When do I need a stud guard?

[vavet]

The electrician who wired my garage used stud guards (the self-nailing strip of steel, 1.5" wide by maybe 3" long) in certain places, but not everywhere. I can't quite figure out the pattern.

Can anyone explain when, where, and why they are required?

 

[alfredeneuman]

2011 NEC 300.4
1) Bored Holes. In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed through bored holes in joists, rafters, or wood members, holes shall be bored so that the edge of the hole is not lessthan 32 mm (1-1⁄4 in.) from the nearest edge of the woodmember. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by screws or nails by a steel plate(s) or bushing(s), at least 1.6 mm (1⁄16 in.) thick, and of appropriate length and width installed to cover the area of the wiring.

 

[teamextreme]

They are required if there is wire passing through a hole in the stud that is closer than 1.25 inches from the edge of the stud (NEC 300.4.A.1). Most people use a 7/8" bit and if you perfectly center it, you don't need the plates. I put plates on all of my studs because I knew I'd being hanging a metric ****-ton of stuff to the walls with potentially longer screws and didn't want to take any chances.

Edit: Too slow, alfred beat me...

 

[mm08822]

Not until you are a super stud.

Sorry!

 

[cdods]

I wish I put them over every hole the electrical passes through in my garage. In the garage I tend to use longer screws into the studs as I'm hanging heavier things and I'm always worried my luck is going to run out and I'm going to hit a wire.

 

[the gypsy]

It is probably less time consuming to protect each stud than having to measure if your are over or under 1.25 inches.
I install them whenever a wire goes through a 2x4. You just never know when hanging something heavy and someone or myself put in a longer screw. It is also cheaper than trying to find the electrical problem and rectifying it.

 

[Huxley]

Let's talk about it. I've faced the same problem. So, click here now and find my contacts.

Die spambot *************!

Wet cleanup on aisle 52. Ryan - set cleanup 52.