Vent: Had to choose between fishing wire or opening a wall in a 1920s house

The old knob and tube needed replacing, and the path was blocked by a firestop between floors. I chose to cut a small access hole, patch, and paint it myself, which took an extra three hours. Would you have tried to fish it anyway or just opened it up from the start?

3 comments

3 Comments

hall.nina21d agoTop Commenter

Ugh, totally agree with @hunt.quinn. In those old houses, the direct path is ALWAYS the smartest one.

hunt.quinn27d ago

Opening it up was the right call (fishing through a firestop in a 1920s house is asking for trouble). You saved yourself a ton of hidden frustration for just three hours of clean work. Sometimes the direct fix is the fastest one in the end.

samjohnson27d ago

My buddy's 1920s place had a firestop packed with old newspapers and coal dust. You're right, hunt.quinn, cutting that open is the only way to avoid a full day of swearing at the wall.