"desgnr" wrote in message
news:JXaii.1318$4e5.784@trndny07...
I want to run a wire to my window for an alarm switch.
The window sits in a metal frame set in a block exterior wall.
Do you know if the block wall has the dryall attached to furring strips on
interior.
How do i go about fishing a wire to the basement below ?
Should i drill a hole in the frame & send the wire thru the hollow block
to
the basement & how do i locate it in the basement ?



The interior drywall could be on furring strips, 2" x 4" wood or metal
studs, or it could be right up against the block. If there is an electrical
outlet on the same wall remove the wall plate on it. Use a long thin
screwdriver and push it in along the outside of the electrical box and see
how far it goes back. That will give you an idea as to the depth of the
wall.

If you have some depth you could try locating a spot in the basement that is
under the wall and try drilling up into the wall cavity. Another way is to
cut a rectangular hole in the wall near the floor (Approximately 6" wide x
12" high). Cut the drywall at 45 degree angles so you can use the removed
piece to patch the wall again. Drill down into the basement through the
hole in the wall. Then you can drill into the window frame and pull a wire
all the way up or down.

Fishing wire through a block wall is not always easy. Sometimes the walls
are filled with rebar and concrete making it impossible. At the very least
there will be pieces of concrete in the cavities and the holes in the block
do not line up perfectly. You would need to make big holes in the block at
each end to get a fish tape through.

If the drywall is up against the block your only option is to make a channel
in the wall and embed the wire in it and patch over it.