First place: Pulling with a tape measure

In an insulated wall (where pink insulated blankets are installed between wood studs), use an old measuring tape with the end cut off to fish down inside the wall from the attic to a new box. At the end of the tape, drill a hole to attach the NM cable, AC cable, MC cables or flex so it can be pulled back up into the attic.

Mark Ode

Phoenix

Oldie but goodie: Friction tape and wire reel solution

When running temporary power, I use old-school friction tape for hanging light stringers and cords. It is cheap to buy by the case, you can carry a few rolls on your person at a time and you don’t need a ladder or lift to remove your cords and stringers when the time comes to tear it all out. Just give the cords a good yank and the friction tape tears. We always use CFLs, which are cheap and you can put a ton of them on a circuit. Use a wire reel to roll up the cords onto the reel. It is faster than rolling them individually, and the reel can be transported from job to job.

Robert Siwik

Pittsburgh

Idea Igniter: Cable management

What are some innovative ways to pull cables? Installing in open ceilings has its own challenges, but cable must be managed. Send us your safe ideas for spool management, staging and pulling MC cable, data cable and more.