4" of permanent separation distance from the

edge, or nail guard them, ...[2] replace the boxes or secure the conductors nearby

to the framed element, ...[3] Conductors shall not be stapled on their edge - in

the 2006 IRC, see Table E3702.1, Note " i ".

.
 
GHRoberts said:
A little bit of insulation stuffed in the hole will keep the cable more than 1-1/4" from the face. That seems to meet the intent of the code.
Click to expand...
I would disagree with the above statement and side with mule and 480.

300.4(A)(1) Bored Holes. In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed through bored holes in joists, rafters, or wood members, holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not less than 32 mm (1¼ in.) from the nearest edge of the wood member. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by screws or nails by a steel plate(s) or bushing(s), at least 1.6 mm ( in.) thick, and of appropriate length and width installed to cover the area of the wiring.Exception No. 1: Steel plates shall not be required to protect rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, or electrical metallic tubing.

Exception No. 2: A listed and marked steel plate less than 1.6 mm ( in.) thick that provides equal or better protection against nail or screw penetration shall be permitted.
Click to expand...
 
GHRoberts said:
A little bit of insulation stuffed in the hole will keep the cable more than 1-1/4" from the face. That seems to meet the intent of the code.
Click to expand...
Won't work. If the hole is less than 1¼" from the face of the stud, it needs a nail plate. The title of 300.4(A)(1) is Bored Holes, not Distance from Stud Face to Where the Cable is Placed.
 
I would agree, that is a good field inspectors fix to meet the intent of the code and not have a nail or screw go into the romex.
 
480sparky said:
No, the hole is still in the same place.
Click to expand...
Would wood filler move the edge of the hole? Or are you just trying to cause the builder a problem?
 
Agree with GPE! Just install the nail guard.

Something like this.

051411628994


Cost = less than a dollar when purchased in volume.

.
 
The bundled conductors in the last picture are suppose to be 1.25 inches from the edge of the stud and they are not. Now some will say it is protected by the sheathing but is it? Has the siding been installed? Will the cable guy put a staple in it when he runs the cable? In 2x4 construction you basically have 1 inch for the installation but that would require workmanship and some one who cared about their work.

Where run parallel with the framing member or furring strip, the wiring shall be not less than 1¼ inches from the edge of a furring strip or a framing member such as a joist, rafter or stud or shall be physically protected.
 
GHRoberts said:
Would wood filler move the edge of the hole? Or are you just trying to cause the builder a problem?
Click to expand...
Not trying to cause anyone a problem. Just trying to comply with code.
 
georgia plans exam said:
Insulation??? Wood filler??? Cause the builder a problem????Install the darn nail plate. What is it? about $1.00 and 30 seconds labor time. Wow!

GPE
Click to expand...
I agree wholeheartedly. Of all the things we fight around here, nail plates are one of the hottest, and it has so little effect on the cost. What makes matters worse is a lot of the larger homes have lots of 2x6 walls that running a single wire thru the center should be easy, but they can't seem to hit the center of the board for anything.

I wish oh wish I had had my camera the other day, the framers had built a chase for the electrician to run the wires to the panel, but the electrician ignored the chase and just butchered the top plates and the rest of the wall to get the wires in. Then complained when the framer handed him a bill for the damage. Go figure.
 
GHRoberts said:
Would wood filler move the edge of the hole? Or are you just trying to cause the builder a problem?
Click to expand...
The hole is still there. And I can assume most times that a stud will all stay in place in a wall, but if you fill a hole in the stud with wood filler how long before the wood filler dries out enough to fall out of the hole and let the wire start rubbing on the nail. I am not just worried that the drywallers etc. will drive a nail thru a wire or a pipe, I don't want the wire or the pipe to become exposed to the nail or screw and have the opportunity to rub against it inside the wall over a period of time.
 
Mule,

Stud guard it!

Blue electrical box, tabs go down to prevent wire from sliding back out!

Becareful of the diversion, He's done some other things not to code I bet! Old contractor trick to take your attention away from the big code violation!

pc1
 
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