How to Run TV Cable Through Walls

To route a cable from floor to floor, follow these steps:

1. To get to the floor below, cut an opening in the drywall near the floor and drill as vertically as possible through the 2 × 4 at the base of the wall. A jigsaw or a hand drywall saw work equally well to cut an opening for routing cable. A rectangular cutout is easier to patch. It helps to remove the baseboard before starting, but this does make for a bigger repair job.

2. To skip a floor (say from the basement to the second floor), drill up from the basement and down from the second floor into the same stud cavity—the gap between studs. Take the cable to the first floor and cut an opening in the wall. Push a fish tape from the basement into this hole. Tape the cable to the fish tape and pull the cable down into the basement. Push the fish tape down from the second floor and pull the cable up from the first floor.

To route cable along a wall, follow these steps:

1. Remove the baseboard by gently prying with a hammer and a crowbar. Cut out a strip of drywall just below the baseboard and drill holes through the base of the studs. Because you will hit nails, use a drill bit designed for metal.

2. Cut holes 24" apart, between the studs, low on the wall (where the holes will be less noticeable). Drill through one stud to each side, and then use a fish tape to pull the cable through. This trick works best with a 1" drill.

3. To get past a door or window, make your holes more than 8" above the opening.

To route cable into the next rooms, follow these steps:

1. Drill straight through one stud cavity and mount the new cable fixture in the drill hole.

2. Drill up and over, through the attic, or down and under, through the basement.