Question about electrical wiring in the ceiling

you would need to cut out the ceiling with a larger hole than the skylight requires. then

1. cheaper option..cables could be cut, moved and joined. ( not the best solution as hidden joints could be a problem unless done extremely well.

2.expensive. cut a larger piece out of the ceiling, trace cables both ways, disconnect, re-route or replace.

either way is not something to be undertaken lightly. it's a major disruption tothe ceiling.

either way, the use of a snake cam would help the see where they all run.

Is an option 3 practical - coverup the cables, and open up the ceiling in the other direction so you can fit the larger skylight?

I think option 2 would not be feasible because I suspect those wires are going to the other part of the house where there is no access to them from the attic due to raised ceilings.

Option 1 seems the best and I'm having an electrician to come out and look at moving the wires around the opposite side of the ceiling since that part is easily accessible from the attic.

If that will get too expensive, I will go with option 3 and purchase skylights that are 30" x 30", which I will be able to install in that space by moving the opening up a little.

I opened up the ceiling a little more and found a lot of wood rot running down a rafter, so that will have to be replaced either way. How would one replace a damaged rafter with wires drilled right through them? I mean removing is simple but how does a new rafter get installed without cutting into it (thus weakening it) to feed the wires? Is it just a notch big enough to place the wire in?

Thanks for the replies.

notsohandyman said:

Hello,

I decided to tackle a leaky skylight replacement in my living room. It's an acrylic bubble 18" square and it was installed when the house was built in '86. To make thing more complicated for myself, I purchased skylights that are 45 3/4" by 22 1/2" (wife wanted larger skylights). I figured I'll open up the drywall to take a look and I found 8 wires running across the living room ceiling:

View attachment 58153

Here is another picture showing where the skylight is located:

View attachment 58154

Now the question is: can those wires be moved down (to fit a 45 3/4" long skylight) or should I just repair the rotten wood and replace the skylight with a same size as original? If so, what would it involve to move wiring across a 25' ceiling with no attic access?

Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Handyman I don’t think that there would be enough slack in the existing wiring to achieve what you want. You can do 1 of 2 things. You can replace the wiring to make it longer or cut the cables and add a box or boxes to splice them and make them longer. An unhappy wife means a unhappy life. Good luck