To staple a run of cable to the side of a joist, the author first hooks the cable with one finger and flattens the cable against the joist with the side of his hand.
While holding the cable flat, he drives a cable staple about three-quarters of the way in.
Then he reaches over and pulls the cable tight while he finishes driving the staple into the joist.
Strapped ceilings allow cable to run perpendicular to the joists if the cable is kept a minimum of 2 inches from the strapping. Otherwise the cable would have to be fed through holes drilled in the joists.
When changing the cable’s direction—from perpendicular to the joists to parallel, or from a horizontal run to a vertical run—the author makes a wide gentle loop to keep the cable flat and relaxed. A staple secures the cable at both sides of the transition.
In a stud bay, the author drives the first staple about 6 inches down from the plate again keeping the cable relaxed in the transition from the drilled hole.
Working down the stud, the author drives staples every few feet, pulling the cables tight as he moves along.
A staple just above the electrical box holds the cables before they are fed into the box.