If running a cable externally try to use external grade cable. Sun light will make the outer insulation of normal cabling brittle and it will eventually crack and fragment. Also this can also provide a tiny pipe for water to flow inside the property.
Painting the exterior of the cable would help as a sun block; if you do several thin coats as otherwise it looks tatty. Cheaper cleats tend to go brittle in the sun over time, or the nails rust.
When drilling through an exterior wall, drill from the inside out and tilt the drill, so that you drill downwards at about a 15 degree angle. This reduces the possibility of moisture coming into the interior. Although the outside where the cable comes out of the wall should be sealed with silicone. Structures like brick are porous. They will have water within them, and around the cable this water will sweat onto the cable and run along its length. 15 degrees in most cases would mean gravity works for you and keep the plaster and socket inside as dry as possible.
Check the other side of where the drill will pop out. For other cables, gas pipes, water pipes down pipes, soil pipes etc. If it’s cluttered then find another place to drill unless you are extremely confident. Never drill below the DPC and look out for a dense smooth brick along the base. Not too common but these tend to be very very hard. These are to be avoided.
Always check for mains wiring chased in the wall, one of those DIY detectors is well worth the money. Before you look for wires try it out where you know there is wiring. Like around light switches and sockets. So you get accustomed to how it behaves. Don't assume wiring has been chased in either vertically or horizontally around a socket or switch. You never know if some pilchard has done it diagonally. It does happen.
Start a masonry drill at right angles to the wall. Once it’s in a few milimeters then tilt the drill to the angle you want. Start slowly then speed the drill up. If the chuck is one which moves back and forth a bit on the hammer setting Get at least 6mm of depth before you switch to hammer as it may jump all over the place initially like a pneumatic drill giving you a new pattern on the plaster all-round the hole. (My mains Bosch drill was like this and caught me out the 1st time I used it, awful mess in quarter of a second)
If you place a paper towel under the hole, on the floor, up against the wall. Place something thin and a little heavier, like a piece of card along the edge of the floor by the wall (I used a thin slip of plastic about 0.5mm thick). This holds down the towel right to the wall edge catching all the dust. Makes it easy to tip the dust back onto the middle of the towel, making it easier not to spill. And if there’s a slight gap between the carpet/floor and skirting. The it can be pushed into the gap so you don’t get that little line of dust right in the corner.
If you ever get a little off cut of one of those brush style draught excluders, keep it with your drill as it makes the perfect means to sweep up the remaining dust off anywhere it settles on around where you’re drilling. In fact I bought a letter box one just for the brushes. One with each drill, plus one with my hand tools.
When drilling be aware of how far the drill bit will go into the wall. You want to back off pushing the drill too hard before the bit comes through the other end. This prevents your "Blowing out the brick"- where a huge chunk of brick comes away on the other side. If it’s taking some time to drill through then withdraw the bit periodically and wipe the end with a damp/wet cloth. This cools down the bit, keeping the outer layer hard. When the bit gets hot, it softens and wears out much more quickly. Whilst drilling if the bit is in deep in masonry then every 5 seconds or so withdraw the drill a little then proceed. This clears the dust around the bit so it cuts and spins more easily
Once through, an old bit of net curtain wire is ideal to push through the hole, attached to the cable in order to pull it through. Try and straighten about 0.5m of cable so it’s not too curved or wonky to make life easier. If there's a lot of soft insulation in the cavity that comes down blocking the hole. Keep the drill through and use that to draw the wire or cable through.
The cable that comes outside of the hole should always be cleated downwards from the hole, even if it’s going to be attached upwards on the wall. Just 2-3 inches. Leave a little loop before the cable goes off in whatever direction (unless straight down). Cleat each side of the loop to hold it but not at the bottom. You want the loop to curve a little away from the wall so as not to touch, with a 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap. This stops water running along the cable from rain etc. and all soaking the area around the hole. Keeping the loop away from contacting the wall gives less of a chance of a dirty/green line forming down the wall where the water all drips.
Have a look around at BT cabling at other properties to get a guide for ideas.
If you have rendering.... good luck, it’s not fun. If you have pebbledash render, don't bother trying to hammer cleats straight in. Get yourself "pin plugs" We had them @ BT, and they make life so much easier. They look like a tiny smooth wall plug just large enough for a pin/nail. Just use a 5.5mm drill to make holes where you need the cleats. Tap in the plugs then go along nailing the cleats. It’s great for very hard walls, render, and as for pebbledash. It's one of the worst jobs, I hated the stuff.
Also pre plan the route of the cable. Try to follow near the edge of a wall, Go by any existing pipes or features so the cable looks less obvious. Avoiding long runs parallel with power cables within 50mm If your cleating along an edge or feature which is distinctly wonky (e.g. on old cottages) you may want to follow the erratic line of the feature rather than have a straight cable run as the straight line can make both the property and the cable look odd.
When sealing the hole around the cable on the outside, best to use silicone. Put the nozzle right up against/into the hole between cable and masonry and let some ooze into the hole then letting a little build up on the outside. You can smooth it off with a wetted finger. That way it seals, holds the cable a bit and not much of an unsightly blob on the outside. Injecting a little into the hole around a bit of the cable secures this so it won't come off.
Other thing is which side of the cable you want the nail of the cleat to go. Ideally you want it on the opposite side to where the cable is most visible. Again just an aesthetic thing. Just trying to make the whole job as in obtrusive as possible.
And if you’re pinning a cable near soffits, don't try nailing into Calcium silicates. They look and feel a bit like asbestos. Similar whiteish grey colour. the stuff is just too hard to nail into.
One last note, if you’re about to drill through a wall which meant you've had to clear a small patch the other side where the drill will come out such as furnishings, books, ornaments. Cats tend to find the new bit of floor interesting and may decide this is a nice new cozy spot to curl up and sleep. Fortunately masonry bits are not exactly sharp, but will give a nasty painful prod once it comes through. Yes I am speaking from experience
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Topic: Does Twist Pitch have to be the same along entire run of your loop? (Read 6553 times)