Routing Cable through ceiling voids

[simon123]

I'm fitting downlighters to my lounge.

Therefore I am interested in how cables are secured in the ceiling void and what is the best pratice to adopt.

Please can you advise regulation wise and what you would do in this installation.

Many thanks Simon.

 

[simon123]

I need to mention the regs.
522.6.5 requires that a cable installed under a floor or above a ceiling is run in such a position that is not liable to be damaged with the floor, ceiling or other fixing. (at least 50mm)

If this is case how would one a cable with limited access achive this ?

 

[telectrix]

it should be clipped to the joists > 50mm from floor and ceiling. in the real world, though, you ain't going to take up every 4th board. usually cables are just laid on ceiling. if a rare chance of a nail being knocked up in the ceiling, it will most likely push the cable out the way.

 

[simon123]

Thanks for the reply,
Is this the usual kind of method?, and in this case access is very difficult, even taking up the floor boards, would the majority of installations be in this way?
Can anyone else comment on their practises.

 

[1shortcircuit]

When you say limited access, do you mean that this will be done from beneath the ceiling? You'll be fine if you are following the runs of the joists but there is going to be a time where you have to pass through them. This is where you 50 from above and 50 from below will come into play.

It's not ideal to clip to a joist in this instance in my opinion, you'll be satisfying the regs by having the ceiling support your cable through it's entire run:thumbsup

I would clip as Tel has mentioned only if the ceiling has not yet been fitted.

 

[nickblake]

Some thing like this

 

[telectrix]

bet they wouln't be like that if the ceiling was in first.

 

[simon123]

The ceiling is finished. Above the floor is tongue and groove boarding and moving furniture carpets etc, so the only acess is to cut the board from below. I only really want to cut holes for the downlighters so clipping the cable is near impossible. how would this work?

 

[Andy78]

As said before, if you are cutting holes from below you will only be able to feed cables along the joists above. When you need to take cables across joists you will need to drill through them. The only real practical way to do this is to lift boards in the room above. You could try drilling the joists through the downlighter holes with a long spade bit, but more than likely this method will get you in a mess.

 

[simon123]

Thanks, sounds like the common method would be to just lay the cable on top of the ceiling which has been mentioned above, as access to clipping the cable cannot be acheived.