Mounting Cable in Raceway

If your school has an attic or dropped ceilings, you can route cable there, out of sight.

Don't lay cable on top of a dropped ceiling. Instead, cinch tie-wraps to the wires that suspend the T-bar and string the cable from tie to tie.

A telepole is a telescoping pole with a hook at one end, used to get cable across a ceiling or attic quickly. For example, in a dropped ceiling you can lift a tile where the cable enters a room and telepole the cable to the other side of the room in a couple of steps. Without a telepole, you'll have to open up the ceiling every couple of tiles to get the cable across. After the ends of the cable are wired to the jack and patch panel, go back into the ceiling and tie the cable to the T-bar wire every few feet.

The photo shows two cables and a pull string taped to a telepole. Tie half-hitches in the string when attaching it to the telepole, and don't skimp on electrical tape.

Handle ceiling tiles gently to avoid breaking off corners. Ducts may prevent you from working above some tiles.

Whatever work you do in a ceiling, watch out for lights, electrical conduit, water pipes and mechanical equipment.

Also see:
Safety in Walls, Ceilings and Attics

Glossary of Terms