Not all cables and wiring are made to be implemented inside walls or behind floor skirting. Some need to be outside of structures, visible for everyone to see. Those cables are not always on the ground though as they still need to be out of the way and because of that, they’re mounted on walls. But in order to mount them on walls you need cable clips.
A cable clip is a useful little piece of metal or plastic that can hold down a cable. While one cable clip won’t keep a cable on a wall, multiple of them will. These small cable management accessories are found made in different designs so they can work with different cables and in different environments. One of them are cable wire saddles.
What Are Cable Saddles?
A cable saddle is the simplest form of a cable clip as all it needs in order to be mounted and secured to a wall are two nails. With one nail on each end, a cable saddle is one of the easiest ways to keep cables in place. No matter the orientation of the cable and where you need to have it run with proper cable saddles in place, you won’t have to worry about it coming off, thanks to the simple design of this clip.
Benefits of Cable Saddles
Convenient
The fact that a cable saddle is made of one single piece of material makes them super convenient. This makes it easy to place the saddle so that it conforms to the diameter of the cable. Even if they get bent while in your tool chest, quality saddles can be brought back into shape quite easily.
Installation
Hammering down two nails is all you need to do in order to secure the position of a cable when using saddles. It doesn’t get easier than this.
Removal
The same goes for the removal of wire saddles. Once you don’t need the cable to run through a certain area you just take off the nail(s) holding the saddle and you’re good to go.
Practical
The fact that you can take on and off cable saddles so easily makes it easy to work with them and quite practical too. This is because you can reuse the same electrical saddles at a later date on a different cable. Their level of versatility is simply unmatched.
Types of Cable Saddles
Plastic
The most malleable and affordable cable saddle you’ll come across is going to be made of plastic. Plastic saddles are light and they also won’t be affected by corrosion but they are not as strong or as heavy as plain metal saddles. Plastic saddles are mainly made of PVC.
Plain Metal
With metal saddles, you can expect a solution that will hold up quite well even with heavy cables. But keep in mind that plain metal saddles are not treated to fend off corrosion and rust, which is why they are not best as a long-term solution.
Galvanised
Metal saddles that have been galvanised have the same properties as plain metal saddles with the addition of being able to survive longer against corrosion and rust.
Zinc-Plated
The same goes for zinc-plated saddles as they too are made of metal that has been treated. These also have a long lifespan since they can survive exposure to the elements much better even than galvanised saddles.
Full vs Half Cable Saddles
The main difference between full and half cable saddle clips is that the former needs two nails and the latter needs only one. This makes half-saddle clips easier to install but it makes full saddles more secure since they can hold heavier and bulkier cables. This is why you can’t always make use of half-saddle clips as they’re not necessarily as strong. This is what makes full saddles more versatile.
What Else Can You Use Saddles With?
Sockets
Since cables are found everywhere, a cable saddle can be used everywhere too. A good example of this is a socket outlet which has its cables running behind walls.
Lights
Light fittings can also make use of saddle clips. The most common light fittings in this case are light globes which are able to connect through your household’s switchboard and through a light fitting.
Switches
In the same way, a socket can make use of a saddle clip, a switch can do too since it often has its wiring behind it, recessed into the wall. That’s no reason not to use wire saddles just because the cables and wires are hidden away. Extra support is by no means a bad idea even in cases like these.
Conclusion
No matter how well hidden away they are or how exposed you might have your cables, electrical saddles can make a big difference. As long as you space them out correctly and use them at crucial points, you’ll ensure secure and correct placement, every single time.
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