How do you all go about wiring cameras in an existing house? I can't tear all my walls apart, and I've got studs and firebreaks between floors....this seems almost impossible unless you are a drywall expert...
Wiring IP Cameras
- Thread starter jwadsley
- Start date
aesterling
Getting comfortable
Indoor or outdoor cameras?
Do you have an accessible attic or crawl space?
I ran a number of my outdoor cams to the soffit via the attic. Some were wired adjacent to existing flood lights or switches. I drilled through the foundation wall to place a couple other exterior cams.
For my 80 year old house, I still had to cut a few holes and patch them up later, but with careful planning you can usually get pretty good results.
Do you have an accessible attic or crawl space?
I ran a number of my outdoor cams to the soffit via the attic. Some were wired adjacent to existing flood lights or switches. I drilled through the foundation wall to place a couple other exterior cams.
For my 80 year old house, I still had to cut a few holes and patch them up later, but with careful planning you can usually get pretty good results.
Either, indoor or outdoor, still would have to tear walls apart.
No attic or crawl space. Can't core or drill into the foundation, I've got post tension cables in the cement slab.....
Just trying to route them around studs and firewalls without drilling through them and al that, they sure don't make houses cable friendly after the fact
No attic or crawl space. Can't core or drill into the foundation, I've got post tension cables in the cement slab.....
Just trying to route them around studs and firewalls without drilling through them and al that, they sure don't make houses cable friendly after the fact
Flintstone61
Known around here
I managed to run my DVR from the garage, and sent 5 camera cables over the garage trusses. one I drilled thru the driveway facing wall up above the soffit material. then drill a 1' hole in the soffit. some others i tucked the wire along the aluminum soffit to the corners of the house. Rookie install of a Costco system. BNC Cables.
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iwanttosee
Pulling my weight
Hire an electrician to run the cables for you.
Was hoping to be able to do this myself, its not worth the money to have someone do it for me....
Mike A.
Known around here
- May 6, 2017
- 4,199
- 7,067
There's always a way to do it. Just a question of how much of a pain in the ass it is.
I did residential and commercial pre-wire for the phone company long ago and later commercial network wiring. Piece of cake compared to wiring existing houses. They all kind of suck in their own way. lol My 1950s-era house was irritating as hell but it got done. Fish walls, long flexible bits, look for where you have existing exit points to get outside and then run from there, get creative going up and down, etc. Not something that anyone's really going to be able to tell you much without some better idea what you're working with.
I did residential and commercial pre-wire for the phone company long ago and later commercial network wiring. Piece of cake compared to wiring existing houses. They all kind of suck in their own way. lol My 1950s-era house was irritating as hell but it got done. Fish walls, long flexible bits, look for where you have existing exit points to get outside and then run from there, get creative going up and down, etc. Not something that anyone's really going to be able to tell you much without some better idea what you're working with.
3 story condo with no outside access or ability to run wires or put cameras outside....probably going to wait until I get a SFR that isn't in an HOA.....
Mike A.
Known around here
- May 6, 2017
- 4,199
- 7,067
An individual unit in a multi-unit building? Yeah, in that case you'll be very limited. There are cable tracks that you can run along baseboards, in corners, etc. I don't like WiFi cameras much but iif nothing else maybe an option to give you something at least.
A good electrician can run cables almost anywhere. Good. Experienced. We have had a central vacuum, with 2" pipe, installed from attic to basement, four stories total, no issues. However, as a DIY job, it is quite challenging and would require flexible drill bits. I sure can't do it, but it can be done.
sebastiantombs
Known around here
When I was installing, in situations like yours, I ran everything behind moldings. Nothing showing anywhere that way.
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Have you done drywall repair before? Knowing how to will be a must. It's not too difficult to learn. Plenty of videos on the topic on YouTube.
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
Watch some Utube videos on how to do it.
If there is a will, there is always a way.
You've not given much info to go on.
If there is a will, there is always a way.
You've not given much info to go on.
Actually I've given quite a lot of information about my situation, so not sure what else you are asking for.
At this time I just can't see any easy to wire up my cameras without making a lot of holes in my house and then patching, texturing, and painting them.
I'll make it simple & easy. No, it's not possible to run wire inside of a house without making holes. Best way is along the floor/wall area. Sometimes, can stuff a Cat5e (smaller than Cat6) down in that crevice or behind molding. Even then, you would have to put a hole behind the molding, through the 2x4 wall base, and out the other side.
If you are 1 floor only then all wiring would have to be done in the underneath crawlspace and then penetrating up behind the molding or inside the wall itself (holes).
To further assist you, take various pictures or a map drawn of what you want for end result.
Maybe I sounded....aggressive. Sorry about that. Any wiring in a finished house (Charter Spectrum coaxial, electrical, audio/video, network cables) is a special challenge and it never easy. When we encounter an office space that has hard ceilings with no way to get into ceiling or under the floor, our only option is surface molding with the cheezy double sided tape, and we run it right on top of the baseboard. This increases the labor and material price 2x or even 3x's. Even then, somewhere...a hole will have to be made in each room to the adjoining room.