Overheard a homeowner say their last installer left coax dangling out of the wall like a garden hose

That comment hit me because I realized I've been rushing through exterior wall plates on at least 6 jobs this month, and now I'm going back to actually clipping those cables tight with proper staples and grommets - anyone else guilty of getting sloppy with cable runs behind drywall when nobody's watching?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.morgan2h ago

You mentioned "clipping those cables tight with proper staples and grommets" but you really shouldn't staple coax at all. Just use nail-on cable clips that don't crush the jacket.

seth_green851h agoMost Upvoted

You know, I've actually made that mistake before. I had a buddy's coax cable that I stapled right through, thinking I was being clever and neat. Learned the hard way that those staples can mess up the signal or even break the jacket over time. Now I just use those nail-on clips like you said, or I'll zip tie them loosely to the joists if it's in a basement or crawl space. It took me a few tries to stop being so aggressive with the stapler, but it beats having to re-run a cable because of a crushed spot. Good tip to share for anyone who's new to running coax.