fish cable through solid wall

[shaft1]

can someone please offer some advice...

i'm trying to run an alarm cable from the loft down to the ground floor. I've found there is an EMPTY cavity inside our house which i can drop the cable down but my question is how do i locate the cable and then pull it through on the ground floor. the walls either side of the cavity are solid blocks.

Or do i go the other way and drill a hole on ground floor and push the cable through and somehow feed it up the cavity?

I can see down the cavity and it looks clear all the way down to the ground floor.

Attached pic might help explain what i'm trying to do.

 

[shaft1]

length of twine and weight... so i drop that down the cavity to the ground floor and on the ground floor i drill a hole in the wall but how to i make sure the two meet. feel like i'm missing something obvious!!

 

[shaft1]

Now, that's a trade secret ......... use a length of twine and a weight ! Think about it

John

length of twine and weight... so i drop that down the cavity to the ground floor and on the ground floor i drill a hole in the wall but how to i make sure the two meet. feel like i'm missing something obvious!!

 

[matlob]

measure from a reference point to get close enough. You should then be able to see the twine from the hole. If not swing from side to side and hook it.

 

[EFLImpudence]

If you use a magnet as the weight, drop it down the cavity, then you can determine the position of the magnet by using a compass on the wall of the room.

 

[Adam_151]

Slightly bad practice to run cables in cavities, but, if the cavity is open at the top, then drill your exit hole at a 45degree angle into the cavity, then push cable rod up, hoping that it will hit the wall the otherside and bend so it points upwards*, push upwards a suitable amount (dont want to bash it into roof and damage felt) then go up in loft look for it and tape cable on before pulling back down

*Doesn't always work, lumps and suff on the inside can cause it to fail, but it does sometimes work

Or, if you can see right down from the top and good access then, can drill your hole straight, put some kind of loop on end of cable, then use the hook attachment on cable rods to grab it from above and pull through.

Theres no one way that works everytime

 

[bernardgreen]

Drill the hole, attach a steel bolt or similar to a long length of light weight cord ( fishing line is ideal ).

Push bolt through hole into the cavity,

Use the magnet dangling on string to fish for the bolt.

Pull the bolt up to the loft pulling the cord up with it.


Ensure end of cord does not disappear into hole.

 

[bernardgreen]

What hole Bernard ?

Not this one HOLE

the other way and drill a hole on ground floor

 

[mattylad]

First lift a few floorboards and find a borrower nest, tie one of them onto the string and drop it down - it can then poke the wire through the hole from the cavity side.
Afterwards return the borrower (with some goodies).

 

[crystal ball]

Nothing more satisfying than shining your torch in the bottom hole and seeing that string dangling waiting to be hooked

 

[mattylad]

If you feed a magnet on a stick through the hole, then the magnet on a string you drop down will be attracted to it.
True love...