[ccobb123]

I'm currently doing a complete remodel of my two story home. I've been reading a lot of the posts on AVS and I was wondering if anyone has any changes or recommendations to my low voltage plan before the electrician starts tomorrow. I plan on installing SONOS:AMP's in the Kitchen, Master bedroom and bathroom, and Patio. I will also be installing a 5.1 system in the "man cave" with a projector. All of the wires for the various systems will be ran back into a rack in the mechanical room that also houses the furnace and water heater.

Here's the complete list:

4 CAT6, 2 Coax from the mechanical room to the Kitchen desk for Printer, iMac, Phone, AP

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from the mechanical room to the front entry closet for AP

3 CAT6, 2 Coax, 1 HDMI from the mechanical room to TV in Master bedroom (1 CAT6 for IR - cable box will be in mechanical room)

4 CAT6, 2 Coax from computer room to mechanical room

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from guest bedroom to mechanical room

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from bedroom 1 to mechanical room

2 speaker wires from the Kitchen, Master bedroom and bathroom, and Patio to mechanical room

5 speaker wires from man cave to the mechanical room for 5.1 surround sound

1 HDMI and 3 CAT6 from the projector to the mechanical room (1 CAT6 for IR, 2 for extra)

1 RCA cable from man cave to the mechanical room for subwoofer

1 smurf tube ran from mechanical room to storage area next to man cave for future upgrades

 

[XJBaylor]

I'm currently doing a complete remodel of my two story home. I've been reading a lot of the posts on AVS and I was wondering if anyone has any changes or recommendations to my low voltage plan before the electrician starts tomorrow. I plan on installing SONOS:AMP's in the Kitchen, Master bedroom and bathroom, and Patio. I will also be installing a 5.1 system in the "man cave" with a projector. All of the wires for the various systems will be ran back into a rack in the mechanical room that also houses the furnace and water heater.

Here's the complete list:

4 CAT6, 2 Coax from the mechanical room to the Kitchen desk for Printer, iMac, Phone, AP

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from the mechanical room to the front entry closet for AP

3 CAT6, 2 Coax, 1 HDMI from the mechanical room to TV in Master bedroom (1 CAT6 for IR - cable box will be in mechanical room)

4 CAT6, 2 Coax from computer room to mechanical room

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from guest bedroom to mechanical room

2 CAT6, 2 Coax from bedroom 1 to mechanical room

2 speaker wires from the Kitchen, Master bedroom and bathroom, and Patio to mechanical room

5 speaker wires from man cave to the mechanical room for 5.1 surround sound

1 HDMI and 3 CAT6 from the projector to the mechanical room (1 CAT6 for IR, 2 for extra)

1 RCA cable from man cave to the mechanical room for subwoofer

1 smurf tube ran from mechanical room to storage area next to man cave for future upgrades

That looks pretty thorough.

Number one thought is instead of running so much extra wire spend more of that money on conduit to the major locations. Go ahead and run what you need (cat6 x2/HDMI/coax) and then have the smurf tube to really be future-proofed. 2 coax for an AP location is also way overkill. A single cat6 and a tube, or a pair of cat6 will be more than enough. Just make sure they leave a pull string in the surf or you will be cussing at the electrician down the road.

For the subwoofer I'd recommend just running whatever coax you are using elsewhere, as well as a 14/2 in case you have any interest in using an in-wall, or other passive subwoofer.

If you are considering an automation system in the future, or something like a Launchport, drop a cat6 in a couple of locations that you might desire a touch panel. Kitchen, ingress/egress points and master bath would be the most popular locations.

Any plans for automated lighting? Now is the time to get multi-switch banks reduced to single keypads if you are into that sort of thing. On the same line of thinking you could prepare to hide thermostats and use remote temp sensors for a clean look.

Make sure you consider your DMARC locations as well (ensure you have good wire for getting services into the house from the outside world.)

Finally, if you have ANY interest in doing additional work in the yard you could stub out some wires where you can easily get to them down the road. A couple of 4 conductor speaker wires, a coax and a pair of Cat6 would give you a ton of options down the road.

That's all I can think of right now, good luck, it sounds like you will have plenty of wire in place.

EDIT: I might also run a cat6 or two to the front doorbell location for an intercom or camera.

 

[ccobb123]

Number one thought is instead of running so much extra wire spend more of that money on conduit to the major locations. Go ahead and run what you need (cat6 x2/HDMI/coax) and then have the smurf tube to really be future-proofed. 2 coax for an AP location is also way overkill. A single cat6 and a tube, or a pair of cat6 will be more than enough. Just make sure they leave a pull string in the surf or you will be cussing at the electrician down the road.

I've already purchased 1000ft of CAT6, Coax, and 14/2 from Monoprice, so the cost of the wire isn't an issue. I'll ask the electrician what the cost of extra smurf tube would be because I agree that it's smart for future-proofing.

If you are considering an automation system in the future, or something like a Launchport, drop a cat6 in a couple of locations that you might desire a touch panel. Kitchen, ingress/egress points and master bath would be the most popular locations.

I'd love to be able to install touch screens, although the rest of my family isn't so keen on the idea of touch screens everywhere. I may still run CAT6 to some locations just in case I can convince them in the future.

Any plans for automated lighting? Now is the time to get multi-switch banks reduced to single keypads if you are into that sort of thing.

We will for sure do automated lighting in the man cave, but any other sort of AL will be sparse. I will hopefully be able to install Insteon switches in the place of our normal switches, but we'll see.

On the same line of thinking you could prepare to hide thermostats and use remote temp sensors for a clean look.

I was planning on installing the Nest thermostat for our HVAC. The master bedroom will be getting A/C and heat, and according to our HVAC guy, it will have to be on a completely separate system from the rest of the house. (The rest of the house doesn't have A/C). Do you recommend I install a Nest for the master and a Nest for the rest of the house? I don't have much experience with HVAC, but the Nest is appealing because my family would like to control the HVAC remotely.

Make sure you consider your DMARC locations as well (ensure you have good wire for getting services into the house from the outside world.)

The coax coming from Comcast looks to be RG11. It has been dug up in the process, so I am afraid that it might get cut accidentally. If it were to be cut, hopefully we wouldn't have to run a new cable because I believe it runs under cement and through our landscape.

Finally, if you have ANY interest in doing additional work in the yard you could stub out some wires where you can easily get to them down the road. A couple of 4 conductor speaker wires, a coax and a pair of Cat6 would give you a ton of options down the road.

We plan on re-doing the yard a couple of years from now, so I think we'll wait to do extra cabling until then.

Thanks for the help.

 

[SMHarman]

WAP should be in the center of the home b

 

[ccobb123]

WAP should be in the center of the home b

I'll have 4 Ubiquiti AP's placed in different locations around the house. The front entry closet is close to dead center on the first floor.

 

[SMHarman]

I'll have 4 Ubiquiti AP's placed in different locations around the house. The front entry closet is close to dead center on the first floor.

How many sq ft.
What constricton type.
4 could be a lot.
Thought with brick or a sprawling ranch 4 may be necessary

 

[jautor]

I was wondering if anyone has any changes or recommendations to my low voltage plan before the electrician starts tomorrow.

Not a lot of time for review!

Run a cat5e/6 line to a switch-high location in each of your audio zones to allow for a keypad. Bury the wire behind the wall and document the location with photos if you don't want the blank plates showing.

Add sufficient wiring for local (in the room) sources in your theater - do you really want to go to the central closet to drop in a Blu-ray disc?

 

[SMHarman]

Man cave sub should have coax for the mechanism room run.

Drop 7 or 11 speaker Ch to the cave for ATMOS.

 

[ccobb123]

Not a lot of time for review!

Run a cat5e/6 line to a switch-high location in each of your audio zones to allow for a keypad. Bury the wire behind the wall and document the location with photos if you don't want the blank plates showing.

I ran over to the house today and talked to the electrician. He still has some other wiring to do, so he won't start low voltage until Wednesday next week. I'm seriously debating whether or not to run CAT6 to potential keypad locations. I don't see my family using anything other than Sonos and systems like Control4 and Crestron seem too expensive for our use.

Add sufficient wiring for local (in the room) sources in your theater - do you really want to go to the central closet to drop in a Blu-ray disc?

I thought about this, but the mechanical room shares a wall with the theater, so it's easy enough to access when need be.

 

[ccobb123]

Man cave sub should have coax for the mechanism room run.

Drop 7 or 11 speaker Ch to the cave for ATMOS.

I forgot that you could run a sub over coax, so I purchased a 50ft RCA audio cable for it. I'll make sure i'll add enough wire for a 7.2 system for the future, too.

 

[jautor]

I'm seriously debating whether or not to run CAT6 to potential keypad locations. I don't see my family using anything other than Sonos

If Sonos announced a wall-mounted controller, would your answer change?

(hypothetical, but the point is wire for potential and the future!)

 

[ccobb123]

If Sonos announced a wall-mounted controller, would your answer change?

(hypothetical, but the point is wire for potential and the future!)

Touché. I'll talk to the electrician about adding some extra CAT6 in the walls. Is 1 enough for each potential keypad?

 

[jautor]

Touché. I'll talk to the electrician about adding some extra CAT6 in the walls. Is 1 enough for each potential keypad?

Yes, there's really nothing that should force the use of more than one cat5e at a keypad - and since that's the CEA standard, a manufacturer would be crazy to do something different.

 

[SMHarman]

If Sonos announced a wall-mounted controller, would your answer change?

(hypothetical, but the point is wire for potential and the future!)

Sonos would never create such a product.

 

[XJBaylor]

I've already purchased 1000ft of CAT6, Coax, and 14/2 from Monoprice, so the cost of the wire isn't an issue. I'll ask the electrician what the cost of extra smurf tube would be because I agree that it's smart for future-proofing.

1000 ft won't cut it with the number of runs you are talking about. Up a 10ft wall + back down + service loop on both ends + the actual distance between the two drop locations. Besides that, one box would be a nightmare to work with. If you have a drop with 3 cat6, than you need at least 3 boxes of cat6 so that you can make a single pull. Otherwise you will have a pissed off electrician that will be cutting corners just trying to get it done.

If it indeed your sparky running the wire make sure they don't make parallel runs with their romex. This happens all the time, and it is hard to fix if it causes interference issues down the road.

At least give yourself wire for a LaunchPort in the kitchen. One of the most convenient tech items of the last few years.

 

[XJBaylor]

Sonos would never create such a product.

Ah yes, the "Russian iPod."

 

[ccobb123]

Update

The electrician came last week and ran all the low voltage. Here's a couple of photos of some of the runs. I'll continue to update as things start to come together. I do plan on running a couple of CAT6 myself to the permitter of the house for security cameras.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[MACINTN]

It looks like your electrician does neat clean work.To me that means he takes pride in his craft even though most of it will be covered up by sheetrock.Thats nice to see.