[HandyDave]

I am helping a friend who lives in a 4 square ballooned framed farm house that was built in the early 1900's He wants to add some electrical boxes in ceiling for some fixtures. The walls and ceiling are lathe and plaster. I am assuming there is a gap of some sort between the ceiling and the second story floor cause if the ceiling was attached to the bottom of the second story floor I would think the plaster would fall off the ceiling when you walked on the second story floor. Is this correct? I am about make a small exploratory hole in the ceiling, but am wondering if I am on the right track here?

 

[Jnaas2]

The second floor floor joist are the first floor ceiling joist, Its no different then a house with drywall on the first floor ceiling. If the joist flex to much the drywall will crack and you will see nail pops, If you haven't opened anything up how do you know its balloon framing and if it is its almost impossible to pull a wire vertically thru the wall then horizontally thru the floor joist. You will need to pop a hole at the junction of the wall and ceiling

 

[HandyDave]

Thanks Jnass! ME and my Multimax tool are ready!!

 

[Jnaas2]

This is how a lot of balloon framing is done, You can blow a hole in the ceiling to help pull the wires thru the joist cavity then just drywall over the ceiling