Fruddled Gruntbugglies

I got kinda lazy yesterday, and didn’t get too much done on the bedroom fan wiring project. But, I did get one step closer to running a new wire from the basement to the attic. I got holes drilled in the top and bottom plates, and verified that both holes hit the same stud cavity. Fishing the wire should be pretty easy at this point.

Rules of thumb for anyone who wants to attempt this…

1. Ensure that you own a ranch house. 🙂
2. Tools of the trade: tape measure, stud finder, drill, 1/8″ x 12″ feeler bit, 5/8″ spade bit, flashlight.
3. Find reference points in the basement and attic so that you can (somewhat accurately) pinpoint where to drill. Examples are: pipe penetrations, wire penetrations, ducts, etc.
4. Locate the wall studs, and pick your drilling spots so that you don’t hit the top (or bottom) of a vertical wall stud.
5. Measure, measure, measure! Can’t stress this enough.
6. Drill a pilot hole first to make sure you hit an open stud cavity. I use a 1/8″ x 12″ bit for this. After drilling, leave the bit in the hole. Then go upstairs/downstairs and make sure the bit is not sticking through the ceiling/floor!
7. Assuming everything looks good, use a 5/8″ spade bit to enlarge the hole. When drilling downwards from the attic, make sure the bit is TIGHT in the chuck.
8. Once you have drilled both holes, put a flashlight over the hole in the attic. Adjust the light for a focused (not diffuse) beam. Go down to the basement. Turn the lights off, look up into the hole, and make sure you can see the beam.

Next: Let’s fish some wire..