4 square supported to steel stud

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Gategator37

Senior Member
I am supporting 4 square boxes to steel studs, am I required to secure them so the box won't budge? I have used the brackets where it presses up against the opposing wall so once that drywall is in place one side of the box won't fall in to the wall. I know the code says rigidly secure....what defines rigidly secured?
 

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
I usually use the boxes with the brackets already attached to them.

Keep in mind that no matter how well you attach the boxes, the steel studs will flex all over the place. That, and the raised bead on the edge of the studs, are the reasons I have gone to setting the boxes back some, and using a deeper mud ring.

If the box requires several cables to it, the bracket-boxes are out. Then I use a separate bracket that bridges between the studs, and hang ordinary boxes from them. After all, you'll need the brackets to support the cables as well.
 

Jljohnson

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
The Caddy H-23 brackets are great but if you need to mount multiple boxes (IE: receptacle/Data side by side the SGB-16 or 24 is awesome. I personally do not like the "Far side support" clips. They never seem to hold the box from pushing back into the wall at trim time very well.
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
Due to building codes this won't fly everyplace but it works ok here and I am so used to it I can whip it fast. Rather than spend the big bucks at the supply for caddy brackets and expanding bars, I just go to the lumber store and buy 1x 3 treated wood in 10 ft lengths. For about a buck eighty each. A chop saw and a box of self tapping sheet rock screws and I have backside bracing in place for mounting my boxes. Takes about 2 minutes a brace once the saw is setup. When the studs are light guage regular sheet rock screws are sufficient to use as well to hold the wood. Scrap ply fished out of the dumpster from residential jobs is another option, but then the saw changes to skillsaw.
 

Eagle126

Member
When running mc cable down the aluminum stus to the box can you use electrical tape or do you need to use some type of fastener? can someone show me a picture. thanks Mike P
 

jumper

Senior Member
When running mc cable down the aluminum stus to the box can you use electrical tape or do you need to use some type of fastener? can someone show me a picture. thanks Mike P

Well.... It depends I suppose.

330.30 Securing and Supporting.
(A) General. Type MC cable shall be supported and secured
by staples, cable ties, straps, hangers, or similar fittings
or other approved means designed and installed so as
not to damage the cable.

Good luck. Will fly not here.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
20K posts!!! :)




what are those holes for anyway?
Well, they work well with these: http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcScrwOnBxSuprt.asp

Here's where I used some:

delibox1.jpg


delibox3.jpg
 

rt66electric

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
Make brace out of scrap track

Make brace out of scrap track

To mount Boxes on steel steel studs, I first cut a piece of top/bottom track about 6-8 in long, and scew it to the 1900 box first (utilizing those two little hole). This acts like a side brace similiar to aH23. Then I use the two little holes on the other side of the box to mount it to the upright stud. Install conduit or mc, then a mud ring. They flop around till the sheetrock is on, but the track is more difficult for the sheetrockers to bend than an H23. I can quickly make a brace similar to caddy Sgb16/24 out of track. I will get pictures next time.
 
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