That attic run that ate my whole Wednesday

I got a call to run a new line from the basement to a second floor bedroom last Tuesday. What I thought would be a 2 hour job turned into 8 hours because someone decided to nail a crossbeam right in the middle of the only path up through the chase. Ended up having to drill from three different angles and fish a damn glow rod through 40 feet of blown insulation. Anybody else ever get stuck in a situation where the house framing just fights you the whole way?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade22110d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain on that one... attics are always hiding some nasty surprise. That crossbeam in the chase is a classic "someone was thinking about one thing and not the next guy" move. Instead of drilling from three spots next time, try using a flex bit with a pilot hole from above and below... it saves your sanity with the blown insulation. Also, I always keep a telescoping glow rod on the truck now, it's paid for itself ten times over in tight chases like that.

caseyw1210d ago

Fought a house like that last month. Ended up drilling from the kitchen ceiling into the attic because the chase was completely blocked by old knob and tube wiring that nobody bothered to remove. Took me 5 hours just to get a coax through. Flex bit saved my ass but I still had to shower twice that day to get the insulation out of my ears.