How to Route Electric Wire through a Horizontal Stud

Most homeowners do not like to see tangles of electric wire hanging all over the place. In order to keep your electric wire in a neat bundle, you will want to learn how to route the wire through a horizontal stud. Below are instructions on how to accomplish this project effectively.

Step 1 - Review Your Joist Layout

Climb up into the attic and take a look at how the joists are built and laid out in your house.  In addition to looking at how the joists have been laid out, take specific notes on where the pipes and vents are located in your attic. Trace this layout down to the second and first floor of your home, so you know where you can expect the piping to lay.

Step 2 - Locate the Stud

Locate the horizontal stud in the wall that you want to put the wire through.  It might be necessary to get behind the insulation to find exactly where you need to drill the hole. Alternatively, you can purchase a stud finder at a local home improvement center. The stud finder will help you locate the stud location in the wall. In addition, to help with your mapping, you can use this type of finder to locate  wires behind the walls.

Make a mark with your pencil to represent where the stud and wires are located.

Step 3 - Turn Off Electricity

Before even starting the wiring job, make sure that you have turned the power off at the main switch of your circuit breaker box.

Step 4 - Fish the Wire Through the Stud

If your wire is coming from your attic, you can lead the wire from the attic directly down to the studs in the wall. To help lead the wire through, use a fish line or coat hanger to provide some stability. Attach the wire to the stabilizer and bring it up to the stud.

Notch a hole out in the stud using a small circular saw or a drill.

Push the wire through the hole you have just created. Make sure you do not make any kinks or bends in the wire during this process.

Step 5 - Attaching Wire to Switch Box

You might need to cut a piece of drywall in order to get the electric wire through to the electrical switch box. Once you reach the switch box you then can attach the wire to the box.

Step 6 - Patch the Drywall

After all of this is completed, you will need to go back and patch the drywall where you cut it for the electrical wire to pass through.  Use some kind of joint compound to patch over the hole.  Once you have done this, you will then need to sand the area and paint over where you made the cut.