A guy in a Phoenix attic told me to always check for the old coax before drilling

I was running a new line in a house built in the 80s, about to punch through a top plate. He stopped me and said, 'Feel about six inches to the left, you'll find the old one.' Sure enough, my fish tape hit a dead line from the 90s that would have wrecked my bit. It saved me a ton of time and a messed up drill. Anyone else have a tip for spotting hidden lines in old builds?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_schmidt9d ago

Ever think those old phone jacks were just useless clutter? I used to ignore them completely. But I found out the hard way they often share a wall path with old, dead coax lines. Snagged a drill bit on one last year behind a bedroom plate. Now I trace any old low voltage path before I drill, it's saved me a few times since.

margaret_gonzalez259d ago

So how exactly do you trace those old paths? I mean, I've got a bunch of those plates in my house and I'm always nervous about hitting something. Is there a tool you use, or is it more about just looking for clues in the walls? I've tried following lines in the basement but it gets messy fast. Would love to know your method before I try mounting anything new.