Wired vs wireless panels for older homes - which side are you on?

I just finished a job in a 1920s house in Philly where the walls are all lathe and plaster. Tried to go with a wireless system cause I figured fishing wire would be a nightmare. But the wireless signals kept dropping cause of all the old metal ductwork and plaster mesh. Switched to a wired panel and ran the wires through the basement and attic, took me like 8 hours extra but the signal was rock solid after that. Now I'm wondering if I should just always push for wired in old houses or if there's a wireless system that can actually handle that kind of interference. Anyone else run into this and pick a side?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.lisa29d ago

Learned that lesson myself old houses always win.

walker.cole29d ago

Oh yeah, "old houses always win" is the truth. @wright.lisa, my buddy bought a place built in 1928 and thought he could just slap some paint on it and call it a day. Six months later he's tearing out lath and plaster because the whole wall was basically dust holding on by hope. I got lucky with my old place because the previous owner already did the hard stuff, but I still find surprises every time I open a wall. You really can't cheat an old house, it'll humble you every single time.