Man, I hear you on the horsehair plaster—my 1920s place is full of surprises like that. I tried fishing a coax cable through what looked like a straight shot in the wall, only to find some weird cross-bracing and a bird’s nest of old knob-and-tube wiring. Ended up patching two holes just to get it through. Honestly, surface-mount raceways aren’t pretty, but sometimes I think they’re worth it just to avoid the mess. Wireless is tempting, but nothing beats a solid wired connection for reliability.
Yeah, horsehair plaster is a whole adventure. I’ve run into the same thing—what looks like a simple wall turns out to be a maze of old wood and mystery wires. Those knob-and-tube runs are always a wild card, and honestly, I get why people just give up and go with surface-mount sometimes. It’s not the prettiest, but at least you know what you’re dealing with.
I do think there’s something to be said for minimizing new holes in old walls, especially if you care about preserving original materials. Raceways aren’t ideal visually, but they’re easy to remove or update later without more patchwork. Wireless is getting better, but I’m with you—hardwired is still king for reliability, especially if you’re running smart home stuff that needs low latency.
One thing I’ve tried is using existing chases or even old vent runs to sneak cables through, though it’s hit or miss depending on the house. Sometimes you just have to accept a little visible conduit for your sanity... and your weekends.
Yeah, trying to fish new wires through horsehair plaster is like playing a game where you’re always losing. I’ve had to patch way too many “exploratory” holes over the years. Honestly, I’m not as bothered by surface raceways as some folks—at least you can upgrade or move stuff later without another round of dust and cursing. I’ve done the old vent trick too, but half the time you find a brick or something jammed in there from 1940. Sometimes, good enough is just... good enough, especially if it means you get your weekend back.
I hear you on the horsehair plaster—every time I’ve tried to retrofit smart switches or run ethernet in those old walls, it’s a gamble. I’ve actually started leaning toward surface raceways too, especially in rentals. They’re not always pretty, but the flexibility is worth it. Funny thing, last time I opened up a vent, I found an old glass Coke bottle wedged in there... no idea how that got there. Sometimes you just have to accept “good enough” and move on, especially if you value your sanity (and weekends).
Surface raceways are a lifesaver when you’re trying to avoid tearing up old plaster. I get the hesitation about the look, but honestly, after a while you just stop noticing them—at least I did. Plus, if you paint them to match the wall, they blend in a bit better. Not perfect, but way less stress than patching up crumbling plaster every time you need to run a new wire.
Funny you mention the Coke bottle. Last year I pulled out a vent cover and found a handful of marbles and a tiny metal car. Makes you wonder what else is hiding in these walls, right? Sometimes I think the house is holding onto its own memories.
On the “good enough” front, I totally agree, but I do try to use low-VOC caulk and paint when I can, even for stuff like raceways. Not sure it makes a huge difference in the grand scheme, but it feels better knowing I’m not adding more weird chemicals to an already old house.
I’ve also started using smart bulbs instead of switches in some rooms. Saves having to mess with wiring at all, and you can just swap them back out when you move. Not as elegant as a hardwired solution, but it works—especially when you’re renting or just don’t want to deal with the mess.
Curious if anyone’s tried those battery-powered stick-on switches? I keep seeing them pop up but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. They seem almost too easy, which makes me suspicious...
