I’m getting real close to having the drywall put up on the new house (4 bd, 3000 sf) so I’m getting concerned about making sure I hit all the details before closing up the walls.
For one, it doesn’t look like we’re going to have speakers throughout the house, but I might consider them in the living room and den- where the TVs would be.
Here’s what I’ve done so far, so I’m looking to see if anyone can offer any other suggestions.
- Outlets everywhere- this was an obvious one.
- 2 Cat 5s and 2 Coax to every location we can think of plus an extra pair of coax at about 6 feet high for flat screen TVs
- Alarm wire roughed in.
- Double check all hubless drain fittings
- Nail plates everywhere, even if the cable is 1 1/4″ from face of stud. A 3″ cabinet hanging screw will go deeper than 1 1/4″.
- Openings roughed in for plumbing access panels
- Door chime wire roughed in.
- Photos of all walls for archive.
- Backing for towel bars, stair rail, etc.
Anything I missed?
Thanks!
Replies
How about nail blocking at the ends of the window headers for curtain rods. I I would assume that you have the deadwood at the wall top plates that are parrallel to the ceiling joists.
Speaker wire for surrond sound
Blocking for kitchen cabinets. Might assume that you know where things will be hung.
Run some 1-1/2" or 2" pvc pipe from the basement to the attic, for a future wire chase.
that way, if you forget anything, it'll be much easier to pull any new wires.
thats what I was going to tell you. If it's a large house, put one at both ends of the hosue. Basement ot attic. If there is anywhere available to run a 4" peice, put it in incase radon becomes an issue.
Don't tell me. Tell the OP.
<G>
We always run two, it has become known as the "just in case pipe"
Have a good day
Cliffy
Blocking for handicap support bars around tubs, toilets and showers.
Insulation?
Did you home run those cat-5 & coax to central location or string them between locations?
Yes, all the coax and Cat5 is homerun to a 42" structured wiring panel.
Thanks.
Inspections.
I would consider
1. backing for any tall baseboard, baseboard cap, and any deep crown moulding, especially at the corners.
2. backing at any location where you plan to hang a lot of pictures, heavy mirrors, flat screen tv, computer monitor, etc
3. backing around windows, doors and arches that extends at least to the edge of the trim mouldings
4. You may want to consider some sort of conduit (with a pull string if there are bends) for the next technology of wire. Phone companies are now starting to instal fiber optic. I am not aware of how that would affect home computer networks and tv hookups. Maybe some else can fill us in on that.
5. backing for shelving and cabinets (especially narrow cabinets) in kitchens, home offices, laundry rooms, etc
I'll second some empty conduit, strategically placed thru the house.
Time capsule?
buic
Just finished an addition and the owner asked me to run some empty 2" conduit from the rear of the house to the service panel in the basement just in case they decide to install a backup generator some day. $40 bucks worth of PVC may save them a few hundred in labor down the road, I thought that was a good idea.
As that wise old saying goes, "It couldn't hurt!".
Just be sure to cap the ends to stop any water, bugs, dirt, or gases from moving thru there...buic
I always go around the whole house with a jumbo magic marker. I mark the centre line of all the studs on the floor for future reference. I also mark all the plugs and swithes. That way when your rushing boarding crew cover them and forget to rotozip any out, you know where they are.
Have a good day
Cliffy
look at all your doors and put blocking where the knob will go through the drywall so maybe it will take a better hit when someone slings door open.
Before drywall, I like to mark the locations of all studs, notes on blocking height, locations of vertical supply/waste pipes, vents, etc. on the subflooring with a black or red lumber crayon. Don't forget to mask these marks if the painters are spraying the walls. Knowing where all the studs and utilities are located makes life a lot easier when you go to install baseboards, cabinets, etc. Doing a whole house might take an hour on your hands and knees but it is well worth the effort and the cost of a couple of lumber crayons.
Boric acid in the bays around the kitchen area?
If you are going to have speakers with volume controls on the wall, check the size of the control. The ones I used from Home Theater Direct were a VERY tight squeeze in a single junction box.
Make sure you measure carefully where your blocking is for towel bars etc.
Low-tech but it works..I ran antenna wire up to the attic and attached a dipole for the stereo receiver.
If you are doing an entertainment center you may need a heat exhaust fan since the receiver puts off alot of heat. I cut a hole in the back of the ent ctr and mounted it, and plugged it into my "Switched" outlet on the receiver so it always goes on/off with the receiver. Also, if your entertainment center has wood doors behind which you will have your components, a regular infrared remote won't work. I got a system that has an infrared receiver up near the tv, with separate infrared emitters stuck over the infrared receivers on each component. Works fine. Spend the extra bucks for full-extension glides on drawers for cds etc (I made my own after the fact) as well as pull-out shelves for the components. There are a ton of wires on these and it's a headache hooking it up.
Johnny
In addition to all of the great suggestions already offered, I would take a close look at ALL ducting to see if you may need to make any alterations before limiting your access to it. For instance:
1. Are you satisfied with the performance of your HVAC system. If not, there may be supply or return ducting issues that can be more easily addressed prior to rocking.
2. Have you made provisions to duct the range hood? Dryer? Water heater?
3. If a bulkhead will be needed somewhere, you'll probably find it a lot easier to construct it now than later. That includes any kitchen soffitts.
4. Don't forget the doorbell wiring. Also consider any future needs for exterior electrical such as security, landscape lighting, sprinklers, deck or patio connections, etc.
You're a wise man for soliciting feedback on this. The rough-in stage provides a lot of golden opportunities that are often overlooked.
New knowledge is priceless.
Used knowledge is even more valuable.
Take pictures of each wall before you insulate. Should some gremlin strike, it's much easier than remembering what was behind the drywall.
Thanks so far for all the great suggestions- I'm going to spend the weekend adding extra blocking for sure.
On the topic of speaker wire: First, we're not really audio/video buffs anf the TV's speaker has always been adequate for us. I was in a major electronics store yesterday looking at the in-wall speakers and just got a little scared thinking of ALL the wire runs and ALL the volume controls! Then, don't they all have to go back to a central location where you have a a master tuner/amplifier and all that other stufff?
The guys at work were telling me how great these new iPod docks are and how well they sound. In addition to that, speaker technology has improved over the years and you no longer have to have these monsterous tower speakers to get great sound. So what's wrong with a couple small bookshelf speakers here and there?
Frankly, I'm just tired. I really want to get the walls covered and get on to the finish work. After running all the electrical, and low voltage it's hard to fathom running another 1,000+ feet of anything!
"Frankly, I'm just tired. I really want to get the walls covered and get on to the finish work."
Boy, do I know that feeling. If I just had enough money left, I think I'd buy a camp stove and porta-potty and request a certificate of occupancy.New knowledge is priceless.
Used knowledge is even more valuable.
What juris said. Take hundreds of pictures of walls, ceilings, closets, everything. Take detail closeups of HVAC, central vac, plumbing and electrical systems, and anything else that you think may require attention down the road. Sort the pics in folders on your hard drive according to each room. You'll thank yourself repeatedly over the years.I've already had to rely on mine a few times and we've only been in the house for 1.5 years.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
I like to spread " Roach Pruf" or similar product on the bottom plates and on any horiz. fire stop, especially in kit. or bath areas. NOt a poison. the crystals are small enough that when a bug crawls thru it, it cuts apart his joints and he dehydrates. Works. Jim