Attic cable?

Question

I want to run a coax cable in the atic for the atic antena and down the wall to the tv. I hear fish tape or line is the thing to use. Can i run the cable up the wall to the atic since my atic has little space i figure i can run up the long cable to where its long enough for me to reach from the atic and pull than have to go to the atic and run down.

Answer 1

Most interior walls are framed with a 2x4 cap plate on top of the vertical studs. This often at the level of the 'floor' of the attic, and must have a hole drilled for the cable to pass.

Too, some of the wall studs have horizontal 'stringers' at various heights, which'll need to be drilled out, too. (These are the hard kind)

Your plan fails to state just how you'll 'push' the RG coax UP into the attic from the wall plate location (usually 12-15" above floor). Unless you black tape the coax to a sturdy fishtape AND pick a lucky set of wall studs with no stringers AND the interior of the wallspace is open into the attic (no cap plate) that way'll take forever.

Here's the way:

Get over the location in the attic and drill a 1/2" hole in the cap plate between the studs, probe with fishtape to see if you've got the right spot, and no stringers are in the way. Bang the fishtape around and have a helper verify by listening for it. If it's a no-go, then try the same thing between the adjacent studs. When you've got it, then its time to cut a hole thru the wall for the outlet, behind the TV. From this small hole, use a coathanger wire to hook the loops of coax you've fed down from the attic.

Splice/splitter and a couple of F-fittings, and you're in bizness!

Answer 2

Interior walls are much easier to drop wires down since they rarely ever have insulation or vapor barrier installed.

Answer 3

Trust me..it is alot easier to go down the wall with a cable than it is to try and push a floppy piece of wire up the inside of a wall. Even if you have to lay on your stomach in the attic, it will still be easier to feed it down.