ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues crawl spaces/protection of wires??

Sorry to be posting so many different post this morning, but just came on another one. I read that crawl spaces are to be considered the same as unfinished basements now, meaning that wires will have to go through bored holes or on running boards. Wow, imagine the extra time it will take to bore holes?? 334.15 (C) 2008 code. This new code book seems to be going in a "crazy" direction in my opinion. Steve....

Hmm ... missed that one; I'll have to look it up!

He is right, they added "crawl spaces" to the article. So now instead of applying simply to unfinished basements it also applies to crawls.

Apparently to comply with the 2008 code you must now bore holes and run the cabling through the joists or use running boards. You are no longer allowed to staple NM cable to the joists.

Errrr WTF?

You can still staple to the inside of joists, just not along the bottom without a nailer board for protection, right?

Steve, that is the way it reads although I am not sure what protection is really achieved by going through bored holes vs just stapling it to the bottom of the framing. You can still hang stuff from it.