New House Build in WV

[EddieWalker]

Don't forget to block for TV mounts - that's an easy on to miss. Also if you know where you want a TV always nice to add a plug up high behind where the TV will be mounted.

Good point. I get a bunch of jobs every year adding an outlet to where people want to mount their TV on the wall. The mounting brackets are pretty good at dealing with studs being wherever they are, but blocking couldn't hurt, and it's a simple thing to do before the sheetrock goes up.

Another thing that I get hired to do is install a 2 inch PVC pipe inside the wall to hide the cables going to the TV. Depending on the wall or fireplace mantel, I run the pipe off to the side where the controls will be, or just down the wall a couple feet with two elbows so the cables go through it easily. Kind of like a long letter C. It seems that a lot of people hate seeing those cables dangling down from their TV's!!!

 

[fried1765]

Good point. I get a bunch of jobs every year adding an outlet to where people want to mount their TV on the wall. The mounting brackets are pretty good at dealing with studs being wherever they are, but blocking couldn't hurt, and it's a simple thing to do before the sheetrock goes up.

Another thing that I get hired to do is install a 2 inch PVC pipe inside the wall to hide the cables going to the TV. Depending on the wall or fireplace mantel, I run the pipe off to the side where the controls will be, or just down the wall a couple feet with two elbows so the cables go through it easily. Kind of like a long letter C. It seems that a lot of people hate seeing those cables dangling down from their TV's!!!

When I built my Summer place in Nova Scotia I ran 5 separate chase tubes (empty PVC) from the 2nd floor to the basement, and a 6th one for TV cable.

 

[TnWV]

Hope the upcoming storm does not delay you too much

Our power just went out and the roads are a solid sheet of ice. I’m hoping it doesn’t affect my drywall schedule, but it certainly could if it lasts very long. There are people a few miles away who lost power on Thursday and still don’t have it yet.

 

[TnWV]

Don't forget to block for TV mounts - that's an easy on to miss. Also if you know where you want a TV always nice to add a plug up high behind where the TV will be mounted.

I did put outlets up high for a tv, but didn’t put blocking, may add some.

 

[TnWV]

I set pieces of 1/2" plywood flush with the front of the studs on both sides of every window opening for fastening curtain rods. Also did the entire wall over the mantle just in case. Sure made life easier when we did window treatments.

I was just telling my wife that maybe we should have planned on covering every wall with plywood and drywall over top of it. It was a joke but honestly, it would sure make hanging things easier down the road.

 

[TnWV]

Good point. I get a bunch of jobs every year adding an outlet to where people want to mount their TV on the wall. The mounting brackets are pretty good at dealing with studs being wherever they are, but blocking couldn't hurt, and it's a simple thing to do before the sheetrock goes up.

Another thing that I get hired to do is install a 2 inch PVC pipe inside the wall to hide the cables going to the TV. Depending on the wall or fireplace mantel, I run the pipe off to the side where the controls will be, or just down the wall a couple feet with two elbows so the cables go through it easily. Kind of like a long letter C. It seems that a lot of people hate seeing those cables dangling down from their TV's!!!

We have used nothing but streaming for our tv for so long, I didn’t really consider putting in a chase for other wires. May think more about that.

 

[s219]

Most wall TV brackets are wide enough to span 16" studs with at least half offset to one side or another, and they have holes spaced about every 1", so you shouldn't need blocking for that.

What I did was to put an electrical outlet up behind the TV as well as an empty hole with a pull string that could later be used to fish cables to the TV. You can get AV trim plates with brushes or covers that let wires/cables come out neatly:

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=av+trim+plate

These can be mounted directly to drywall using an "old work" box plate:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CARLON-1-G...dard-Rectangular-Wall-Electrical-Box/50385688

Then you just run the wires/cables inside the wall cavity. As long as they are low voltage (or data/RF) it's allowed. It's just the electrical that needs a proper outlet and box.

The other thing I did, that I thought was clever, was to designate a first floor closet as my "AV hub" and have all ethernet, phone, and cable TV wiring run to that closet (with some spares and pull strings to the attic and crawl). That's where I have all our internet gear, phone hub, and TV antenna distribution setup. The raw wiring comes through the wall using one of the AV plates above, and then I ran it to the various pieces of equipment that sit on a shelf or are mounted to the wall.

I had a structured wiring guy give me a quote and he wanted about $500 for a special metal AV cabinet for the same purpose, and I kept trying to tell him "no, the whole closet is my cabinet". Why the heck would I spend big bucks on a cabinet that is hard to work in when I have this 4' x 5' closet I can actually stand in, it has a full size door for entry/exit, and I have power outlets there, a light, and shelving. He finally caught on. Of course he got the neighbors to pay the $500 for the dinky AV cabinet in their house, so I figure it must be a pretty easy money grab....

 

[s219]

Also, for streaming, ethernet is way way faster than wifi. So it's good to allow for running an ethernet cable to each TV. In our living room, I had to run a second ethernet (years later, which was a pain) because we use one for the Apple TV box and the second for a Sony smart TV. The Sony smart TV is a real pile of crap, with a lousy operating system, buggy behavior, and really dumb features, so I would skip that next time around and only use the Apple TV (or similar box). The TV just complicates everything else. I am sure someday that smart TV will be crippled by a software problem and stop working. I sure hope we can buy a regular TV when that day comes.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm not familiar with what an ethernet cable is or what it does? We have a wifi for our computers and the TV. Would an ethernet cable make it faster when watching TV? Most of the time it's good, but some times we have buffering issues.

 

[MoKelly]

I'm not familiar with what an ethernet cable is or what it does? We have a wifi for our computers and the TV. Would an ethernet cable make it faster when watching TV? Most of the time it's good, but some times we have buffering issues.

The Ethernet cable goes directly from your router (plugs into the router) to the TV. You need a Ethernet outlet on the back of the TV to plug the other side into. Newer TV’s have them. It delivers the fastest internet speed you can get from your system. No WIFI needed.

You will eliminate buffering with an Ethernet cable.

You can also use ethernet cables to plug directly into your computer making it faster.

The more devices you have on Ethernet cables the better your WiFi will be as there are less devices using WiFi. So, your phone and tablets should work faster.

Ethernet cables should also be run to appropriate locations when building - same as electric. But obviously you can run Ethernet cables anytime same as other wires.

Ethernet cables are also referred to as CAT5 or CAT6.

MoKelly

 

[kinglake]

The Ethernet cable goes directly from your router (plugs into the router) to the TV. You need a Ethernet outlet on the back of the TV to plug the other side into. Newer TV’s have them. It delivers the fastest internet speed you can get from your system. No WIFI needed.

You will eliminate buffering with an Ethernet cable.

You can also use ethernet cables to plug directly into your computer making it faster.

The more devices you have on Ethernet cables the better your WiFi will be as there are less devices using WiFi. So, your phone and tablets should work faster.

Ethernet cables should also be run to appropriate locations when building - same as electric. But obviously you can run Ethernet cables anytime same as other wires.

Ethernet cables are also referred to as CAT5 or CAT6.

MoKelly

Switching to ethernet is likely to have zero affect on the buffering. Most buffering is caused by your ISP limitations, not your home network. The reality is that wifi has improved so much that ethernet is now the exception versus the rule for internet.

 

[MoKelly]

Switching to ethernet is likely to have zero affect on the buffering. Most buffering is caused by your ISP limitations, not your home network. The reality is that wifi has improved so much that ethernet is now the exception versus the rule for internet.

Lots depends on where your router is located v. where your TV or computer is located. Distance and obstructions - walls, floors- cause WiFi issues. Ethernet eliminates those issues.

If you get buffeting using Ethernet, you are getting very very very slow speeds into your house. You only need about 5mpbs of speed to stream Netflix in HD.

MoKelly

 

[kinglake]

Yes, all of those affect wifi network speeds, however it takes a heck of a lot of degradation to get modern wifi to less than 5 mbps. The most common cause of buffering is your ISP and that buffering doesn't mean you have slow internet speeds. The ISP could be buffering Netflix (or other streaming platforms) directly. Likewise, its common with some providers, particularly DSL, for streaming platforms to buffer during high use times as the DSL network itself becomes bandwidth limited. None of that will be fixed by switching from wifi to ethernet at your house.

I do agree ethernet is better if you already have the cable ran where needed, but it is extremely rare that the effort to a new cable will fix any buffering issue unless you have bad/old networking equipment. In that case, you effort would be better served to upgrade equipment versus running cable.

 

[TnWV]

I will have wired connections in several spots, including one above kitchen cabinets for a second WiFi router. Main hub will be in the basement. All internet, phone and camera wires ran to one location. Phone and internet will be terminated on a patch panel. I set up network/phone cabling and systems for a while out of high school, so neatly running and terminating cables is something ingrained in my mind.

Finishing stuff up in prep for drywall has taken way longer than expected, still not done. The foyer has been a real pain, so much up and down scaffolding and repositioning. Not much left now though.

Today was a struggle due to an ice storm taking out power, came back on once, but only for an hour. Been working off the generator, but no connection on the new house, so could not use the house lighting, just an extension cord from current house powering tools and a movable light. Definitely thankful for gas heat today.

Our 1/4 mile driveway is solid ice, and with more ice coming overnight, I’m getting a bit worried whether I’ll be able to take delivery of the drywall material Wednesday morning. Time will tell.

My internet and cell service is running slow tonight, so can’t get pictures to load, I’ll give it another try tomorrow.

 

[TnWV]

Power is still out. Phone and internet were out this morning but came back on late afternoon. Another snow/ice storm moving in late tomorrow doesn’t help things. Could be without power for several more days, but I sure hope not.

Drywall is coming in the morning unless they change that before heading this way. Didn’t connect with the drywall guy today, so not sure if he will be on time Thursday or if the weather/fact I don’t have power, will affect when he gets started.

Got the house all cleaned up and checked a few more items off the to do list. Still a few things to get done, but I took tomorrow off work and should have no problem finishing up.

 

[TnWV]

Power came back on about 4 yesterday afternoon, happy to quit feeding the generator. Phone still out, but don’t really need that anyway.

I finished the last of the insulation, other than a few places on interior walls, and got a 30,000btu gas heater set up. With all insulation in place, the house heats up quickly with both heaters going, actually had to turn the bullet heater off when I started sweating this evening.

Drywall will be delivered first thing in the morning, I’ve been told. We’ll see if it happens or not. Still a lot of people without power and some roads closed as they continue to clean up the fallen trees. It seems just as they get it cleaned up, more fall. We actually got another 3” of snow last night.








I doubled the insulation up the walls of the foyer, laying R19 horizontally and R13 vertically.

At some point, I will blow insulation in the ceiling, I put the R30 up to hold heat in for finishing the drywall since it’s cold. I also wasn’t sure how well the blow in would stay in place on the cathedral ceiling. I put two layers of R30 on the cathedral portion. I’m hoping doing all that will lead to a fairly well insulated house. Time will tell.

 

[s219]

Boy, that wall with the arch window and front door sure has a lot of framing breaking up the insulation. We have a few walls like that in our house and you can feel they are a little bit colder in winter (even with spray foam and cellulose). Walls with dormers are particularly bad. Wood really sucks for R value. I hate to see it but can't do much about it when stick building.

There is a technique where you can frame walls like that at the next size up thickness (so do a 6" wall with 2x4) and either split or stagger the studs to create a thermal break between inside and outside walls. I haven't seen it done in person but have read about it in a couple trade publications.

 

[TnWV]

Boy, that wall with the arch window and front door sure has a lot of framing breaking up the insulation. We have a few walls like that in our house and you can feel they are a little bit colder in winter (even with spray foam and cellulose). Walls with dormers are particularly bad. Wood really sucks for R value. I hate to see it but can't do much about it when stick building.

There is a technique where you can frame walls like that at the next size up thickness (so do a 6" wall with 2x4) and either split or stagger the studs to create a thermal break between inside and outside walls. I haven't seen it done in person but have read about it in a couple trade publications.

Part of the reason it’s like that is I had a different window design in mind until I got the price for the window. I changed to a different window and had to frame up part of the opening.

Mostly it’s likely the fact that I didn’t plan that wall very well and built it in three sections. Downside to not doing everyday and having to figure some things out as I go, I guess.

 

[s219]

Part of the reason it痴 like that is I had a different window design in mind until I got the price for the window. I changed to a different window and had to frame up part of the opening.

Mostly it痴 likely the fact that I didn稚 plan that wall very well and built it in three sections. Downside to not doing everyday and having to figure some things out as I go, I guess.

Well, nobody ever thinks about insulation when framing, even pro framers. Maybe a green architect would try to plan it in, but nobody else thinks about it. The focus is usually on making the structure good and meeting local codes for wall shear, wind loads, etc, and then adapting to changes on the fly. There were some weird and expensive framing elements in our house that are only there to meet code, and then some other weird stuff that came about due to changes. All of that results in really poor insulation value in those areas. It is what it is, just hurts to think about it.

I have one corner in our upstairs hall bath where a dormer corner meets a load bearing wall. There is probably 12-16" (wide) of studs in that corner, so no insulation got in there at all. That is a chilly little corner in winter when someone has to sit on the throne... Would've been a good candidate for a small electric heater in the wall if I was thinking ahead.

 

[TnWV]

Well, nobody ever thinks about insulation when framing, even pro framers. Maybe a green architect would try to plan it in, but nobody else thinks about it. The focus is usually on making the structure good and meeting local codes for wall shear, wind loads, etc, and then adapting to changes on the fly. There were some weird and expensive framing elements in our house that are only there to meet code, and then some other weird stuff that came about due to changes. All of that results in really poor insulation value in those areas. It is what it is, just hurts to think about it.

I have one corner in our upstairs hall bath where a dormer corner meets a load bearing wall. There is probably 12-16" (wide) of studs in that corner, so no insulation got in there at all. That is a chilly little corner in winter when someone has to sit on the throne... Would've been a good candidate for a small electric heater in the wall if I was thinking ahead.

I’m sure I could have planned a few areas better for insulation, but after this last week, I’m pretty happy with how it’s holding heat.

When I start in the morning, I kick on the 30,000 btu heater and the 150,000 btu bullet heater. Once up to a good temp, I turn the bullet off. The 30,000 has kept me sweating all day after the initial warmup.