St. Joseph, Champaign County, IL | If this is over a crawlspace, or basement with access to the bottom of the floor joists (not a drywalled or similar ceiling), cut the cable at the bad spot. Get 2 appropriate junction boxes and place them at locations that will let you easily splice a new piece of cable in, in between the ends of the original cable. If it's a finished ceiling below, you may have to install a couple junction boxes in the ceiling. Done right, and with the right materials, the boxes can remain accessible, but largely disappear into the ceiling. Good Luck!
Edit: After re-reading your post, I realize the one run of cable (if cut where it's now nicked) won't have enough length to splice as I describe above. Being an electrician, I'd state at the receptacle box in the outside wall. Is the box plastic or metal? If metal, it should have a clamp inside that you can loosen and then see if the wire moves when pulling down. If it moves, you should be able to tie a new cable to the old and pull an appropriate amount down to be able to make a single junction like I mentioned above. If plastic or the cable doesn't move, removal is difficult but not impossible. Boxes, be they plastic or metal can be successfully cut out of the wall in such a way as to leave the wall surface undamaged once repairs have been made. Using a reciprocating saw, put the blade in between the box and the stud to cut the nails holding the box. The blade can be angled up and down to cut the nail without cutting any drywall. Once cut, the box can usually be maneuvered out of the hole. I have demolished the box in the wall before removing it, but usually not needed.
Once the box is out of the wall, you can try and get the staple popped loose to then use the existing cable to pull in a new piece. Or, you can abandon the original cable, from the cut up to the receptacle, and fish a new run of cable up the wall.
Use a single gang plastic old-work/ remodel box to replace the original box that was removed. It'll be bigger then most metal boxes (just have to trim some drywall to enlarge hole) or usually the correct size to fit the hole left by a plastic nail on box.
These situations aren't fun, and if I never had to do another one like it, it'd be too soon. They are able to be fixed though.
Edited by 45Deere9670 3/28/2015 18:22
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how to cut 3/4" subfloor flush with wall
