Hint: Atrocious attic installation
Climbing up these pull-down attic stairs revealed an interesting find. Look closely around the perimeter of this hatch opening, and you can probably spot the NM cable stapled along the top of the joists. It also appears as if this NM cable is pinched beneath the attic floor boards, too. For NM cable installed in accessible attics such as this, Sec. 334.23 requires installers to follow the same rules for AC cable in Sec. 320.23. Where run across the top of floor joists or within 7 ft of the floor or floor joists along the face of rafters or studs, Sec. 320.23(A) requires cables to be protected by guard strips. There was no form of protective guard strips installed at this location and zero protection of this cable from physical damage. In fact, it appeared this cable had been stepped on, crushed, bent, pinched, and otherwise damaged due to it being in a spot where people are stepping or grabbing with their hands as they enter and exit this attic. This cable should be ripped out and the circuit rewired so the cable is protected from damage.
