Hot take: visited a job site in Seattle last week and saw 3 different crews using zip ties on outdoor fiber runs

Watched one of those zip ties snap in the rain after just 2 hours and had to wonder why nobody carries stainless steel straps for coastal weather, anyone else run into this on damp jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver2421mo ago

Yeah I read somewhere that UV exposure and moisture basically turn standard zip ties into brittle little twigs after a few months. @the_jesse pretty much nailed it about Seattle being a whole different beast for outdoor runs.

the_jesse2mo ago

Zip ties actually hold up fine in dry climates, but you're right that stainless steel straps are way more reliable for Seattle's constant moisture.

spencerw722mo ago

Oh yeah totally, I'm with you on that. I lived in Arizona for years and zip ties were bulletproof out there, never had an issue with anything I strapped down. But then I moved back to the Pacific Northwest and learned the hard way when a whole bundle of them just snapped on me after one wet winter, so I absolutely agree stainless is the way to go up here.