I'm stuck on how to drill from my first floor down to a finished basement where I want to run Ethernet. The wall I'm drilling through is shared with the stairwell, and I need to pull the cable into the storage closet under the stairs. I've already started a hole in my office but ended up punching through the stairwell wall by mistake. I really want to avoid cutting a big hole in the stairwell drywall since I'm not great at making repairs look good. Any suggestions?
3 Answers
It sounds like there might be some double joists in that area. They support the stairwell opening, and you'll probably hit solid wood as you drill. You might need a diagram to visualize it better, but just be aware that drilling straight down might be tricky with those structures in place.
If you're still having trouble, you could look into power line adapters. They use your existing electrical wiring to transmit data. It might not be as fast as a direct Ethernet line, but it's definitely an option worth considering!
That’s a great idea! I hadn't thought about that as a backup plan. Thanks for the suggestion!
Have you thought about using a right angle drill attachment? It could help you drill straight down more easily. Just make sure you use a long enough bit—definitely longer than what you might expect!
I do have a right angle attachment, but it only allows for about 4" of vertical space. I might have to consider a bigger hole to get better access, though I'm a bit worried about the mess.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. You’ll likely have to drill through the floor plate and the vertical joist too. I attached a diagram to show what I mean!