Pulling Wire for Newbies without Damaging Walls
- Thread starter MonitorMyHome
- Start date
Its always the worst part of the job..period. I do a lot of commercial pulling and some residential, when things look to complex or I think I will butcher a wall or ceiling it time to call in somebody who did or does just pulls for a living. Retired Verizon people are VERY good and really know all the tricks. To Answer your question there is tons of threads on this but might be scattered in different subforms here. No Sticky as far as I know but YouTube has a ton of help videos on this. Try a Search here for "Fishing", it returned a ton of stuff.
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,891
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Call around for phone system, electricians or low voltage installers. It should cost you about 100 to 150 per drop.
Yeah that’s the price range I’ve heard. I’ll probably have them just mount the things while they are up there. I have a guy who I really like but he uses digital watchdog. Haven’t seen much about them around here.
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 16,116
- 27,079
Hi @MonitorMyHome
Due to variations in building construction as well as what is desired - there is quite a lot of variations for a good set of instructions on this topic.
I've thought about doing some sort of write up beyond what has been shared, but there simply was more variation than I was willing to tackle.
That noted, do see the installation picture section
Installation Pics
as well as search youtube for example videos ( a few good ones for electrical line pulls ).
In terms of messing up drywall - I like to use an attached garage as a good starting place, as you can actually cut a drywall section out as needed - and then replace it with minimal worry about WAF issues typically.
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fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,891
- 21,407
There are several threads on DW. Their cameras are overpriced and underperform compared to the new low lights from hik/dahua.
Knowing The basics of how a home is built is a good place to start.
How House Construction Works
Understanding House Framing - Extreme How To
bababouy
Known around here
Buy a $15 stud finder, and a 10 pack of fist sticks from harbor freight. If you need to run wires along an exterior wall, most times there are 3/4 furring strips that run vertical. Sometimes builders run one rogue furring strip horizontal and screw up your plans. If you are running wires in an interior wall, there are usually studs every 16", sometime 24", with a top plate that runs across all of the studs on that wall. Older construction used wood 2X4 studs, newer constriction uses metal studs and top plates. Of course, Canadians always do things their own way.
What about some homes that have mid-span blocks between all the studs? Those always make it harder to run cables up or down the full wall.
Attachments
bababouy
Known around here
Superior Security Experts
Young grasshopper
Depends on where you’re putting the cameras and layout of home. Some are easy and some you need an experienced wire fisherman to figure it out. Not many of them out there if it’s a two story with finished basement or slab. But, a one story house you can mount camera under the overhang and if the attic is accessible that’s the easiest way. Drill 1” hole and use fish rods to push wire as far as possible. Get in to attic and grab wire. Or labor saving devices co. makes grab it tool that extends to 15 ft to grab wires in tight attics.
Superior Security Experts
Young grasshopper
Be careful with the long flex bits. You don’t want to pop out in the wrong spot. My first job out of training back in ‘98 I drilled out this guys kitchen wall and through floor a foot away. Lol. Plaster and lath is the toughest.
I have a house with brick, is it possible (or even advisable) to get the cable to go from the attic down the wall between the brick and the sheathing in the "air gap" space and to a hole in the masonry? Or would it be better to just run conduit outside on the wall to a camera if I want the camera mounted on the brick?
Superior Security Experts
Young grasshopper
Conduit looks ugly on a home. Depends on how they built it and where you live. Chicago area newer homes have a lot of mortar oozing in. Gets stuck. But I have fished outer stud space thru brick going down. Send couple pics of cam location and we can give you better suggestions.
You will have to put holes in your drywall. It's only drywall 
Easy to fix.
Downside of those flex bits: what's on top of that stud you are drilling thru? Electrical Romex? Heating Duct? Gas line? When it comes to drywall, we always make below and above the stud. Sometimes in business environment, you can see the top of the stud or can look down into the wall on a 6' ladder. But at home? Make holes
Easy to fix.Downside of those flex bits: what's on top of that stud you are drilling thru? Electrical Romex? Heating Duct? Gas line? When it comes to drywall, we always make below and above the stud. Sometimes in business environment, you can see the top of the stud or can look down into the wall on a 6' ladder. But at home? Make holes