Fishing through insulation

[JoeNorm]

What is the technique for fishing wires through well insulated exterior walls or cathedral ceilings? At what point do you say, nope this can't be done and know that drywall has to be cut?

 

[480sparky]

What kind of insulation? Fiberglass? Polystyrene? Blown?

 

[JoeNorm]

blown or batts

 

[James L]

Fish sticks, or even a piece of 6 or 4 bare copper

If you have to fish only a piece of Romex, just don't try shoving at all at once. And don't try forcing anything. Very methodical back and forth stabbing, an inch or two forward at a time. Gently burrowing through the installation and you can probably fish 4 or 5 ft

It's really a matter of finesse

 

[LarryFine]

In no particular order:

Keep the tip of the fishtape against the drywall.

Fishing rods are stiffer, but can't be bent to aim.

 

[infinity]

Buy a high quality 1/4" fish tape and as Larry stated bend it to keep it on one side the insulation against the drywall.

 

[James L]

Where possible, fish in the corner where the drywall meets the lumber. Fishing up the middle of an insulated Bay is much harder than sliding along the sides

 

[Little Bill]

Magnapull

 

[480sparky]

[QUOTE="LarryFine, post: 2630654, member: 78816"

Fishing rods are stiffer, but can't be bent to aim.
[/QUOTE]

To some extent, you can. With one of these:

 

[Greentagger]

Cut the end off a fish tape so it has a pointed end. Then as others have stated try to keep the fish tape going in a straight path, against the wall , jabbing it so it will clear a path through the insulation.

 

[electrofelon]

What is the technique for fishing wires through well insulated exterior walls or cathedral ceilings? At what point do you say, nope this can't be done and know that drywall has to be cut?

Nope can't be done, go to the bar!

 

[James L]

Cut the end off a fish tape so it has a pointed end.....jabbing it....

Interesting. Sharp points on your fishing implements are usually more likely to stab into something and get bunched up

 

[ActionDave]

If you have an old tape measure you don't care about wrap some tape on the end and cut the hook off. It slides right down between the insulation and the back of the drywall.

 

[Bluegrass Boy]

I have used the rods, steel fish tape, and I like using ceiling grid wire. A long piece, and a short one 18 inches or so, and bend a short L on the end for those times when you just can’t get it close enough to the hole you cut in. Has worked very well for me. You can bend an arch on the short piece and reach almost anywhere in a cavity left to right.
I usually kept the short piece in one of my tool bags just in case.

 

[David Henry]

Me too. I'm also keep the short piece in tool bags.