Question about using a fish tape for a tricky drop in an old house

I was working on a job in a 1920s bungalow in Portland last month, trying to get a line down from the attic to a first floor outlet. The wall was full of old plaster and blocking I didn't expect. My helper said, 'Just push harder, it'll go.' I tried that for ten minutes and got nowhere. Then I remembered a tip from a guy at a supply house years ago about bending the very end of the tape into a small, tight hook. I did that, gave it a little twist as I pushed, and it slid right past the blockage. That small change saved me probably an hour of frustration and a potential wall repair. It made me realize that sometimes the old tricks are the best ones, even with all the new tools we have. What's your go-to method for dealing with stubborn old walls?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_blake13d agoMost Upvoted

Man, the "just push harder" advice is a classic. My own personal record for stubbornness was trying to force a tape past a fire block for a solid half hour, sweating and cussing. Finally pulled it back and the end was bent into a perfect little pretzel. Looked like modern art. That hook trick is a lifesaver. Sometimes you just have to outsmart the house instead of trying to beat it.

carr.abby13d ago

Actually, that's a fire stop, not a fire block. They're meant to be a total pain to get through. Forcing it just wrecks your tape and doesn't work. You gotta poke a small hole through the putty stuff first, then feed the line.

singh.harper13d ago

I mean, it's like the house is actively fighting back sometimes.