Choosing between a wired and wireless retrofit on a 1920s house in Portland

I had a job last fall where the owner of an old craftsman wanted a full system but was set against any new holes in his plaster. The choice was clear: try to hide wireless sensors everywhere or push for a few small, careful runs to wire key points. I picked the wired path for the main doors and windows, using the existing phone line conduits from the basement. It took an extra day and some creative fishing, but we got solid connections on eight points. The wireless fill-ins for interior motion are fine, but I sleep better knowing those entry contacts are on a hard line. That house had more settled gaps than I've seen in years, and a wireless signal might have dropped. Has anyone else found those old conduits to be a lifesaver, or do you think I overdid it?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ryan1d ago

Totally get that. I once spent a whole afternoon fishing a wire through an old fireplace chase just to avoid one wireless contact.

skyler_anderson651d ago

Honestly, that sounds like a ton of extra work for not much gain. Wireless tech these days is super reliable, even in old houses. I would have just gone all wireless to save that day of labor and avoid any risk to the plaster. Those old conduits can be a real pain to fish through.