Ethernet wiring brick house

Bionic_Arm · 13 Dec 2022 at 19:36

Hi All,

I am wondering if you can help me with some advice.

I have moved house recently and as part of the work I want to have done, I am planning to wire ethernet around the house.

The house is an old style 1930s house. Although the wallpaper needs to come off, I don't think there will be any need to pull walls down completely.

Based on this and the fact I cant route the cables through walls, what would be my best option for wiring ethernet. I am thinking of wiring externally but is that going to look pretty crap if I do that? Especially with amount of drops I want to do and the fact I need to drops over 3 floors?

Below is the floor plan. The blue box is where the network cupboard will go and the green boxes are the drops I want to do.

https://imgur.com/a/ozjHbxr

Has anyone done an ethernet retrofit to an old style brick house like this without taking down the walls completely?

Hyburnate · 13 Dec 2022 at 19:43

Can't see the photo, you can go with a couple of options really.

1. Drop down the back externally, use black external, use soil stack or similar (assuming external stack)
2. Use internal soil stack, less likely to have this on a 1930s.
3. Trunking, decorative or not, its made from UPVC and available in a variety of colours, screwed to the brick-work and cables encassed.
4. Chase the walls + under the floor.

Without seeing the photo, under the floor is probably your best bet

K.C. Leblanc · 13 Dec 2022 at 19:46

If you've got plumbers or electricians in they will have some ideas. You will probably be able to run cables under the upstairs floor boards. If the house is being rewired it may be easier to get the spark to run in some cat 6.

Look around you'll probably be able to work out where all the pipes and cables make their way from downstairs to upstairs.

Caged · 13 Dec 2022 at 20:49

If you're pulling wallpaper off then you will need a plasterer in to skim, or at least put lining paper up. So there's nothing stopping you from chasing the cables in, which would be the easiest option.

Pick a central point in the house to use to transfer between floors, and get each floors cabling to that point.

Deleted member 77746 · 13 Dec 2022 at 20:55

How did you attach (or attempt to attach) a file there is no upload function for images? only mods have access to that I think..

Bionic_Arm · 13 Dec 2022 at 21:42

Hyburnate said:
Can't see the photo, you can go with a couple of options really.

1. Drop down the back externally, use black external, use soil stack or similar (assuming external stack)
2. Use internal soil stack, less likely to have this on a 1930s.
3. Trunking, decorative or not, its made from UPVC and available in a variety of colours, screwed to the brick-work and cables encassed.
4. Chase the walls + under the floor.

Without seeing the photo, under the floor is probably your best bet

Hi thanks for this, I don’t know what happened I’ve updated it with an imgur link now

Bionic_Arm · 13 Dec 2022 at 21:43

GaryTheSnail said:
How did you attach (or attempt to attach) a file there is no upload function for images? only mods have access to that I think..

I just pressed the picture button in the thread box. Option to attach is there when o write a thread or reply

Bionic_Arm · 13 Dec 2022 at 21:45

Caged said:
If you're pulling wallpaper off then you will need a plasterer in to skim, or at least put lining paper up. So there's nothing stopping you from chasing the cables in, which would be the easiest option.

Pick a central point in the house to use to transfer between floors, and get each floors cabling to that point.

I have taken off some bits of wallpaper and it doesn’t seem that bad. I don’t think it needs a full skim but chasing as you have said may be the best option.

I have updated the original post with imgur link can you see it?

Sparx · 13 Dec 2022 at 22:32

Is the ground floor suspended, or solid concrete? A good route if suspended. Or going upstairs under the floorboards.

Chasing the walls for the amount of points you want is gonna be very labour intensive considering how spaced out they are. Be a lot of patching up to do, running it across the walls, through ceilings beams undoubtedly have to rod or drill holes through joists to rod across if no access.

I think the quickest, least damage and semi-neatest way would be to try go through upstairs ceiling and use slim conduit on the walls to run it down….

Going external be a pain and make your house look a mess with the scattered runs too.

Deleted member 77746 · 14 Dec 2022 at 09:20

Bionic_Arm said:
I just pressed the picture button in the thread box. Option to attach is there when o write a thread or reply

That's strange I don't get this, does anyone else?

Bionic_Arm · 14 Dec 2022 at 14:17

GaryTheSnail said:
That's strange I don't get this, does anyone else?

This is what I can see

imgur.com

Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users.

imgur.com

Glanza · 14 Dec 2022 at 14:25

Bionic_Arm said:
This is what I can see

imgur.com

Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users.

imgur.com

That's used to link to a picture you've uploaded elsewhere like imgur

Orcvader · 14 Dec 2022 at 14:26

Bionic_Arm said:
This is what I can see

imgur.com

Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users.

imgur.com

That's not really attaching though, as soon as you click on it it asks for the image link hosted somewhere on the web (hence why it starts with http://).

Anyway just to make it easier for everyone:

Alternative option is to run it up the wall by the stairs to reach the two upper floors. If there's skirting boards on the bottom edge of the walls you could use that to hide and run the cable along to the rooms, or if it's carpet, lift that up and run it under them.