Cables behind rafters

[vardymr2]

I have just 1st fixed a cottage a few weeks ago, the cottage has stone walls so i cant chase in cables on certain walls within property as customer wants to keep the stone walls and not have them plastered, so what i have done on the top floor is ran the cables behind rafters just above the walls as there is no attic, its just one big room with no ceiling it just goes straight upto the roof. The roof is getting plaster boarded so the cables will not be seen once finished.

Well the BCO has pulled me up saying i cant ran cables behind rafters, and i should chase the top of the wall round the room. I cant find it in the regs that i cant run behind rafters and 3 other electricians i know agree with me, What do u guys think??

 

[1shortcircuit]

Well the BCO has pulled me up saying i cant ran cables behind rafters, and i should chase the top of the wall round the room.

Did you not ask him why? I would have

Surely so long as there is no risk of damage to your cable then it's fine?

 

[vardymr2]

He said what happens if a roof puts a nail in a cable? i told him its a full rcd board plus it does matter where i put a cable it always runs the risk of someone putting a nail in a cable, ie Women hanging pictures and crap.

Worst part is the customer is refusing to pay cos she thinks its a dodged job, im niceic registered so i will be signing it off not the local BC

 

[1shortcircuit]

He said what happens if a roof puts a nail in a cable?

I was having a similar conversation about clipping cables to joists. Only when we are routing cables through the joists do they have to be above and below 50mm to prevent damage.

I said what if the cable is clipped to the top of the joist and the person putting the floor down put a screw through the cable? My tutor replied "He's supposed to be putting them into the joist so why would he make contact with your cable that is clipped to the side"?

I guess it's the same difference as someone hanging a picture frame directly above a socket outlet? that's your safe zone and your entitled to use it. Your not to blame for someone else's carelessness:thumbsup

Those rafters must be quite large anyway?

 

[Guest123]

Do you mean they are behind the roof trusses inbetween them and the felt, running parallell with the 2x1 battens???

 

[vardymr2]

Rafts are 4 inch minimum so there is no chance of hitting cables from inside the house, he is bothered about if a roofer has to change some tiles outside he might hit a cable??? i was like WTF. Well im phoning the NIC on monday and if they agree with me im not moving them in a million years

 

[vardymr2]

Do you mean they are behind the roof trusses inbetween them and the felt, running parallell with the 2x1 battens???

Yes mate

 

[Des 56]

Do you mean they are behind the roof trusses inbetween them and the felt, running parallell with the 2x1 battens???

I'm not sure either where you have wired
quote
the cables behind rafters just above the walls as there is no attic

 

[1shortcircuit]

Do you mean they are behind the roof trusses inbetween them and the felt, running parallell with the 2x1 battens???

Yes mate

That could be a different answer then

Is there anyway you can add any mechanical protection to protect the cables? That would save re-routing everything

 

[ste mac]

Would a roofer not be nailing into the slate battens not the rafters? I have run them this way in the past. A roofer would be able to see / feel the lump in the felt anyway. Are they slates or concrete tiles?

 

[vardymr2]

Why mechanical protection? its double insulated cable rcd protected, the regs only has zones for walls not within the ceiling space, I also cant drill holes in trusses as is against part A and the roof could come falling in.

 

[vardymr2]

if you did a loft conversion, How would you get your cables to the lights? you would have to run the cables behind the trusses in my eyes

 

[ste mac]

Is it like this diagram?

 

[vardymr2]

Is it like this diagram?View attachment 3013

Yes Ste

 

[ste mac]

Then as i said before, the roofers nail is a non argument, especially with concrete roofing tiles because roofers just hook them onto the slate battens!