How to Run Wires Through a Wall

Most serious home repair do-it-yourselfers will probably be faced with having to run electrical wires through walls at some point. It's not a simple job, but if you're handy with tools and a tape measure you should have no problem accomplishing the task.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Measuring Tapes
• Drill Bits
• Fish Tapes
• Variable-speed Drills

1. Gather the following tools: a drill, a long spade drill bit a little wider than the wire you are running, fish tape, a tape measure, and a pencil or marker.
2. Inspect your home. Go to the basement and to the attic to see how accessible the walls are from each location. You will probably have better access from the attic. Your view up into the walls from the basement will most likely be obstructed by plywood or other wood products covering the joists. Looking down from the attic, on the other hand, you'll be able to see the top of the walls once you move the insulation out of the way. Behind the walls are studs, which are actually two-by-fours. They are commonly 16 inches apart.
3. Inspect the rest of your home if access to the attic or basement is limited.
4. Determine where you want to run the wires to.
5. Plan out the most direct route.
6. Working from the attic, drill through the top two-by-four to get into the wall. If working from the basement, drill through the bottom two-by-four. (Going into the wall from the basement will be difficult because plywood will be covering the walls. If you don't drill precisely, you may drill into your floor.)
7. Run the wire along the baseboard and tack it down if you can't gain access to the walls through the attic or basement. To pass the wire on to the next room, drill a hole in the wall and run the wire through into the next room using the fish tape.
8. Avoid drilling within a few inches of the corners; there are always two-by-fours at the corners and you don't want to drill into them.
9. Drill separate holes through the walls on each side. It's possible to drill one hole through both walls, but you might damage the wall on the other side. Measure from a common point to line up the holes. Be sure you are not drilling into other wires or pipes between the walls.
10. Continue until you reach the place where you intend to terminate the run.

Tips & Warnings

• Individual specifics of this job will vary greatly depending on the layout of you home. You will probably have to play around for a while and figure out the best procedure. Be extra careful to avoid damaging walls and the things between the walls.
• Check with authorities in your town to see if there are any restrictions on who can perform electrical wiring work in a home.

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