• Important! If you attempt to register and do not get an email within 5 minutes please check your spam box. This is especially true for Microsoft owned domains like Hotmail, Outlook, and Live. If these do not work please consider Gmail. Yahoo, or even AOL email which works fine.

Running wires in wall with insulation and firebreak?

I need to run electrical wiring up the inside of a wall from a power outlet to where I'm installing a sconce. Unfortunately this is an exterior wall with insulation and a firebreak. Obviously I want the least hassle and least amount of drywall repair as possible.

I have my ideas, but decided to throw it out there for your thoughts before I start cutting holes.
 
Buy a 4 foot flexible drill bit. They are available with a tool that helps guide and bend it inside the cavity once you cut your hole for your new box.
 

themonk

ex-monk.
VIP
Buy a 4 foot flexible drill bit. They are available with a tool that helps guide and bend it inside the cavity once you cut your hole for your new box.
Lowes carries them, made by Greenlee. I have one and they work pretty well. you can also get a Chinese finger trap that attaches to it for pulling cable back through.
 

Toney Marconi

Fat, drunk, and stupid
VIP
I just hung a couple of lights in my kitchen. Huge pain in the ass. I had no choice but to drill through a flitch plate consisting of two 1/2 inch steel plates sandwiched between three joists.





 
Each sconce will be almost directly above and within the same stud cavity as each of the outlets I plan to get power from. They are completely separate from each other.

The best thing I can come up with is to cut out an access hole both above and below the firebreak, drill through it, then deal with fishing the power line from the bottom to the top. Then try patching the holes and hope I can get the texture to match. Just a firebreak or just insulation and I'd be fine (and done). Since I don't like that idea, I'm hoping you guys have a better solution.
 
The insulation might get torn up some with the long bit but if you are somewhat careful it shouldn't be that bad. I've done it a number of times.
 
The insulation might get torn up some with the long bit but if you are somewhat careful it shouldn't be that bad. I've done it a number of times.
Wait, you've ran a long bit and drilled through a firebreak in a wall with insulation? I figured that would just end in disaster, but if you say it works I may have to give it a try.

That does leave one other issue, how to guide it to the electrical outlet and get it through that? What I was doing before was running the electric cable from a hole in the outlet box up through the wall. I don't think I could make that work if drilling down from the top. Guess I'll have to remove the outlet box and put a new one in when done. Probably better than patching holes in drywall I suppose.
 

Jays89YJ

Udaho
VIP
More than likely you'll tear the shit out of the GWB at the existing receptacles if you try to remove the j-boxes.

Why do you have a fire break in the wall there?
2x4 or 2x6 wall?
How far AFF is the fire break?
What story/level is it on?
How tall is the wall?
What is the finish on the wall, smooth/knock down/orange peel?
How old is the house?
Are the existing j-boxes plastic or metal?
Is there a poly vapor barrier on the warmside?
Is there any other electrical running in those stud bays?
Are the new sconces low voltage or line voltage?

A flexible drill bit will need to be pretty big to fit 14/2 Romex through.
 
Remove the outlet, work the wires out of the boxes, and then using a big screwdriver and a hammer punch the box out and let if fall in the wall cavity. Once you drill the holes and run your new wires you replace the box with an old work box. Easy peasy Japanese-y.
 
Top