"Mash" wrote in message
...
We have a large family/living room area and I want to put two ceiling
fans in this area. So the fans will be on the same floor about 25 feet
apart or so.

I'm going to add a new circuit for these fans/lights. I'm comfortable
with the electrical wiring part of the job but I'm not actually sure
how to run the wire.

The room in question is on the 1st floor. Above that is the 2nd floor
with our bedrooms, Above the 2nd is an attic.
How do I run the wire through the 1st floor ceiling? Obviously I have
to cut a hole in the ceiling where the lights will be mounted. Do I
also have to cut holes in the ceiling so I could drill a hole in the
joists and run the wire through them?

To complicate things we have a ceiling with a popcorn finish so I
don't know how hard it will be to patch any holes I make. I'd like to
minimize the destruction to my ceilings...my wife would appreciate
that too
Thanks


I have been finding some homes have been built using prefabricated trusses
instead of solid wood floor joists. The beauty in them is that it can be a
lot easier to fish wires without having to cut many holes in the ceiling.
Try making a small hole (1/2") where you would like to put the fan. Then
take a fish tape and push it in the hole in four different directions and
see how far you can get. The fiberglass fish rods work well for this too.

If you do need to cut holes in the popcorn ceiling, do it neatly so you can
use the pieces again. I cut my holes at 45 degree angles so I can slap the
cutout back in place with joint compound. I use a lot of joint compound so
it oozes out of the edges and dap it with my fingers. It's not perfect, but
with the dapping the piece tends to blend in. Of course the ceiling still
needs to be repainted afterwards.

Click here to see a video of my technique:
http://www.wd40jobsite.com/secret_de...748&c=1&q=&s=1
With a popcorn ceiling it is better to have rough edges so don't spend too
much time smoothing the joint compound.