The 10 Minute Wallfish - A CableGuy's Secret

Have you ever had a technician in your house, whether he's from the cable, phone, or electric company and during the process of installing new wiring, damage was done to your wall or ceiling? This is a guide for a quick and painless way of installing new wiring in your house.

Due to large complaints of damage, most utility companies either charge outrageous fees or flat out refuse to do a process called Wallfishing. This process is where a line is run through your finished wall from source to outlet. Many technicians will say that it's a job for experts, and to some extent it is. However, this guide will show you step by step how to install a wallfish.

For our example, we'll use a single story home with an attic and no basement. All we'll need for this project is a cordless drill with a 1/2 inch wood bit. I prefer a paddle bit, but any wood bit that you have will do the job. Also, we'll need a piece of hanger wire about 1 ft long. Cutting a hanger and using the bottom piece is perfect length. Of course, you'll need your cable (for the purposes of this guide, cable will refer to CATV cable, electric, or phone wire) and wallplate as well.

So, now you have all the parts necessary, the first thing you have to do is decide where you'll put your new outlet. The quickest and most painless way of deciding where to put your outlet would be to put it near or next to an existing outlet. The reason for this is that the secret to wallfishing is all about knowing where your wire is while it's inside the wall and you can not see it. Having existing wiring, wallplates, etc as guides make this process much easier.

Let's say you're installing phone or cable. There is an electric outlet on the wall you want to install on. Your first step will be to determine which side of the stud the electrical outlet box is tied to. This will tell you which side of the outlet you will be putting your plate. Keep in mind that the distance between studs in the wall is 16" to 24". That's a foot and a half to two feet. We'll want to install our plate in that space, on the same side of the stud that the electrical outlet is tied to.

Once you've decided on plate placement, you'll begin thinking about getting into the attic to drill. Wait! As you get experienced at doing wallfishes, you may be able to just run up to the attic and find your spot and drill. After 13 years in the cable business, I can do this confidently, but even I keep a secret weapon in my van at all times. The trusty coat hanger.

The reason why I asked you to cut a coat hanger and keep the bottom piece is because no matter what your experience is, knowing exactly where your hole is to be drilled once your in the attic can be a tricky thing. The coat hanger takes the wonder out of the process. An attic can be disorienting at times. With the use of a coat hanger, you have a sure-fire way of drilling your hole correctly the first time.

At the point you've decided to place your wallplate, run your eyes straight up the wall until they meet the ceiling. You'll probably need a step stool or ladder for this. 2 inches away from the wall, you'll poke your hanger thru the ceiing drywall. The hanger is thin enough that the hole will be very small, hardly seen and easily patched. Once you have the hanger in, make sure that you angle it so that it does not fall out on you while you're up in the attic.

Next step is to go into the attic and find that hanger! If you were smart, you would have made a mental picture of where your target wall is as compared to the attic entry. That way, you can head in the right direction in the attic while looking for your hanger. Once you've found the hanger, move the insulation away from the top plate of the wall. You should see the electrical wiring going down the wall in it's own hole. Most carpenters drill their electrical holes with an 1" to 1.5" bit, the hole may be big enough to pass your cable through. If not, you will need your drill.

Once you're in position in the attic, you are going to drill into the top plate about 6 inches away from the electrical lines. This way you will not take the chance of hitting them as you drill your new hole.

So, the hard part is done. No damage and all smiles. Pass your cable down the newly drilled hole making sure that you "over-stuff" the hole. This is to make sure that there is enough cable to fall down to the bottom in case the cable gets hung up on insulation, or other wiring, inside the wall.

Now you will come out of the attic, brushing off the insulation. (Are you itching yet?). It's time to cut your hole and pull that cable through! There are different ways to do this. You can use a saw or a razor blade to cut your hole, or like me, you can take a phillips screwdriver and gauge the center of your plate on the wall and poke a hole. Then you'll create a circle of holes to punch out the wall with an access of about 2 inches.

Reach your fingers in the hole and see if you can feel the cable. 8 times out of 10 you probably will not. That's ok, we just turn again to our trusty hanger. Bend one end of the hanger into a hook and shove that into the wall. This is the reason we call it a wallFISH. You are now fishing for your line with the hanger.

Once you've caught on to the hanger, pull out the wiring. Wasn't that easy? Now you've completed the wallfish. All you have to do is put fittings on the line and screw on the wallplate and it's a completed job.

The best part is, you've just saved yourself anywhere from $65 to $100. Saving money is always a beautiful thing.