# Forum Home Renovation Television, Computers & Phones  Putting cables in internal walls

## Dragons

Hi All, 
I have a number of cables dropping from my ceiling in my loungeroom (very unsightly :Eek: ) for my Tv and Foxtel. 
I would like to have them hidden insdie the cavity of the wall (internal wall) behind the TV, but don't knw the best way to go about it due to the batons placed inside the wall and I need the cable to drop from the ceiling cavity to about floor level in the loungeroom :Confused: . 
Any help would be appreciated. 
cheers
Paul

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## Master Splinter

You'll need a long drill bit/drill extensions to get down to the noggin to drill through it.  Two of these would do it: DRILL BIT XT PRO EXTENSION - Robson's Tool King Store 
And you'll also need to get used to how cramped roofspaces are.....

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## Farmer Geoff

If you have a timber floor then you can go down any convenient cavity (keep away from fuse box wall where you may pick up interference) then up through floor wherever you want.  If you have slab then you may be able to go down external cavity wall then remove skirting board and place wire behind it to wherever you want it. If drilling down internal wall, watch for power and plumbing already in the wall. Removing a few tiles or a sheet of roofing iron will improve access, comfort and light if drilling down. Or run wires down outside the house in an inconspicuous spot and back through external wall.  What about a vertical conduit inside a built in cupboard or a timber beading or plastic cable cover in corner of room?  Well finished and painted it will blend in pretty quickly.

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## stevoh741

If you can get in the roof space, I'd drill a hole in the wall's top plate and feed down that. Then (working from the loungeroom) use a stud finder to locate the nog in the wall and cut out a small section of plaster in front of the nog. I'd then house out/drill enough of the nog to get the wires through and down to req'd level. Just a small plaster patchup and your done. I would definatly avoid external conduits etc for aesthetic reasons.

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## plum

Remembering something I did years ago, wouldn't do it again, so don't go jumping on me, was to drill a 50mm hole saw through the top plate and then belting the noggin out with my 1.5m metal bar, so I could run a 50mm drainage vent through the stud wall.

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## PhilT2

Foxtel guys are not allowed to drill through noggins, something to do with drilling into unseen electrical cables. Smart people get around this problem by turning the power off and using a battery drill. Tight spaces can be got around by kicking up a few tiles or lifting a sheet. Drill the hole with extension bits described above , drop a weighted stringline down the hole, pull the cables up and tie them to the string, go down, work out where you have drilled through, cut a hole and pull cables through. not a difficult task, about an hour from "Hold the ladder please love" to "Fetch a couple of those cold beers, the cricket is about to start"

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## Godzilla73

G'day,  
Go thru the top, and get your hands on the tongue from sheet flooring, the red yellow or green strip and put it down the hole and wiggle it about, noggins rarely are flush with both sides of the stud. If you cut your wall plate hole first then shine a torch thru and look down the hole at the top and see the light, you'll get a cable thru with a bit of up and down the ladder action.

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## SlowMick

I have a mate who's a sparky - when he's been changing archtrave switches to wall switches he drills 3 holes in the top plate - 1 for the yellow tongue/cables, 1 to look through and 1 for the torch (walls are dark places). works suprisingly well.

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## Dragons

WOW !! thanks guys for all your help
Cheers
Paul

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## barney118

I ran all mine in the new extension which made life easy, one thing to look out for is if you have insulation in the cavities this is going to make it tough.

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