I want to pull two Ethernet cables from my attic down a 12’ wall into the living room behind the tv console. There are several horizontal studs in the wall preventing a straight drop. From the top, the lowest horizontal stud is 8’ down.
I’ve come across “flex” auger bits. My intent is to use a 74” long bit with a 54” extension to drill straight down from the attic. Is this the right method? Any alternatives? Anything “easier”?
Update:
I used a 1.25” auger drill. I made a 8” wide by 12” wide cutout in the drywall between the header and the fire stop. I drilled up thru the header and down thru the fire stop. Easy.
…The wrench in the mix. My stud sensor was giving some funny readings, but other checks concluded that there was another horizontal at about 4’ from the floor. I tried to make the same cut in the drywall. Turns out, there are 2 2x12s running horizontally(I assume to mount a tv to the wall) once I figured that out, I had to open up the fire stop hole to push the EMT conduit away from the 2x12s. I’ve got a little patching and painting left.
Best Answer
Given that the "horizontal studs" are fireblocking, you should be applying firestop caulk after you run the wires, which favors access holes and drywall repair. So does the possible/likely presence of power wiring in the wall, and possibly other things like pipes. Blindly poking a long drill bit into the unknown can get very interesting, in the unpleasant sense of "interesting."
Edit to add: Also - choose conduit. Cat5e is already obsolete, even if it's "good enough" for what you currently want. Conduit makes it easy to install the next thing when needed.