running coax in dot and dab wall

[piggeh]

I wish to extend the coaxial cable in my wall from current to new locatoin halfway along the wall.

I purchased a gekko gripper (magnet pulling type device) to try and trace a route and although I made it from one end to the other it would get stuck whenever I tried to pull the cable through.

I have had a search and people have recommended creating a channel in the wall and running it in there. Do they mean create one continuous channel, ie cut out a large swathe of plasterboard, or do it a different way? I tried to create a few access holes along the way to feed it through bit by bit but got stuck again.

Sorry if this is a newbie question, I have cut a few holes and now it is daunting to keep cutting the wall up!

 

[stevethespreader]

Why don't you do what I done? I took the skirting off and used a router to create a channel In the back of the skirting to accommodate wires

 

[sparkwright]

You need to tap on the wall to find the dabs.

You need to cut the wall where the dabs are.

Make sure your cable route is dead horizontal to the back box - this means you're less likely to drill through the cable in the future.

Depending how far away your access holes will be, a straightened-out wire coat hanger is good for fishing behind plasterboard.

Fold the end of the coat hanger over, and strip the end of the co-ax, and tie together. Tape up where you have tied on, and it should pull through nicely.

You should only need notches the same thickness of the cable, and the length of the dab.

Can't help thinking where there's a co-ax point there needs to be a 13 amp socket too...

 

[piggeh]

Why don't you do what I done? I took the skirting off and used a router to create a channel In the back of the skirting to accommodate wires

The electrical wires run behind the skirting board so I thought I'd just go straight across. Nice idea though.

You need to tap on the wall to find the dabs.

You need to cut the wall where the dabs are.

Make sure your cable route is dead horizontal to the back box - this means you're less likely to drill through the cable in the future.

Depending how far away your access holes will be, a straightened-out wire coat hanger is good for fishing behind plasterboard.

Fold the end of the coat hanger over, and strip the end of the co-ax, and tie together. Tape up where you have tied on, and it should pull through nicely.

You should only need notches the same thickness of the cable, and the length of the dab.

Can't help thinking where there's a co-ax point there needs to be a 13 amp socket too...

Would it make things difficult it I want to put (electrical/network) sockets at the same level later on if the plasterboard has been cut and repaired? I probably need to run networking one side and electrical the other, I thought I'd start with the aerial as hopefully the easier job to get to grips with.

 

[vinn]

Running electrical cable behind skirtings is a controversial subject but most experienced sparkies I know say "Dont ever do it. Even though its a grey area in the Regs, its unsafe, and falls outside of a professional risk assessment."

Without rehearsing all the variables: out of zone, metal capping, 50mm channels etc.
google: "MP's daughter electrocuted" to see how accidents can occur due to a little out of Regs fixing, & an unforseen chain of circumstances.

 

[SFK]

As said above about not putting cable behind plasterboard in this way. But as you already have a route using your gekoo gripper, could you use thin coax to get though the narrow route you have found?
Something like this: http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/miniature-coax-cable-priced-per-metre-xr88v
sfk