Re: Hole Diameter for running cable

["Robert L Bass" <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> I cannot imagine needing 2 inch holes to run
>> these sorts of wires in a home.  I'm assuming
>> that these holes are in the floor joists in the
>> ground floor, meaning it is the unfinished
>> ceiling of the basement.
>
> In my case yes, we stripped out the old
> suspended ceilings and moldy plywood
> nailed up without vapor barriers or lots of
> other good things.

You don't need to restore the joist strength for 2" holes.  Just keep
them away from the center 1/3 of the joist and at least 2" apart from
each other.  Also, stay near the vertical center of the joists.

> I am installing a new Hayden central vacuum...

Beware.  Hayden can sometimes be a royal pain when you need repair
parts or warranty service.  We dropped them after a couple of
run-arounds.

> avoid the main house beam) and the vacuum
> pipe is 2" in diameter.  Something in my gut
> tells me to brace any hole that large in an old
> wooden joist....

If the joist isn't otherwise damaged, ignore the gut feeling this time.
 2" isn't a large hole in a typical (10" or larger) floor joist.

> I've always wondered why something as important
> as building codes are not available on-line...

Many communities now post the IRC code online.  Google a question such
as "what is the maximum hole diameter in a floor joist" and you'll get
a lot of opinions plus several municipal code websites with the
standards.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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