Drilling Through Double Fire Block – Flexible Drill Bit
I would like to mount a rear surround speaker (BIC DV-32) by the upper left corner of the window. I can get the wire to the wall using a cordmate running along the baseboard. My issue is taking the wire vertically up inside the wall. The speaker wire will enter the wall in the baseboard. My plan is to cut a small hole in the lower baseboard which will be covered by the cordmate. I then plan to cut an access hole adjacent to the outlet to use to fish the wire up from the baseboard (when finished, I will cover this hole with a double gang plate). I also plan to cut an access hole where the speaker will be mounted, using a single gang low voltage box and a cover plate. The speaker will be mounted to the cover plate. My problem is I ran a stud finder over the wall and in the attached picture, I used blue tape to show where the studs are. Just above the outlet there is what looks to be a standard fire block. But midway up the wall there looks to be a 4-6 inch wide header/support beam. My instincts are to use the lower access hole and drill up. And use the upper access hole to drill down. If I line up both holes, I should be able to fish the wire through. I purchased a flexible drill bit, but I am concerned about having to drill through 4-6 inches and keeping the bit straight. Is my best path to press the flexible drill bit into the corner between the fire block and the window? This is an exterior wall and the outside is brick. Any thoughts are appreciated. I am currently using my fallback setup which is to place the rear surround speakers onthe same bookshelf as my front speakers HVL-1 and enable “virtual cinema front” on my RX-V377 receiver. Thanks.
Replies
Purchase yourself a cheap inspection camera. You'll need it.
Assuming that there is insualtion in that wall, I would suggest finding a different location.
GA
How old is this house?
a "standard" fire lock wouldn't be in either location in that wall.
investigate further, stud finders are not always accurate.
Do you have an aversion to patching drywall, might be the best method to open up the wall.
thanks
Thanks for the comments. I am going to research inspection cameras. The home was built in 1999, so it's recent construction.
save yourself the cost of the camera, cut a rectangle that covers both blocked sections (make the cut big enough to be able to manuver a drill in) run your wire and then patch.
specially with a flexible extension, you will have a really hard time getting through both blocks in line. if the top blocks are doubled up or tripled up you wont be able to put enough pressure on the extension to drill thru 3 2x's...or at least have one hell of a time doing it.
Vanity: My Favorite Vice
Looks like a lot of work for a concealed cable.
Personally, I'd just run the cord on the surface, along the window frame. Otherwise ...
It's just as easy to fix a big hole as a little one. You might as well make a big one and have only one patch to deal with.
Your blocking, if correctly pictured, is not in any 'standard' place.
Here's an idea: Forget drilling. Use a multi-master (circular saws and routers throw too much dust in the air) to cut a trench across the face of the blocking, next to the stud. Cover the trech in the blocking with a 'nail plate' and patch the drywall over it.
Fishing your wire? Drop a drill bit on a string down the hole, guiding it with a strong magnet on the face of the wall. Use the string to pull your wire up, from hole to hole.
wireless?
Not to be cheeky, but have you considered a wireless system? Otherwise, I'd practice your drywall patching skills (or pop off the trim and hide the presumably small wire behind the trim)
options
The suggestion of wireless surround is very good, but you will have to get a new reciever.
I would consider simply trenching the drywall for the speaker wire. It ought to take much less time to patch the trench than to pull the wire up behind the wall.
Good luck.
GA
Would you do us a favor and come back and fill in what you find with the framing?
My life has been one day after another of "figuring" what's in a wall and how's it framed.
thanks!
Think this through.
You only need a trench 1/8" wide by 1/4" deep for a common speaker wire. This is a real easy patch.
Don't use spackle, use joint compound. Do use a decent drywall knife, not a disposable plastic cheepo. Don't use a sander, use a damp sponge as the compound hardens to shape the patch, then a bit of hand sanding once fully dried.
Figure on two applications, as the compound will shrink a bit as it drys.
Good luck.
Uh, Any Chance...
... you've explored the possibilities of pulling off the window moulding next to where you want to mount that speaker?
Chances are there's a space behind there adequate to take even a 1/4" dia. "Monster"-type speaker wire pair, even if you have to hack out a little drywall or maybe spray-in foam between cripple & casing.
Smaller-gauge wire would make task easier; if all you need is 1/4" hole no sense using anything bigger but by this path you'd avoid having to drill/channel anything behind drywall except a couple of holes laterally thru studs framing window aperture. Ought to be fairly easy once moulding's removed, you can see where drill needs to be started. Small potential for hitting nails though so be advised your drill may hang up.
Just a thought I had that I felt worth tossing into the conversation....