Home Automation - Fishing wiring in existing home

Hello,I'm eager for some advice on information of how to fish/run wiring(cable/phone) in an existing home since I do satelllite installations as in independent contractor and the required tools to make a practical installation and the wiring of phone connections.
I'm somewhat apprehensive about drilling/making holes and not being able to cut holes without some knowledge/advice on this subject.

Thanx,Rob

Obviously the main piece of equipment you'll need is a wire snake. I've used a metal one for the work around my house, but I've heard fiberglass works well and it avoids the potential issue of electrocution.

For drilling I've found auger bits do the quickest, easiest job of making holes. You just have to clean up all the wood bits afterwards. A 1/2" or 5/8" auger should be more than sufficient for cable/phone.

As for WHERE to drill the hole -- never an easy thing. Tape measures, unfinished areas, and tapping are your friends. A piece of string with a weight can be very helpful as well -- especially since you can tie your cable to the end of the string and pull it through.

If you're putting in jacks, a keyhole saw, utility knife, and/or a dremmel will make quick work of drywall. Make sure there isn't an electrical wire, stud, or ductwork behind where you're hoping to put the outlet though!

By and large, however, figuring out where to put the holes between floors is more of an art than a science. I've discovered myself drilling into studs because I was an inch or two off on measurements, or drilling on the wrong side of a stud. The more experience you get doing this, the fewer mistakes you make. Just like anything else!

Attend Cedia training, being hosted in Mpls area Sept. See cedia.org for details

Check out the right tools. Go to lsdinc.com

Thats my 2 cents.

Doctorhifi

And in addition to what these pros had to say (I'm not one), I always try to run phone, cable tv, and stereo wires behind carpet tack strips (or baseboard) wherever I can.
There is usually about a 3/8" space between a tack strip and the wall.
Carefully pull the edge of the carpet up with a pair of needle-nose pliers (do not pull it off the tack strip), run the wire, and just push the carpet edge back down into the gap over it, if you use this along with their other suggestions.
A lot of my lines are hidden like this throughout my house.
Good luck!
Mike

Hi,

Maybe a copy of one of my newsletters will help. It's actually part of a free 7-day home automation course you can subscribe to at [Good tips here - URL was nothing but an ad - SW] .

Obviously, cabling an existing home is a little different than in new construction. The bad news is that it can be a little trickier - the good news is that you don't have to worry about someone else hacking your work after you leave the job site!

How you will approach pulling wire from room to room depends on how your home is built. If you have a one story house built on a slab, your likely route will be up inside the wall and through the attic. If you have a crawl space or unfinished basement you would naturally take that route.

Let's first examine how you pass wiring inside of walls without destroying stuff. Here are the tools that you need:



Fish Tape. This is something that you can find at any decent hardware store.

Stud Finder. Same thing. Hardware store.

Miscellaneous. Drywall knife, Retro-fit electrical boxes, Electrical tape, flashlight, measuring tape,... some of the same stuff you might have used in our last newsletter's "new construction" issue.



Let's assume for the moment you want to go up the wall into the attic. You'll be cutting a hole into the drywall where the wires will exit into the room. Using your stud finder (guys at the hardware store can explain this device to you), locate the studs in your wall and trace the outline of your retrofit electrical box with a pencil (someplace where the studs ARE NOT).

OH - BY THE WAY: Scope out your path BEFORE you do anything! First, make sure there are no obstructions in the wall with your stud finder. If you don't detect anything this way, then cut just a small hole and run your fish tape up the wall to make sure it doesn't hit anything before ceiling height.

Second, measure the exact distance of your proposed cut from a corner, & go up into the attic & do the same. You need to be able to drill down into the wall chase at the exact spot above your proposed "hole-in-the-wall."

While you're in the attic (if everything looks clear), drill your hole and drop your fish tape all the way down (if there's no insulation you can just drop a weighted string). You are now ready to cut the drywall below, reach in to grab the string or fish tape, use electrical tape to tie your wiring on, and go back up into the attic to pull away!

At the other end of your run, you'll repeat the process. The order in which you do things may vary, but this is basically how it's done.

Not too difficult, was it? Except for the nasty attic insulation (ecch!)....

(By the way, this tutorial is much too brief to go into details of what kind of wiring you'd wish to run for specific purposes. Integrating the Smart Home and its Owner covers specifics about audio, video, data, security, & other cabling. You can check it out by at [Stick to the tips here - URL is an ad - SW]


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IF YOU'RE RUNNING THROUGH THE BASEMENT it's not much different. Again you'll measure carefully, scope out the path... but this time you'll be drilling UP from the basement into the wall space. To make sure you drill up into a wall space and not through your hardwood floor (been there done that), measure carefully off some reference point visible from both the basement and upstairs. Heat ducts make good reference points. You can also look for nails and water pipes running up from the basement as good indicators of wall locations.

ONE OTHER CAUTION: Do your best to make sure of where electrical runs are inside the walls when you drill. Blue flame is pretty, but you'd rather not see it. Remember that romex (electrical cable) often runs vertically directly attached to the studs, though not always - and that it may run horizontally from outlet to outlet. Don't be paranoid, just careful. Drill slowly when you think you're about to break through, and once your drill exits the other side of a wood stud or plate, BACK OFF.

FROM BASEMENT TO SECOND FLOOR: Now you have to be clever. Hypothetically speaking, you could violate code and find a cold air return that runs directly from the basement in a straight line to the second floor. If so, you'd just have to pop open the return in the basement, and open the vent on the second floor so you could drill into the attic space.

Aside from this, you might find a common chase that was built into the house for pipes or cabling, etc. Sometimes a chimney has dead space around it that you can use. If you can't find a good hidden path, running wires through closet spaces or laundry chutes may accomplish the mission. If need be, you can then dress it up with "wire moulding" from the hardware store so it's not so unsightly.

The last resort would be to take the wiring outside the house, hide it the best you can by running it behind downspouts/gutters, etc., & back into the basement/attic at the other end.

In the next issue, we'll begin to talk about one of the most commonly used and flexible protocols that you can use & how to make it work correctly for you!


Hope this helps a little.
-Andy Jackson