J hooks can offer increased flexibility over cable tray or EMT on most any cable install. Now don’t get me wrong, there are applications where you wouldn’t use them and that is for you the contractor or your customer to decide. After all I am just a fastener guy. But here are a couple of ideas that may help you out next time you are hanging from concrete.

Suspending J Hooks On Grid Wire

While code may prevent you from hanging you j hooks on existing ceiling grid wire, you can hang your own grid wire and suspend on that. The Ramset Viper tool is designed specifically for shooting to concrete ceilings and with a telescopic pole, you can reach most decks from the floor. Make sure to use a good quality pin and work with a supplier who understands the tool he is selling you. Once your wire is installed, you can use a j hook with a bat wing or multi clip to mount anywhere on the wire or simply thread the grid wire through the mounting hole and bend around. If the concrete seems to be to hard to shoot, first, make sure you have a good quality pin as mentioned earlier and talk to your supplier before you give up. If you decide you can’t shoot, consider a tie wire spike. The tie wire spike is a anchor with a hole for grid wire. These are available online with the grid wire pre attached. Simply drill a 3/16″ hole and hammer in.

Suspending J Hooks On Threaded Rod

Many applications require installation with threaded rod. Ceiling clips that accept threaded rod are available so you can simply add the rod and shoot up just like grid wire. If you can use ¼” threaded rod, you will be able to use the j hooks with multi clips or bat wings or you can use standard hardware. Most bat wings are not rated for 3/8″ rod so you will have to use standard hardware to bolt on. If you cannot shoot a clip up, I would recommend a drop in anchor as they are the most cost affective option and offer more than enough holding power. If you have post tension concrete use a shallow drop in with a stop bit. A couple of things that will speed up your install on concrete anchors is to make sure you are using a rotary hammer, not a hammer drill. They drill faster by hitting harder not spinning faster, saving you time and bits. I highly recommend a cordless rotary hammer. With the new lithium hammers, you will be able to drill many holes on one charge without coming down off the lift to move and or replace a cord.

Mount J Hooks Tight To The Concrete Deck

One last way to suspend j hooks from the concrete deck, especially in areas with minimum clearance is to buy your j hooks with a ceiling clip and nail attached. These can be hard to find as only a couple of dealers have them, search for JH32SPC78 and you will find them.