Honestly, I thought my day was ruined when I saw the attic in that old house on Elm Street

Tbh, the access panel was nailed shut and the only path for the drop was through a finished closet. I spent 45 minutes just getting in, and the insulation was like a foot thick. What saved me was this old Klein fish tape I keep in the truck, it bent just right to get around a joist I couldn't even see. Anyone else have a go-to tool that's pulled them out of a nightmare job?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura2111mo ago

You said a good inspection camera would have saved all that hassle, but I gotta disagree. In that tight attic space with a foot of insulation, you're not gonna see around a joist with a camera anyway. You'd be staring at the same black fluff I was. The fish tape worked because I could feel the bend and guide it blind, which is way faster than trying to poke a camera through that mess. Sometimes a cheap tool that you know how to feel your way with beats a fancy one that can't see through a foot of crap. Not every job needs tech, some just need a steady hand and a tool you trust.

finley7773mo ago

Actually, that fish tape sounds like a total waste of time for that mess. A good inspection camera would have shown the joist instantly and saved all that hassle. Some old tools just create more work than they solve.

spencerl323mo ago

Totally agree, had the same thing happen last month. Spent half a day fighting with a snake in a ceiling only to find a blocked pipe three feet in. A cheap borescope would have shown it in two minutes.