I hear a lot of failure stories from my customers that attempt to DIY their wiring in their home before calling the professionals. With some basic knowledge of home construction and wiring; it might seem like an easy task to fish wires through your home - and sometimes it is - but without a good plan or the right tools you might find yourself in over your head.
Tools That You Probably Should Have on Hand
- a cordless power drill
- scissors
- wire cutters
- half inch and 1inch drill bits ( long reach bits can be incredibly useful )
- drywall knife
- fish tape or fishing rods ( flexible long thin rods )
- electrical tape, masking tape
- dust mask
- utility knife
- measuring tape
- prybar
- stud / wall scanner
Getting Started
Come up with a preliminary plan to get yourself started. Figure out where you plan to run your coax / phone/ ethernet / speaker or whatever wire your running. Personally I like to mark the approx. location of the outlets with masking tape and make short notes on paper.
You should do a walk through of your place. The basement is the best place to start, as you can see where all the vents and wires run up to the next floor. Many homes will have a drain vent, or exhaust vent that run straight to the attic/roof - and many homes will have a cold air return that runs straight to the top floor of the home; make note of those features in your home especially if you plan to run cables to the upper most level.
Once you have hammered out your plan, estimate the amount of wire and supplies that you need - than make sure your purchase a little more just in case.
Drilling Tip
If possible you should take a look on the other side of wherever your drilling - measure everything out and make sure your not going to hit anything. If you can't see both sides - scan for electrical; and remember that scans aren't bulletproof ( this is also why you should check the layout in your basement before getting started ). If you feel really nervous about your shot - there might be a good reason why. Your house will still be there while you take some extra time to think and make certain about what you're doing!!!
Main Floor to Basement Runs
If your basement is unfinished or has a drop-ceiling, these are usually the easier wire runs. If the outlet is on an interior wall without insulation - you should be able to cut a hole in the drywall for your outlet - and then stick your long reach drill bit into the hole and shoot right into the basement.
If your basement is fully finished with drywall, you will probably have to make some cuts, but the concept is the same.
Upper Level to Basement Runs
With most homes you will want to start by running your cable from the attic to the basement - preferably in a location where there is a "straight drop" like a vent or cold air return if your home has one. If not you best find two interior walls that align or things can get a lot more complicated.
This is where a fish tape will become very handy - as you might be able to fish right into the basement without obstruction or additional cuts. You will want to put on your dust mask and enter your attic. ** BE SURE TO STEP ON ONLY THE SUPPORT JOISTS AND NOT THE DRYWALL**
Find the header to your 'straight drop wall' and drill your hole - then fish the tape as far down as you can. If you only make it to the frame of that wall you will most likely need to make a cut and drill another hole to fish into the next wall (which is pretty common) - if possible, I prefer to pry the baseboard and make the cut behind where the baseboard sits. That way there is no drywall patching that need be done. You will most likely have to repeat this procedure to get the wire into your basement.
Once you have run the wire to the basement where your terminating the connections - preferably staple or fasten your wire to keep it neat and out of the way.
You can now drop the cable into any wall accessible from your attic ( usually interior walls ) - by drilling through the header and dropping the cable into the hole.
Wall Box / Plate Installation Tip
You should attempt to scan the wall for the studs before cutting your hole. It is always preferable to have your outlet hole clear of obstruction.
Some Final Thoughts
- If your not in decent physical shape you should probably avoid going into your attic. If you do go, please wear a dust mask and watch your footing.
- Think before you drill. I can't stress that enough.
- It's never to late to call a professional. If the task gets out of hand, don't wreck your house!
- Wear safety glasses when drilling or cutting. Wood or drywall bits fly into my eyes just about every time I decide I don't need glasses and it is very unpleasant.
Well, that concludes my article. I hope people find it helpful. Thanks for reading!