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Running speaker wire from attic into exterior wall: Techniques?

9K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  gmhammes 
#1 ·
I've been installing a 5.1 home theater system the past few days to go with my wall mounted 55" LCD.

For the fronts, I decided to run the wires up from the center, in to the attic, and back down the sides for each speaker. That way, I don't have to pull off drywall and patch it, or drill through studs. (I just got done redoing this wall, and I'm not pulling it apart again).

The question I have, is are there any techniques for getting the speaker wires up from the wall cavity and into the attic, and then back from the attic in to the wall cavity?

I've already installed the fronts, and it was a huge pain. The attic is a tight crawl space, and since it's an exterior wall, the roof comes down at a tight angle at the top of the wall so it's hard to get a drill bit at the right angle to drill down into the wall cavity. I couldn't drill straight down. I had to hold the drill at an angle. I didn't want to poke through the exterior wall, so I drilled at an angle from right to left. But I kept hitting something, Even when the drill bit was all the way in, there was still something in the way, in all the holes I drilled.

I lucked out with one of the speakers because one hole was already drilled for existing wiring, but the other two were a HUGE pain.

Once I got the holes drilled, it was a piece of cake to run the wires from the attic to the pre-drilled holes in the wall for the speaker wire to pass through using a wire fish.

I did the front, whew. But before I do the back, I want to know if there's an easier way to do this. The back speakers are also on an exterior wall at a similar tight angle. The question I have, is are there any techniques for getting the speaker wires up from the wall cavity and into the attic, and then back from the attic in to the wall cavity?

Maybe I'll luck out with pre drilled holes, but I'm half tempted to mount the speakers on the ceiling next to the wall instead of having to drill down into the wall cavity again.

Homer
 
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#2 ·
An angeled drill is the best idea i can give you. Are these in wall speakers or satellite speakers mounted on the wall? If they are in walls, cut the hole and it should be big enought to get a drill with a long bit up in there to drill through the 2x4. Ceiling speakrs are another good idea though.

I just got done doing mine and I also had an exterior wall. Wear a mask, insualtion is nasty stuff when your face is buried in it!
 
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