Remembering when I first saw a wireless sensor and thought it was just a gimmick, but after installing a full set in a 1920s craftsman with plaster walls, I realized they saved me over 8 hours of fishing cable.

What's the oldest building you've worked on where wireless gear was the clear winner?

3 comments

3 Comments

Had a job in a stone farmhouse from the 1780s. Those walls were basically solid rock. Running wires would have meant days of destructive drilling and patching. Putting in a wireless motion sensor and door contacts took an afternoon. The homeowner was thrilled we didn't have to tear into the historic plaster.

emma723mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal to drill a few holes? I hear you, @davidh88, but sometimes a little patching is just part of the job. I've seen wireless gear fail more than once in thick old walls.

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wood.noah19d ago

I read this article from a guy who restores old houses for a living and he said drilling into lime plaster is basically a nightmare. He compared it to trying to drill through a cracker without shattering the whole thing lol. With stone walls especially, one bad hole can cause a crack that runs the whole length of the wall, and patching that old plaster is more of an art than a simple mud job. The wireless stuff might freak out once in a while but at least you're not dealing with a huge repair bill and a wall that looks like swiss cheese for the next fifty years.