How to Add Indoor Sconces | This Old House

Allen Gallant shows Kevin O’Connor how to abandon an old electrical box, so sconces can be installed in their new location at the Lexington House.
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This Old House is America’s first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes-one step at a time-featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information so, whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you’ll know the right way to do things or the questions to ask. Our experts including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor give you the tools you need to protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Add Indoor Sconces | This Old House
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[@wut255]

I love seeing work like this on homes with existing complications where trade offs and decisions have to be made.

[@larrymoore6640]

It good to be a electrician or plumber because you can cut into walls and know that someone else will have to finish them.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

And that keeps the drywaller in business. Except for me who does it all.

[@kylegushue]

*It’s

[@ZSnowman]

Well, as long as i have a job, so will you. It’s not hard to patch drywall if you make strategic cuts.

[@briancook3187]

I would to see the process start to finish. Love these videos, but I would like to see the entire project not just left seeing the holes in the wall and ceiling.

[@jonathan0o0dawKins]

Banging a screwdriver with your set of adjustable piles is such an electrician move. Lmao. I've used everything else but a hammer to hammer things. Protip; the back of my impact works marvelously.

[@rogermazuca4582]

Me to my girlfriend, "Why don't you jump on the other end and you can pull the snake" 😅

[@Zefram0911]

this guy is the hack and slash doc on indoor sconces.

[@ginaachoi]

it's fine. I'll just live in the dark. this is insanity LOLL

[@Faruk651]

I admire people who would not rip all the ceiling down and make a new, fresh job. Nobody can make me do a job like this to my house or someone else's house. My OCD wouldn't let me. Freaking half of the ceiling is torn down with bunch of holes in it.

[@robertbamford8266]

Good example. How many times have I found/seen a live box just stuffed back in the wall and covered over (sometimes with a cover plate, but often left open, waiting for a drill bit, screw, nail, or saw blade). Great tool for tracing wire. But what is it? It would also be interesting to see how the holes in the sheet rock are filled and textured. Thanks for the video.

[@nerdofx]

It’s a fluke tone and probe kit. Klein makes one as well. It’s really important that the line your tracing is not energized.

[@robertbamford8266]

@@nerdofx Thanks. Opens up a whole new world of possibilities!

[@N-hunter]

@@nerdofx they do make some that are able to be used on live circuits. Pasar is one brand that comes to mind. Wicked expensive, though handy for finding circuits, especially in large buildings with multiple panels/transformers

[@Dirtyharry70585]

@@nerdofx yeah they left that important note out.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

I bet they're going to abandon the texture for a modern look with all of the work going into that house.

[@highjack5555]

I’d like to see how to patch all those holes to match decently.

[@donc-m4900]

Not my job. Hey Tom, I'm done, get the mud guy in here now.

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

California patch, mud, sand it down, a spray can of drywall texturizer (unless you’re working with a lot more drywall repair in which case you’d hire or buy/rent a texture-shooting gun), & finally a paint match from Depot. Wham, Bam, thank you ma’am!

[@highjack5555]

@@LeonSKennedy7777 I’ve never seen an un-noticeable patch. Let alone paint that exactly matched after years of UV change.

[@eashby22]

@@LeonSKennedy7777 matching paint doesn't actually work, too much variation from the paint machine at the store, that's why professional painters box their paint.

[@danb.709]

Invisible patches can be done, but it requires lots of experience. Old paint can be matched, unless it's really old, but not by the guy at the big box stores.

[@marvelboy74]

I always wondered how this was done. Can say I'm probably not going to have that done in my house now.

[@jstrick85]

Since when is banging a screwdriver into the wall an acceptable method for finding a stud??

[@MoneyAndPeople]

since there was going to be a hole there already, and patches were already going to be needed.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Yeah he has the frequency wire finder but not a stud finder 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@tombomombodombo]

@@Dirtyharry70585 you found me!

[@achardjc]

Looks like the sconce mounting box on the left is a square. I thought wall sconce mounts were always round? Or does it not matter?

[@ornothopter188]

if they could show it really took 5 hours not 5 minutes

[@Mike__B]

I thought NM wire was supposed to attached 8-12 inches of the electrical box, and then every 4.5 feet. Or do those rules not apply to running lights in existing construction?

[@mr.g937]

Exactly. Those rules do not apply in retrofit construction. Specifically, the NEC states: "(B) Unsupported Cables. Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be permitted to be unsupported where the cable: (1) Is fished between access points through concealed spaces in finished buildings or structures and supporting is impracticable."

[@ikecostner1]

If you are fishing your wires then no, they are not required to be secured, but if you’re running them in the attic or crawlspace then they would need to be secured

[@johnschroeder3072]

I love the hearing protection.

[@rogermazuca4582]

The guy at the hardware store is still looking for them Conductas

[@michaeltang7238]

Would you please install 30 amp generator inlet box to this new house ?

[@mcarroll598]

This guy is a professional and uses a Roto zip to cut out his pancake box? Use a hole saw!

[@HAMRADIOJOE4178]

NICE

[@garthbutton699]

That wasn't Sparkeys first Rodeo,good job!

[@ikecostner1]

Not really, he should be able to fish wires without cutting up the walls, either fishing from below, or above

[@jeffwilson1399]

Dahh tohne gehnarahtah sehnds a puhlse ahcross dah cuhnduhctahs. . . So we cahn get an idear where dah wihres goh.

[@mwrslr7845]

Is there a reason to not pull the old, disconnected wires? I know they don't have current, so don't have to be pulled from a safety perspective, but wouldn't it be simple to just pull them out from the junction box end?

[@IanGuitarJams]

They're stapled to the stud/ceiling joist in multiple locations and impossible to pull out.

[@njwags95]

Just ran new wires to recessed lights using this method…except it was plaster 😖

[@sohaibhalk360]

What tool was he using to cut the dry wall ?

[@ben.becker5566]

router

[@tylerlester1271]

Rotozip

[@realestateservicessaleshea99]

Nice ,but can you tell me what kind of hammer he was using?🤔🍿🤣😂🤣 🍺🍺🍺🥃🥃🏌🏻‍♀️🍇

[@johnbaptist7476]

😂 But Off course we watched it & loved it 😍∞∞∞ ❤ ly work 😇👌🙏👏

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

I do stuff like that a lot,it can be a pain in the tail.

[@ronron291]

Sloppy Jack leg cuts.. wasn't professional master craft cuts. It showed big time

[@theclockmax]

That tool sounds like a mcdonalds

[@Nicassaconstruction]

Just added the tool to my kit😃

[@coryulrich6489]

I can't remember their bald Electrician's name, but I could have sworn they did a video where he installed crown molding meant for carrying electrical wires. I'm pretty sure he did that specifically because someone had notched out framing for a wire just like this. I could have sworn he said that this was very dangerous and illegal.

[@jacob4639]

Scott caron, he was their electrician

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

Yes he did. That was ghetto.

[@abdulelkhatib2674]

That was their old electrician Scott

[@coryulrich6489]

@@jacob4639 thanks. I realized what I did after I came back to the comment. Watching this guy drill through framing material for an electrical wire had me all screwed up.

[@ALMX5DP]

I watched this all, and still don’t know what the heck a sconce is. 😂

[@mr.g937]

It's a light that goes on the wall.

[@ikecostner1]

Something white housewives who are married to men with money like

[@donc-m4900]

Scones are delicious

[@eashby22]

@@ikecostner1 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 true.......

[@lindasulik9848]

You didnt say what the height of the light was.

[@evilmonkey5253]

How is Roger Cook doing

[@johnlebzelter4208]

Why would anyone reply to a troll who pretends to care?

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

He retired from TOH in 2020.

[@stephengirtz]

A word to the wise would be to use a hole saw for that pancake box, I’ve heard it said.

[@djb113]

Is anyone else here because they thought the title said “scones” at first?

[@johnnywood8082]

No

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

Feeling hungy?

[@djb113]

@@Guillotines_For_Globalists for scones? Absolutely

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

@@djb113 MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm.......scones......

[@levkarpets3329]

Good but I do it better I use flex bits and drill and fish my wire and don’t have to patch anything it takes longer and I use a small camera to see what’s in the walls but after it’s all done it’s with it

[@davidmatke248]

I miss Allen as the This Old House electrician.

[@JohnSmith-hr3gv]

For God's sake, use a hole saw for the round hole. Also, those plates wont stop a nail put in with a nail gun. They are a gimmick at best. I know they a re code, but so many a time have they been penetrated with nails.

[@timstoltzfus8408]

Nice hammer😂

[@AnthonyPerez]

Please don't put the red lead on that hot wire before the black first. Also make sure its off beforehand... I assume he did that though. I don't want to be that guy though so you do you.

[@kt71]

Fkn sparkies cutting holes everywhere

[@PilotVBall]

You people make everything so complicated.

[@scottperezfox]

@4:43 those better not be drywall screws!

[@abdulelkhatib2674]

I believe they are :(

[@DapperChe]

I’m sorry did i miss something? He used drywall screws to attach the pancake box to the timber framing. Was he supposed to use a different type of screw?

[@Faruk651]

Yea he should have used 3/8" GRK structural screws for pancake box. It needs the shear strength from the sconces weight.

[@poeticthoughts06]

"How to run electrical wire"

[@NightTracer101]

“Pull the snake” 🥴

[@ro866432]

Wow all you did was pull the guys snake and on to the next job

[@davidl.2496]

That was terrible

[@paramroop10]

kinda confused as to why he used only 1 pancake box. I thought there were 2 Sconces. oh well

[@ElectricGears]

There didn't happen to be a wall stud behind the left sconce location, like there was behind the right location.

[@ikecostner1]

Lol why didn’t he go into the attic and drill the top plate? Or drill from the bottom and fish wires up? Super lazy

[@Bremend]

Second floor or no basement?

[@shanew7361]

Yea this guy would've been thrown out of my house.

[@ikecostner1]

@@Bremend very rarely do you encounter a home with a second floor as well as a basement with hard ceilings

[@s.n.9485]

Yea, I never notch. I would've cut more sheetrock, drilled a hole through the top plate and fished the wire through there. Either way there's gonna be a patch job.

[@fnhwk]

It's a 2 story house and they were on the main level.

[@ColdWarCanada]

This guys has to learn some manners

[@lolacole5653]

This is no easy project.