Stopped at a 1970s apartment block and the cabling made me mad

Went to pull a line at a building off Route 9 yesterday, and every single drop was stapled in random zigzags with zero bushings on the penetrations. Looked like someone did 40 units in a blizzard with a hammer. How do you guys talk homeowners into letting you fix old messes like this without turning it into a whole rewire?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

evahenderson1mo ago

Route 9 has some real winners, but 40 units in a blizzard sounds like the electrician was chugging coffee and playing darts with the staple gun. Honestly, the zigzags are just the cable's way of expressing itself, like abstract art for coax. If it ain't smoking or melting, I tell folks it's vintage and adds character, then offer to fix the worst spot for free as a teaser. That usually gets me in the door for the rest, because nobody says no to a freebie. And if they still balk, I just ask if they want their walls to look like a toddler's first connect-the-dots forever. That usually closes the deal.

7

phoenix_bailey1mo ago

Honestly, is it really worth getting worked up over? Old stapled cable has been working fine for decades, probably still carries signal better than half the new stuff. Unless you're seeing actual shorts or fire hazards, that zigzag pattern is just ugly, not dangerous, so maybe just leave it be and spend your time on something that pays.

4