Remodeling/updating Electrical

boman47k

How many , if any, of you guys drill a small hole in the floor then drop something down the hole to see where you need to drill up when adding new rec's or rewiring a house? If you have to come from the attic, how do you deal with the firebelt if there is one? Hmm, I think it is called a firebelt (2x between the studs) here .

mdshunk

Every once in a while, I do. I use the heavy steel ceiling wire, cut off at a sharp angle, for that purpose. There's usually something else you can measure off of, however. In a highly finished home, I certainly wouldn't. In hardwod, you can find a gap in between boards someplace, drill down in that gap, and measure off that. Nobody will see a little 1/8" hole in the gap. I view drilling a locator hole as "cheating" and make it a personal challenge not to do so, unless I'm in a hurry. That's just me, though. I don't hold it against a guy who does it all the time.


Either the long flex bits, or I drill down as I couple on 12" solid Greenlee extensions, sorta like drilling a well, one after the other. I rewired a post and beam framed home this way. Took freaking forever. Generally, I almost never run into fireblocking.

sparkysteve

Here, fire blocks aren't required in any wall shorter that 8'. But the Greenlee flex bits make quick work of them.

__________________
Steve

Master Electrician/Self-Proclaimed Handy-Man

boman47k

Thats the only nondestructive way I could figure out, knew there had to be tools such as that. I have not done any of this yet. Now I know what to look for when I do.
Might ought to get me another strong magnet... to get the extentions my dumb*** is bound to drop .

mdshunk

If you do drop some down, call them lost for good, unless you're going to open up the wall.