Running cables through house

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DIY GUY

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2017
Messages
274
Reaction score
5
Has anyone got any advice and easiest option on how to fish cables throughout the inside of the house with the least disruption ie from the front to the back either behind walls under floors or the attic. I’m due to get new carpets so I can easily get access to under floorboards if this would be the best option. It’s a new build style of house. 
 

Thanks 

 
How much room under floor, if you have enough crawl space cut a hatch (cupboard under stairs is one of my favourite places and get under there.) Clip them up of the ground, various ways to do that depending on amount of cables.

Edit

Just reread your post, new build, you will probably struggle under floor, just use attic.  All depends what exactly you are trying to do.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Most newer build properties will have a solid ground floor. so no floor boards you can lift.

Doc H.

 
How much room under floor, if you have enough crawl space cut a hatch (cupboard under stairs is one of my favourite places and get under there.) Clip them up of the ground, various ways to do that depending on amount of cables.

Edit

Just reread your post, new build, you will probably struggle under floor, just use attic.  All depends what exactly you are trying to do.
Not sure of the space underneath yet. I’ll only be running about 4 cables. 1 from a switch beside my consumer unit that’s in cupboard downstairs to light at the front of house downstairs

Running 1 from front to side of house downstairs.

Running 1 from side to back of house downstairs.

Running 1 from back to back of house downstairs.

(All daisy chained from the light at front)

Ill be feeding 4 of them out of wall around 2m high for lights. 
 

Would this involve cutting a lot of holes in the walls to then drill through wooden beams to feed cables through to then patch up. 
 

Or from the attic can I fish down any wall without the need for drilling through wood behind wall

Or from under flooring downstairs can I fish up any wall without having to drill through wood behind wall

Or is it a case of where I’m trying to fish down or up and come across wooden studs behind walls I’ll need to cut out a check above and below it to drill through it? 
 

Thanks 

DIY GUY said:
Not sure of the space underneath yet. I’ll only be running about 4 cables. 1 from a switch beside my consumer unit that’s in cupboard downstairs to light at the front of house downstairs

Running 1 from front to side of house downstairs.

Running 1 from side to back of house downstairs.

Running 1 from back to back of house downstairs.

(All daisy chained from the light at front)

Ill be feeding 4 of them out of wall around 2m high for lights. 
 

Would this involve cutting a lot of holes in the walls to then drill through wooden beams to feed cables through to then patch up. 
 

Or from the attic can I fish down any wall without the need for drilling through wood behind wall

Or from under flooring downstairs can I fish up any wall without having to drill through wood behind wall

Or is it a case of where I’m trying to fish down or up and come across wooden studs behind walls I’ll need to cut out a check above and below it to drill through it? 
 

Thanks 


Lights will be on the exterior of my walls.

 
First we need to know the construction of your house? Is it timber framed , brick and block? 

Plasterboard on stud or dot and dab or is it rendered walls? 

 
First we need to know the construction of your house? Is it timber framed , brick and block? 

Plasterboard on stud or dot and dab or is it rendered walls? 
It’s a timer frame with plasterboard on stud mate 

 
I well remember the issues in the 70s with Barrett homes?.......timber frame, holes in studwork, compromising of vapour barrier....a few years later they were rotten as a carrot. Construction methods may have improved since then
Hope so 🤣

 
Any advice at all on what I’m looking to achieve throughout the plaster boarded stud wall? 
 

Thanks 

 
Any advice at all on what I’m looking to achieve throughout the plaster boarded stud wall? 
 

Thanks 
The only thing you can achieve is minimum damage. Buy a stud finder gadget, you will almost certainly have 'noggins' about half way up the wall. Easifill is good for repairing any damage done. Does sound like conduit around the outside would be far easier. 

 
The only thing you can achieve is minimum damage. Buy a stud finder gadget, you will almost certainly have 'noggins' about half way up the wall. Easifill is good for repairing any damage done. Does sound like conduit around the outside would be far easier. 
Thanks 👍🏻

 
If you can lift the floors (normally glued and screwed nowadays (stops squeaky floors)), then you may find the existing cables running through the joists to get you from front to back, you may still have issues at getting down the walls as they will be very well insulated and there is usually a timber where walls meet ceilings to get through. You will most certainly have a noggin or two to negotiate although on external walls of timber framed there is usually a small void at back to run down. 
so you could check out route then using a 70mm holesaw drill plaster board at height you need to go out and fish cable to here then drill straight through, better to drill from outside to in to avoid blowing face of bricks. Voila job done. 

 
If you can lift the floors (normally glued and screwed nowadays (stops squeaky floors)), then you may find the existing cables running through the joists to get you from front to back, you may still have issues at getting down the walls as they will be very well insulated and there is usually a timber where walls meet ceilings to get through. You will most certainly have a noggin or two to negotiate although on external walls of timber framed there is usually a small void at back to run down. 
so you could check out route then using a 70mm holesaw drill plaster board at height you need to go out and fish cable to here then drill straight through, better to drill from outside to in to avoid blowing face of bricks. Voila job done. 
Great thanks mate 👍🏻

 
Top