Installing a coax outlet on an interior upstairs wall

[Mike]

My wife has given me a project - move the TV in our upstairs bedroom from one side of the room to the other. Right now, the coax outlet is on an interior wall, it was installed by a contractor of the cable company. The new location of the TV is going to be another interior wall. I got up in the attic while home for lunch to see if I could look down between the wall of the bedroom and the wall of the adjoining bathroom, but there seems to be plywood laying over top the opening (but not on top of the joists). Using our home security wiring as a point of reference (the security control box is on the same wall that I need to put the new coax outlet on), the installers for that had drilled holes in the plywood to run their wires. There is an unused phone jack on the same wall, I'm considering removing that and running the coax through that box (it's not even really a phone jack, just a small glut of wire stuffed into a little box in the wall, hidden by bedroom furniture), but I am not sure if the wires come through the attic, or come up from the bottom. If those wires come through the attic, I'll try dropping the coax down the same hole and hope for the best.

Anyway, any advice for someone tackling this kind of project?

Thanks!

Mike

[Mikepier]

You could use the old phone wire as a drag line and attach it to the coax in the attic, then pull the coax down.

[SteveBell]

Make sure the phone wire terminates in the box before you pull it out. Phone lines are commonly installed point-to-point or daisy-chain. If you disconnect the wires in one box, all the downstream boxes quit working.

[metspitzer]

If you can come from underneath, coax does not have to be installed inside the wall.

If you have to come from above, it will look much nicer in the wall, but if you can come from underneath, it is hardly noticeable just coming thru a hole in the floor.

If you do come from the top you can use one if these to make a neat job.

SC100RR - 1 Gang Old Work Bracket or LVMP-1

And then use one of these

Coax and phone are both low voltage and don't need a box, but the bracket is there to screw the cover to.

[John Grabowski]

Open up the unused phone jack and see if there is room to push a fish tape up the wall. If there is then push a fish tape up to see if you have clearance to the top of the wall. You can also use the fiberglass rods for this which work well if there is insulation in the wall. If you are able to determine that you have a clear shot to the top of the wall then go drill a hole in the top plate of the wall. It is most likely not plywood, but a single or double 2"x4". You can drop a lead weight on a string down the wall if there is no insulation or push your fish tape down from the attic and pull the wire up.

This has been discussed in this group before. Do a Google search for more ideas. You should fill the hole that you made after the wire is pulled with some sort of firestop material such as mineral wool and a fire stop caulk.

[Mike]

Thanks to John and everyone who replied for some useful information! I will tackle this project this weekend!

Mike

[DerbyDad03]

- Make an extension for your existing cable. - Move the TV to the new location and live with it for a week or so, using the extension. - If you (and by "you", I mean the lady that gave you the project) still like the TV in the new location, then start drilling holes.

BTDT, didn't have to drill any holes. ;-)

[Mike]

John....thanks for suggesting the fish tape. I need to investigate that more. In the meantime, I have been doing some more poking around. In the wall that I intend to run the new coax through, there is a power outlet and that previously mentioned unused phone jack (not even a jack really, a small wad of phone wire in a little box). I have surmised that the power outlet is attached to the right side of one stud, and the phone jack is attached to the left side of the next stud, so they are both seem to be between adjoining studs. I might try to pry the phone box loose and pull it out, then drill the hole in the attic and feed the coax line down and try to grab it. That's my plan at this point anyway. If this fails, I'll give the fish tape a try.

Thanks again!

Mike