Help with surround sound install!

[DKREDT]

Any tips on how to pull speaker wire thru a 8 foot lengt of wall that is full of dense insulation?

I have a hole cut at the top and bottom. No problems there. No problems with studs in the way.

I will figure this out eventually.. I always do, but would love to save myself some aggravation.

Give a brother some tips.

My guess is that I will need to find a piece of wire etc that is long enough and rigid enough at the same time to push thru the insulation.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, the professional audio/video place in town quoted $900 for proper install in my living room. Being the amatuer engineer that I am and frugal with stuff like this.. I said.. it can't be that hard!



Thanks,

Joel

 

[mytyphoon1993]

Use something called the fish tape, its like a a fishing yoyo but instead its made out of metal and you roll it up. Looks like this.

 

[GN One Day...]

Can I piggyback your post? This is in my near future too. What can you do to get through horizontal 2x4's in the wall framing? Surely there's a way to do this without cutting drywall just to get to the wood in the way. Got tall ceilings and I'm told there's a spacer piece like that all around the framework. I've never seen a 10' drill bit, but it seem that is what is needed.

 

[DKREDT]

Originally posted by GN One Day...
Can I piggyback your post? This is in my near future too. What can you do to get through horizontal 2x4's in the wall framing? Surely there's a way to do this without cutting drywall just to get to the wood in the way. Got tall ceilings and I'm told there's a spacer piece like that all around the framework. I've never seen a 10' drill bit, but it seem that is what is needed.

Bill:

There are bits that are that long out there. My wife had an alarm put in the house and they had some LONG az bits that they used to get the holes they needed to pull wires. Probably need more than a "normal" drill to power it though. No problem with the hijacking!

Joel

 

[turbosam6]

We have a drill bit at work thats about 6 foot long, and because of its length, its flexible, so you can put it in a hole and reach far into it and drill. My 1/2" battery Dewalt drill runs it just fine. Use the fish tape on the vertical runs, but as far as going through the vertical studs, the best bet is to run vertical up or down the wall, then go across the attic or crawlspace/ basement to the space you want to be in, then go back up (or down).

 

[inkcushion]

My buddy use to install cable,he had this long fiberglass rod,I think he called it a lighting rod or something like that, but it was pretty flexable andpushed thru the insulation with ease,its best to try and run the wires in the attic and drop thru the top of the ceiling for the wiresto the speakers. as far as the 2x4s yes there are drill bits that longhe had some long ass drill bits too. I don't know wher to acquire these items but maybe you can check with a cable installer or something ,when I talk to my buddy again I'll ask where or if you can buy these items. Alan hth

 

[mytyphoon1993]

Originally posted by inkcushion
My buddy use to install cable,he had this long fiberglass rod,I think he called it a lighting rod or something like that, but it was pretty flexable andpushed thru the insulation with ease,its best to try and run the wires in the attic and drop thru the top of the ceiling for the wiresto the speakers. as far as the 2x4s yes there are drill bits that longhe had some long ass drill bits too. I don't know wher to acquire these items but maybe you can check with a cable installer or something ,when I talk to my buddy again I'll ask where or if you can buy these items. Alan hth

Yeah the lighting rod will also work good.

 

[GN One Day...]

There's a fiberglass cb antenna called a Lightning Rod. Maybe they adapted that for this use?
Wonder where I could get a drill bit like that? Doubt Home Depot would have it, but it would be convenient to rent that and a good drill for a day. I need to run another phone line too. Friggin' Bellsouth said they couldn't do it.

 

[Louie L.]

One quote from a local AV place was about 1200.00 for install alone. hah !

I got lucky. My new house has them metal uprights with no internal wall insulation or verticals. This is the norm in FL. I was able to just drill drop the wire, pull the base board and run along the bottom of the walls. On an external wall all i could do was use ugly ass molding and ran the wire through it. The wall is painted in a sand /taupe color so the moulding dont look too bad paint matched. One quote from a local AV place was about 1200.00 for install alone. hah !

 

[turbojimmy]

I used fish tape I bought at Home Depot to pull Cat 5 all through my house (then a couple of weeks later, 802.11 wireless got cheap <sigh>). It's like the spring in the recoil on a pull-start. It has a hook on the end to pull the wire through.

I've seen the flexible bits on the 'net somewhere, too. I'm always afraid of drilling too much further than I can see 'cause you never know what's back there.

Jim

 

[gn1220]

I couldn't get my last speaker mounted on the exterior wall with a fish tape so I got a few wire hangers, taped them together and shoved it down the wall. It was a pain but it finally worked.

 

[whitehot84]

The cross members in the older houses were called "fire stops". Actually Home Depot does have the long drill bits in the electrical department usually. On another note, the bit actually has a hole near the end of it so once you go through the cross member you can hook your wire to it and pull it back through. It's a bear trying to find that hole later. Good luck.

Ron
Master Electrician
Hate old work

 

[DKREDT]

Fish Tape cured all my ailments today!!!!!! Thanks to everyone for thier help! Only like $15 at Lowes! Sweet!

Anytime you want to stop by and hear my 3 year olds Elmo DVD's kicking in surround sound with the subwoofer bumping feel free!



Joel