Looking to run 3/4" conduit through the bottom plate of what should be a load bearing wall to get ethernet to the lowest floor in our house. I already drilled a 1" hole through what I guess was a beam to get from the top floor to the middle floor. Hopefully the house doesn't fall down.
Will going through the bottom plate of the same wall in the same cavity be an issue? The studs and joists appear to be vertically stacked 16" apart, so the load should be supported from above. However, it is open garage below this wall. It is also in the cavity next to the exterior wall, if that matters.
For some reason I'm nervous to drill this one after seeing a split in the single(?) bottom plate. I've cut a big hole in the garage ceiling to see things and run conduit, but only have a small hole for a receptacle in the living room and can't go bigger on wife's orders (90 degree attachment for driver).
Am I being overly paranoid, or is caution due?
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Best Answer
The check in the plate is not a big deal (it's off-axis to most of the loading), and drilling a 1" hole through it will not aggravate it.
Conduit is indeed the best way to run network wiring, since network wiring standards change much faster than other wiring types, so being able to remove and replace the wiring when & as needed is beneficial.