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I used to think drilling a new hole was the only way to run wire for a door sensor
For about five years, I always drilled a fresh hole through the door frame for the magnet wire, thinking it was the cleanest install. Then, on a job in Austin last month, the homeowner showed me how the previous installer had run the wire through the existing hinge pin hole on their French doors. It was totally hidden and took maybe ten minutes. Now I'm rethinking my whole method for wood frame doors. Do you guys always drill, or do you look for those existing gaps first to save time and keep things looking good?
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tylerw726mo ago
Ever try running the wire behind the hinge itself? On a lot of exterior doors, you can pop the middle pin, tuck the wire down the back of the hinge, and then drop the pin back in. It holds the wire tight and you barely see it. I only drill now if the frame is metal or there's just no other path at all.
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karenw906mo ago
Oh man, @tylerw72, that sounds like a lot of work just for a wire. Is the door police really gonna come if you see a tiny bit of it?
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dakota_rivera5mo ago
Actually, you need to pop the top pin, not the middle one. The middle pin is usually a fixed dummy on a lot of exterior door sets. The top one is the one that actually comes out. If you try the middle, you'll just end up scratching up the pin for no reason.
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