Since I have seen many times on this forum about how bad it is for installers to use staples to hold wiring (yes I understand why) I would like for everyone to tell us what you use as you're prewiring a house.

I like to use 2" bridle rings with a lag bolt end. I use a separate row for each subsystem (structured, dist. audio, security, etc.) .

Is there something more cost effective and easy to use?

Oh yeah, it's hard for me to believe that staples are NEVER used. I'm sure all of us have stapled down a speaker wire or two. Lightly nailed down of course!

Im in the same boat with you ATOH. 2" bridle rings for each subsystem - sometimes that gets messy around the head end were all the traffic intersects, but I do my best. If there is more than 2 wires we typically use the smaller bridal rings or a romex staple.

Plastic insulated staples work great. We use the Arrow T59 anywhere we are tacking a single cable. For multiple cables there is a staple made for stapling copper pipe that works great.

ditto, for more than one cable, a zip tie stapled to the stud, for larger bundles sections of conduit.

T59 stapes, large and small drive rings, or zipties w/ screw hole screwed to the stud.

Mike

I use romex staples to hold wire out in the speaker locations and behind open rings while the drywallers and painters are still doing their thing.

Since you tack them with a hammer to set how tight they hold, you can use a lightly tacked staple to keep the end of the pigtail in place so you can tug it free and pull it out if the opening to terminate it.

At the distribution end where the bundles are bigger, you can use the romex staples in place of anchors for the velcro straps or wire ties that you use. Panduit and Leviton sell 1/2" and 3/4" velcro in bulk rolls now. I also use J hooks in various sizes from erico/caddy to hold bundles that run horizontally.

I really do not use hammer in or screw in bridle rings anymore but I have in the past.

staple up a zip tie

I've had good results with the 'cable stackers'. They don't work for a 'corner pull' but they keep things organized. And they don't cost A lot. D-rings work well for a wire guide when your pulling the wires, then, 'snap' them into a stacker.

I use an Arrow T25 to staple Cat5, but they usually don't hold tight enough so I wind up smashing them down with a hammer. The trick is to beat it hard enough until you see the wire start to flatten out. That's how you know when it's strong enough to hold it.

LMAO, sorry I couldn't resist.

Funny. We put a proposal together for a builder for audio video and networking. We didn't get the job because the electrician was about 40% cheaper. $150 for inwall speakers, volume control, and install, and $450 for the entire network. A few years later their surround sound wasn't working, so I went to check it out. The electrician didn't use digital out on the DVD player, and they were using a wireless network because the wired network was to slow and didn't work in some rooms. Ohh, and this was a 1.4 million dollar house. I would be pissed.

Mike

We used to use the romex staple with a zip tie until the electrical inspector pulled us up for it. (Even the insulated staples). Now it's the screw in plastic bases for the zip ties.

What was his problem with the staples?

Quote from the NEC: 110.3(B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling.

I support the need for an electrical code, but, did the boys from the NEC used to work for the Post Office?

I just hope I never get caught using a 'right handed' screwdriver with my left hand!! :)

The inspector did not like the fact that there could be contact between the romex staple and the wire which, after several years of movement due to expansion/contraction & settlement etc., could chaff through the wire and cause problems.

He never actually failed us on it, but expressed his concerns and "requested" we use the alternative. I've always felt it better to have these guys working with you rather than against you, and that it doesn't pay to try and upset the local inspector. (It will come back to haunt you!).