Running New Wires through Old Walls
With an assortment of tools, a few tricks, and a little luck, you can make electrical cable go where you didn't think it could.
Synopsis: Remodeling projects often include moving or adding an electrical circuit, which in turn requires running wires blindly inside walls and between floors. This article gives an overview of the basics of snaking wires, as seen from the viewpoint of several experienced electricians. Highlights of the article include a look at the specialized tools that electricians use to make the work easier, plus tips on safety and techniques.
Renovating a house is akin to surgery: calculated mayhem, followed by judicious repair and renewal. Sometimes the job is of the minor, outpatient variety, and sometimes the job is more like a heart transplant. Electrical renovations fall somewhere between the two extremes, not life-threatening to the patient, but tricky work just the same.
Like doctors, most electricians believe in doing no harm, at least as it applies to existing walls. (Why spend more time cleaning up and repairing the damage?) The veteran…
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