One large hole or two smaller holes to feed cables through?

[MiamiCuse]

I need to run nine RG6 cables from one end of the room to the middle of the room where the flat panel TV is mounted on the wall. There is a door opening in between so I plan to run it up the attic, over and back down. Measured total cable distance is about twenty feet.

However there will be nine cables - five for component AV from DVD, three from composite AV from VCR, and one from regular cable feed. When they are "bunched" together it's pretty thick. My standard two inch diameter wood drill bit will not fit this many cables. I am a little concerned to drill a larger hole in the top plate. Should I drill two 2" hole or get a larger bit for a larger hole for this purpose?

Thanks,

MC

[RicodJour]

Nine coax cables won't fit in a 2" diameter hole...? I'd have thought you'd get more than a dozen in there. Drilling two holes is fine and will keep the cables further from the wall surface so they'll be less likely to be hit by a stray nail or screw.

R

[SQLit]

Drill the holes so that the holes intersect like a figure 8 or an oval.

I would put them all together.

[Dan C]

Nine RG-6 cables will *EASILY* fit through a 2 inch hole. For that matter, are you sure the VCR cables are RG-6, or just the old "RCA" cables (red/white/yellow)?

If you insist on them not fitting, go with 2 holes.

[MiamiCuse]

OK let me clarify...sorry...I have a set of wood boring bits and the largest size is 1.5" not too inches. I think it will not easily fit 9 RG6 cables.

Also the AV cables do not have to be RG6, but I have the cables and I have the RCA connectors and I have the compression tools so I will be using them to wire all my AV cables for this run since I can cut them to precise lengths I needed.

MC

[CJT]

Am I the only one who doesn't like to drill holes in structural members of my house?

[Dan C]

I don't know what you're basing your "thinking" on, but I would guess that you could *EASILY* fit 15-20 of those cables through a 1.5" hole. Better go look again.

[Bob]

I would think that the structure would be weakened less by locating the holes further apart.

Bob

[Bob]

Holes through the middle of a beam, as long as they aren't too big, should be no worry. The people that wired your house origionally did it, I'm sure.

Bob

[CJT]

Mostly through the ones in compression, though ...

[Harry K]

No, ones whereever a hole is needed but they are always on the small side and always in the middle of the beam. In the OP's case, it isn't even a beam, it is the top plate which will be two 2x4 or 2x6 on the flat. I would not put one big hole there but two smaller ones. (1 or 1

1/2")

Harry K

[Harry K]

Oops. Should have added that plumbing walls have BIG holes in them. I have seen them with only a sliver of wood left on the sides. Not good but the pipes have to go through them.

Harry K

[Don Young]

[CJT]

Well, that's reassuring, but it still makes me uncomfortable, and I intend to continue minimizing the holes I drill to the extent practical.

[Bob]

Nine RG6 cables should be able to fit through the hole. If the connectors are already on the ends they won't all fit through at once. Connectors should be attached after the cables are run.

[RicodJour]

Probably. Most people couldn't care less about damaging your house. ;)

R

[RicodJour]

?! I don't know what houses you look at/work on but I've seen things that would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Code requires you to reinforce the plates if the hole is more than 50% of the depth of the plate.

R

[Mark Lloyd]

And why would you need to fit them all (all connectors) through at once? Put one end through at a time. That way, you never have more than one connector in the hole at any time. You'd still need room for

9 cables, but only one connector.

And make sure you've identified the cables, so you know which end connects to which end on the other side.

[anoldfart2]

How the heck you need a 2" hole for 9 cables I will never understand. I could fit them thru a one inch hole and have room to spare.

[wannabe]

MiamiCuse wrote: drill a larger hole in the top plate. Should I

just drill one 2" hole for each cable

like swiss cheese...drill the holes at eye level

post pics when done