House

[StoneHeartFarm]

RobS

As long as everybody else is jumping in with last minute suggestions, here's a couple of mine.

1. For your phone/video lines "leviton" makes a "structured media" panel that basically is an empty breaker box that you bolt different componets into for connecting phones and TV/stereo, alarm, etc. The boxes and components are available at Home Depot. I used 2 boxes, one for stereo/video and one for phone. That way an electrical surge is less likely to bridge from TV to phone/computer lines.

2. This one is on my "if I ever do it again" list. Wire every over head light with a 3 wire lead. That way if you ever decide you want a ceiling fan at that location, you can have a single wall switch that will control both functions independently. Besides, who knows what cool stuff will come out next year that will need the extra wire?

SHF

 

[RobS]

SHF, thanks for the tips. I saw something similar the other day and will be checking out all the options for phone/network/alarm/cable etc. That is one of the things we intend to handle ourselves /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cedarranch]

Is it just my poor eyesight or are your porch posts leaning? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Nice job!

 

[Mike_Dumond]

Love that porch. When do I move in?????/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

RobS

Leviton's website also has downloadable books on phone wiring (home and commercial) and the various standards (CAT4, CAT6, etc). It will tell you how to treat the wire for the type of installation you want, as well as which wire, etc you will need. The info is free and comes in Adobe format so it prints beautifully. Even if you go with another manufacturer's boxes and plugs, the info is nice to have. If you want the link, I've got it around here somewhere.

SHF

 

[DocHeb]

Try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.levitonvoicedata.com>Leviton Voice and Data</A>. Leviton products for voice and data are carried by Home Depots in Southeast Michigan.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

That's the place! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I must've printed 60 or so pages from there. Came in real handy, even when I had to hook my 4 pair wires up to the phone company's 2 pair box. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

SHF

 

[paccorti]

Rob,

You have a great looking house, I went the Victorian route myself (with a bit of farmhouse thrown in). I'd also suggest that you run multiple (at least 2 coax RJ6 to each TV location). If you are on satellite for tv, the coax will only carry 1 signal from the sat to your tv. If you want Tivo (or any capability to watch one thing and record something else simultaneously) then you'll need multiple coax. I'm also under the impression that HDTV uses two coax? Anyone know for sure?

Also for phone wiring, I had every jack run individually to the basement. There I bought two 24 port patch panels (with 110 punch downs). 1 patch panel handles phone line 1 the other handles phone line 2. With RJ45 connectors on the Cat5 wires I can now switch any phone jack from phone line 1 to phone line 2. With a little more work, I'll be able to have each RJ45 outlet be either: phone line 1, phone line 2 or ethernet (I have a 5 port 100mbit switch). In my personal opinion some of those modular wiring panels (for the basement) are over priced for what you get. I spent probably only $120 on my two patch panels and I have WAY more capacity than any of the modular units that I saw. All my coax run directly to the dish. Let me know if you need more detail.

Peter

 

[RobS]

Peter, SHF, DH, thanks. Looks like some very useful information that I will definitely be tapping into.

Isn't this board great /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MDNY]

Rob, Nice house, nice model. We are getting ready too, if our builder will just get us our upgrade pricing so we can finalize. Fortunately for me work in IT Sales so alot of the wiring stuff I can get the material for alot cheaper cost than my builder and if I have to get some of our techs at work to help me out on the weekend. My builder uses CAT5 for the phone, but doesn' t have a clue that you can split the pairs and use the others for the data side (a selling feature he doesn't understand).

I wanted to look at poured walls vs block, but can't find any buiders in my area (that are realisticly priced) that do it, and I know that the cellulose insullation is better, but again no one really is doing it around here. The scary part that tells me I should run is my builder actually said that they don't use it because it is flamable, hmmm, that is odd, then why would it be so widely used.

We are hoping for an early April ground breaking, but with no numbers in sight, weeks over due and no calls answered (I hear a new builder coming soon) I wonder if we will ever get it started.

I will put up pictures of ours as we get the final draft of plans next week.