LAN and Telecom Cabling Securing flexible conduit

> I've getting close to starting a major addition to our house. I'm
> going to put some kind of conduit in the new sections of the house for
> low-voltage wiring. I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the Carlon
> flexible conduit (the stuff they call "Resi-Gard"), but I'm not
> committed to it (if someone has a better suggestion, I'm open to it).
> I'm planning on running 3/4" conduit from all of the boxes back to a
> central location.
>
> The contractor's electrian wasn't that interested in doing the conduit,
> but the contractor didn't have a problem with me doing it. I used the
> Carlon stuff in one room in the basement that I remodeled, and it worked
> out fine ... except for one issue.
>
> I hadn't fully appreciated how much of a pain it was to secure the conduit
> to the framing members. I used the PVC "hoop" style clamps, and those

> out okay ... but driving all of those screws took a lot of time, and in

> limited-clearance places I was forced to drill & countersink bolts & nuts

> secure the PVC clamps. I ended up using a fair number of these clamps,
> because I didn't want the conduit to move around when I was pulling wire
> through it.
>
> I have to wonder if I was missing something. What are you supposed to use
> to secure the PVC clamps to the framing members? Do people nail them? Do
> you use drywall or deck screws? Traditional wood screws, with a pilot
> hole? I guess with the rigid PVC, it's less of an issue because you don't
> need as many clamps. But I had used that in _another_ room I remodeled,
> and I discovered that I ended up spending a whole lot of time cutting and
> fitting the conduit with all of the bends necessary (and that room didn't
> even have that many bends). The flexible stuff was a _lot_ quicker in
> this regard.
>
> Is combining conduit types an option? I suppose it would make sense to
> use the flexible stuff where you need lots of bends, but you could
> use the rigit stuff for long, straight runs.
>
> --Ken

>You can use 3/4" drive straps(a hook shaped nail in strap) to secure the ENT
>(electrical non-metallic tubing). You can get them at a local electrical
>supply house if your home store doesn't have them. The supply houses usually
>stick it to the walk-in cash buyers though. Your contractor's electrician
>probably has some or can get them.

>I'm not sure why you need conduit unless its for future additions but if
>your not opposed to the occasional attic crawl you really only need the pipe
>to get you from the top (or bottom) of the wall to your boxes (or rings).
>Just run it far enough out so it can be easilly reached in any tight areas.
>Depending on how many bends you have it might be easier than trying to get a
>fish tape through all of that pipe.

> It turns out fishing a pull string through is actually dead simple. Tie
> string to small plastic grocery bag, attach shop-vac to one end of conduit,
> turn on shop-vac, and place bag in other end of conduit. Zips it
> right through! With that, you don't have a problem pulling anything.

> The one trick with doing _that_, however, is that you should pull a
> double-length string (I suck the string through, leave a couple of
> extra feet, mark the end of the string still connnected to the spool
> with a black marker, and then pull more string until I see the black
> mark at the other end). That way, when you pull a cable, you can
> pull from the middle and you've still got the string when you're done.

> I've getting close to starting a major addition to our house. I'm
> going to put some kind of conduit in the new sections of the house for
> low-voltage wiring. I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the Carlon
> flexible conduit (the stuff they call "Resi-Gard"), but I'm not
> committed to it (if someone has a better suggestion, I'm open to it).
> I'm planning on running 3/4" conduit from all of the boxes back to a
> central location.

> The contractor's electrian wasn't that interested in doing the conduit,
> but the contractor didn't have a problem with me doing it.

> I used the
> Carlon stuff in one room in the basement that I remodeled, and it worked
> out fine ... except for one issue.

> I have to wonder if I was missing something. What are you supposed to use
> to secure the PVC clamps to the framing members? Do people nail them?

> Do
> you use drywall or deck screws? Traditional wood screws, with a pilot
> hole?