Finally figured out the trick for fishing line through tight attic spaces

I was trying to run a new coax drop through a 12-foot run in a hot attic last Tuesday and my fish tape kept snagging on every single joist. I taped a small magnet to the end of the tape and used another magnet on the outside to guide it past the tight spots. Has anyone else tried this or do you have a better method for those super cramped sections?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephl6729d ago

Wait wait wait, silicone lube? You actually spray lube on your fish tape before shoving it through the attic? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, man. First time I tried that I ended up with a greasy mess all over the insulation and it attracted every bit of dust and crap in that attic. Now my tape is all sticky and gross. I'm shocked people actually do that on purpose.

tarar2729d ago

Oh man, the magnet trick is actually genius. I've been in that exact situation, trying to fish a cable through a 15-foot attic run last summer and my tape was just getting hung up on every little ridge. I ended up using a small neodymium magnet taped to the end too, but I also wrapped a bit of electrical tape around it to stop it from scratching up the joists. Your mileage may vary with how strong the magnet is though. I found that using a second magnet on the outside really helped me steer around the tricky spots, especially where the insulation was packed in tight. Take this with a grain of salt, but I bet if you spray a little silicone lube on the tape before starting, it'll glide even smoother through those cramped sections.