Hello out there - o.k. got quick questions.

I kinda hate NM cable and I use armored AC Minimum 12AWG for all basic installations. ( I pulled a wire out of a narrow wall once where some guy got lucky and put a long screw in a wall to hang a picture and ran it right through a NM cable, he just missed the beam and was close enough to the wire and shorted it) When running wire vertically through an existing wall (basement to 2nd floor through 1st floor wall for example) do I really need to cut open the WHOLE wall void for stapling purposes? or can I just cut out around the firestops, drill em' and run lines up?

Also is there a maximum number of lines I can put in a 14 1/2" x 3 1/2" wall void? (standard 16" on centers const.)?

I'm sure it's in the code, but code references will help me understand the lamens terms explanation vs. the code definitions. I have the 2002 NEC.


Thank you. I love this site and cannot wait to submit some interesting things for the, "what's wrong with this picture" section, with your permission.. Most of my work is upgrading and installing home office networks in houses minimum 60-100 years old...need I say more?

flipster