Drilling through track in wall
#1
09-27-12, 02:29 PM
Drilling through track in wall
I live in a tall "fireproof" building built in the mid 60s. I want to run two cables diagonally through a corner of a wall (the corner is like a vertical step - see picture). The top 8" of the wall seems to be solid, like there's concrete block behind the plaster (the wall separates the public stairway from the hallway of my apartment). For 2-1/2" under that, there's a horizontal steel track or something similar. The wall is 1" thick in that section (cement and plaster) and hollow behind the steel track. Under that, there seems to be 1/2" of cement/plaster on metal mesh.
I have three choices. I could drill two 5/16" holes for the cable diagonally through the concrete block (hopefully it's not an I-beam), or I could drill the holes through the the upper inch of the steel track (I'd like the cable within the top 9" of the wall, which will be covered with an extension I'm building), or I could just run the cable around the corner instead of through the wall, which I'd prefer not to do.
The easiest thing would be to drill the two 5/16" holes through the steel track. Would that be safe?
I have three choices. I could drill two 5/16" holes for the cable diagonally through the concrete block (hopefully it's not an I-beam), or I could drill the holes through the the upper inch of the steel track (I'd like the cable within the top 9" of the wall, which will be covered with an extension I'm building), or I could just run the cable around the corner instead of through the wall, which I'd prefer not to do.
The easiest thing would be to drill the two 5/16" holes through the steel track. Would that be safe?
#2
09-27-12, 05:56 PM
Once you drill the angular holes, what will you do with the cable. Is the area accessible above? I do hope this is not a shower area, that you plan on putting a TV.
#3
09-27-12, 07:33 PM
I'll feed the cable (yellow line) through a hole in the wall before I attach the cover shown in red (not yet built). The cable goes through the hollow corner and reenters the hallway through a hole that's covered by either a box (black) or raceway. The hole in the box will be large enough to reach in with a tool to pull the cable, but the hole will be through the 1/2" plaster and mesh part of the wall so I'm not worried. If the cable ever needs replacing, a hole will be drilled in the red cover to insert the new cable in the wall, then patched. Another entry point into the covered space will be inside the closet (part of the closet door could be seen at lower right of picture). A hole in the closet will be covered by a removable plate.
#4
09-28-12, 10:22 AM
It's not a shower area and it's low voltage coaxial cable. Maybe I'll just increase the height of the red cover to 11" and drill under the channel instead. I wanted it 9" to match a similar thing that's in the bedrooms above the windows, but maybe it will look OK at 11".
#5
09-28-12, 11:02 AM
If you have the option of avoiding drilling into the channel, I would take that trail. Modifying whatever you plan on putting there would over simplify the job to make it bearable. I was just curious as to the curtain rod in the middle, thinking it may be a shower area, to which I would have nixed it since you need power there, as well for a TV.
#6
09-28-12, 11:12 AM
Oh, that's a chin-up bar from back when I was light enough to do chin-ups without straining my abs and pull-ups without straining by back. I already took it down.
#8
10-01-12, 03:51 PM
I had an interesting look through a 1" hole inside that hollow wall. There's a round wooden beam running from my apartment, through a hole in the concrete ceiling, into the apartment above me. There's a metal strap around the beam just before it goes through, and the hole is oversized so the beam doesn't seem to be supporting anything. And this is a fireproof, steel frame building (I even have a picture from the early 60s when it was being built). 
More importantly, the metal channel that I wanted to drill through isn't a channel. It's thin and has slots that a black strap goes through and holes where cement went through. It's just the top of the wire mesh and I'm not so afraid to drill through it now.
More importantly, the metal channel that I wanted to drill through isn't a channel. It's thin and has slots that a black strap goes through and holes where cement went through. It's just the top of the wire mesh and I'm not so afraid to drill through it now.
#9
10-04-12, 11:14 AM
That round metal beam is probably a drain. It could be a roof drain or a drain from the floor(s) above or a water line for the sprinkler system or for the rest of the building. Often the wlls of stair wells were used for chases. That should not affect what you plan to do. You must have gypsum plaster over metal lath on metal studs or trusstuds or formed metal studs or 3/4" cold rolled channel. They are all probably only about a half inch wide. Drilling a hole should not be a problem Make it large enough that you don't snag the wire you pull on something sharp in the plaster and lath.
#10
10-05-12, 09:32 PM
Yeah, it's probably not wood, but I think it's a water pipe for firehose. I poked it and whatever it is, it's wrapped in insulation. I'll probably drill two 5/16" holes in the top section of the horizontal steel thing (top right):
