running wire in two story homes

[Neekko 0]

Hello, I am fairly new to the CCTV world as I have just recently started installing systems. I have installed about 15 systems with very little problems. I take pride in my workmanship as I try to hide almost ALL wires to make the job as clean and professional looking as possible. The only issue that I run into is when I have a two story house or apartment building. Normally with a single story home I drill holes and fish the wire from under the eave and into the attic with no wires showing. With a multi-story structure I don't have this luxury and it makes the install extremely difficult. Any thoughts, ideas, or tips?

[the toss 0]

Depends on the construction. In Aust most two storey homes are brick/veneer. There is an unobstructed cavity of about 3" between the outer brick wall & the internal timber framing. This is of course on the exterior walls only. This makes it easy if the floors are elevated on piers but not so easy if on a slab. To put it simply you cannot get to internal downstairs walls in most cases.

[Neekko 0]

Ok. What about wood framed construction since that's mostly out here in CA. Plus most exterior walls are packed with insulation and fireblocks making it hard to fish? Any tips?

[the toss 0]

If the house is on piers ( ie a crawl space under the floor ) I think I'd be cabling from the eves into the ceiling space , taking all cables to one exit point at the back of the house maybe. Bring all the cables out through the eve into whatever size conduit you need and run it down externally to under the house & then on to where ever you need to take it. If you put the external conduit up beside a downpipe it doesn't stand out too much.

[SectorSecurity 0]

Get yourself some 54" flex bits that can be worked through the wall to drill through fire stops and between floors, you can get them in behind the insulation to. I would also recommend an inspection camera so you can see what's in the wall, usually doesn't work on exterior walls do to insulation. Beyond that a good stud sensor, one that can alert on electrical really helps, good fish tape, push rods (also known as glow rods) and a good ball and chain can be helpful.

 

This is something you will get good with with practice, having the right tools really helps to, and sometimes you have no option but to cut more holes then you would like, just explain this to the customer first.

[Neekko 0]

What 54" flex bits wouod you recommend? The ones sold at homedepot suck and have no flex in them. I guess you get what you pay for, right?

[SectorSecurity 0]

I have never had a problem with the ones from home depot, they aren't meant to give you extreme bend they are meant to go through a wall plate hole and up the wall to go through fire stops or beams. If you want more flex get a longer flex bit, I think I also have a 72" flex bit which will bend more then the 54" one.

[RandyParlee 0]

I'm doing a lot of commercial work now but when I did residential phones and alarms I had a few tricks:

 

-It depends on the house but I've run it though a closet and just stapled it into the front corner (not the back or you can see it).

-You can drill a tiny hole at the edge of a wall and poke a thin wire through so that you can find it on the other floor then move over an inch or so and drill up/down through the sill plate. This works best with a noodle and flexible magnet but you can poke around with a fibreglass rod til it goes. (I call it the drunken sex problem - poke, poke, poke, ahhhh!)

-Sometimes you can use the holes from the plumbing stack (if they've left lots of room around it).

-Had to add this tip from a customer - take a few 2' strands of wire (22 gauge at the time) and poke them through the pulling hole of the glass rod so that you have feelers and poke that end through. Feel around with your fingers in the hole or watch while someone turns the other end and grab a wire with pliers. I've used this a hundred times.

 

I can't recommend it enough to have 18' of fibreglass rods (I prefer the cheaper thin ones from ADI)

Edited June 18, 2013 by Guest

[SectorSecurity 0]

I have to second ADI has great prices on their push rods, much cheaper then home depot.

 

Although I recommend you get one of these:

 

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LSS-XR1000

 

I know it can seem like a lot of money, but when I don't have to patch holes, or end up in the wrong location it saves me lots of time.

[Kawboy12R 0]

Two thumbs up...

[shockwave199 0]

Oh yeah, that's a nice tool right there. Must have for sure. Fiberglass rods are king too.