Advice needed: Pulling new wire in an existing home

[GTX]

I'm building a utility closet downstairs that will house my home automation, telephone, A/V coaxial, IR, alarm and wireless junk. Now I need to finish pulling new wires including alarm sensor wire from each window and door through the walls and route it down to the panels.
Does anyone have any experience at this?
I'm really dreading the idea of possibly popping a hole through someplace I don't need one.

Any electricians or cable installers in the group? Drop me a line please.


-Dave

[skip68]

Skip68 is a Commercial Electrician! I will make sure he responds to you this afternoon when he gets home from work.  BTW do you have a fish tape to pull your wires?
Mrs.Skip68

[41husk]

I have rehabed afew old houses, fish tape is a must.  Are you running wire from atic or to the basement,  are you removing the old wire and running new through same holes?  Every old house I have done has been different.  The real old tube and knob stuff is hard to remove, but it never is as easy as you plan. if you want give me a call 618 558-7278.  if will help as much as I can.  I'm not an electrician but I have pulled a few miles of wire.

[GTX]

I have a tape though I can't find it right now and may need to buy another. 

I'm not replacing the house 110, already did that. I just need to pull alarm wire and some coax down into the basement.
Essentially run coax from several rooms and alarm wire from each window, door etc.

[dkn1997]

I worked with a residential electrician  for a few winters when I was layed off from swimming pools.  He was a master at snaking wires anywhere. 

He had lots of neat tricks, like using a chain on interior walls with no insulation.  pop a hole on the sheet rock at the top, then drop it down and pop another small one behind some molding on the bottom.  gravity is your friend. 

you should be a bit more specific as to what you are working with.
1 or 2 story house?
old or new construction?
drop ceiling in basement?

In my house, I used a closet to run an 1.5" pvc pipe from the attic down to my garage where the panel box is.  now if I need a new circuit pretty much anywhere, I can run the wire from garage to attic and come down any wall I want for the 2nd floor rooms.  for first floor, run down through the nearest closet (I am on a slab, no basement!!!)

maybe post some pics of what you are working with.

[GTX]

I worked with a residential electrician  for a few winters when I was layed off from swimming pools.  He was a master at snaking wires anywhere. 

He had lots of neat tricks, like using a chain on interior walls with no insulation.  pop a hole on the sheet rock at the top, then drop it down and pop another small one behind some molding on the bottom.  gravity is your friend. 

you should be a bit more specific as to what you are working with.
1 or 2 story house?
old or new construction?
drop ceiling in basement?

In my house, I used a closet to run an 1.5" pvc pipe from the attic down to my garage where the panel box is.  now if I need a new circuit pretty much anywhere, I can run the wire from garage to attic and come down any wall I want for the 2nd floor rooms.  for first floor, run down through the nearest closet (I am on a slab, no basement!!!)

maybe post some pics of what you are working with.

Single story, older home ( lathe & plaster) with currently open basement ceiling --- until I get this done.
I ran a 2" conduit from the attic down to the basement inside the wall but that does me only a little good right now.

Since the alarm sensors are 3/8" I was thinking of using a 54" x 3/8" drill bit and drilling down through the lower window sill of each window and then fishing the alarm wire down through that and then run it across the downstairs ceiling to the panel. 
As for the coax, I was thinking of making the hole where I need the box and plate upstairs and then drill a hole from the basement up hopefully inside the wall! From there I'd either try to hook the fish tape into the box and then pull the coax down or push the coax through the hole and try to snag it and pull into the J box.

The key things I think being to avoid dripping a new hole through the hardwood floors and not drilling into existing wiring behind the wall although I think I know where all of them are.

[dkn1997]

you could mount your sensors near the top and then run the wires for them behind window molding, very small wires.  you would not see it behind there, won't bump out the molding either.  maybe utilize that to get your wire to a place on the wall where you can catch it with a snake.

something tells me that drilling down through a window sill, you may find some surprises.