[odditory]

Just curious what if any tips or tricks exist to get speaker wire and/or a long HDMI cable through closed walls. My construction is just the common 2x4 studs 18" apart and drywall like many homes.


I have a 6' drillbit i bought at homedepot that is specifically for getting cables through walls, but some of the walls I have to go through are longer than that. There may be an extension they make to make it longer, but biggest problem is any 90 degree turns (say, going around an inside corner) I think i'm stuck with opening up the drywall in those places to thread the cable through the turn.


I talked to a professional installer who claimed his guys can get wires through walls without opening up holes and before I hired them I wondered if it wasn't something I could do myself.


I'm trying to wire up a 5.1 or 7.1 system with on-wall speakers, and I want to locate all my equipment in a small closet that's 35' cable feet away from the TV. I thought about just pulling the baseboard away and trying to run it on floor, but inevitably I have to go up the wall in order to make it over a door (archway) and its hard floor so I can't thread underneath the floor to get across.


Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[QueueCumber]



Quote:
Originally Posted by odditory /forum/post/14231774


Just curious what if any tips or tricks exist to get speaker wire and/or a long HDMI cable through closed walls. My construction is just the common 2x4 studs 18" apart and drywall like many homes.


I have a 6' drillbit i bought at homedepot that is specifically for getting cables through walls, but some of the walls I have to go through are longer than that. There may be an extension they make to make it longer, but biggest problem is any 90 degree turns (say, going around an inside corner) I think i'm stuck with opening up the drywall in those places to thread the cable through the turn.


I talked to a professional installer who claimed his guys can get wires through walls without opening up holes and before I hired them I wondered if it wasn't something I could do myself.


I'm trying to wire up a 5.1 or 7.1 system with on-wall speakers, and I want to locate all my equipment in a small closet that's 35' cable feet away from the TV. I thought about just pulling the baseboard away and trying to run it on floor, but inevitably I have to go up the wall in order to make it over a door (archway) and its hard floor so I can't thread underneath the floor to get across.


Any suggestions? Thanks

Buy a stud locater, and an electrical line detector. Then begin marking out where the studs are and where the wires are along the path you want to run. After that start drilling into the drywall near any studs you will have to pass cables through and make the hole in the drywall big enough that you can reach inside and put a hole in the stud as well to pass the wire through it (make sure it is in the center of the stud and isn't big enough to compromise the stud). you might be able to utilize holes drilled for previous electrical lines, but be absolutely sure you don't drill into the electrical lines by mistake (that could seriously injure you, or worse...).


I use hard wire, like an unwound coat hanger and tape the cable around the end of it to pass it through areas of wall between the holes...


When you are all done, just patch up the holes...

 

[Ironmike86]

They sell 2'-4' flexible drill bits in the electrical dep. @ Lowes. As long as the walls aren't exterior = insulation. It should be easy. I forget but you can find it on the web. Don't make your holes to big theres a rule on the size hole. Don't put a 2" hole in a 2x4

 

[odditory]



Quote:
Originally Posted by QueueCumber /forum/post/14231897


Buy a stud locater, and an electrical line detector. Then begin marking out where the studs are and where the wires are along the path you want to run. After that start drilling into the drywall near any studs you will have to pass cables through and make the hole in the drywall big enough that you can reach inside and put a hole in the stud as well to pass the wire through it (make sure it is in the center of the stud and isn't big enough to compromise the stud). you might be able to utilize holes drilled for previous electrical lines, but be absolutely sure you don't drill into the electrical lines by mistake (that could seriously injure you, or worse...).


I use hard wire, like an unwound coat hanger and tape the cable around the end of it to pass it through areas of wall between the holes...


When you are all done, just patch up the holes...

Thanks for the tips-- by the way HELL of an impressive setup of your HT (in your sig) and build log. Funny, my "equipment closet" is going underneath a staircase that looks pretty much like your closet's before picture. I'll have to keep reading your log past the 1st page.


Part of me wants to hire these pro installers just to see what they actually do to run the wires without putting any holes in walls. Hmm..

I think I've settled on removing the baseboard, notching the 2x4 to pass the cable through, putting steel protector plate over each 2x4 to hold cables in and protect from nails when I put baseboard back. I *really* hate drywalling so this will minimize my work to repairing my baseboard after ripping it off rather than patching drywall and painting.