pre-wiring a new home

[clueless]

I'm looking at pre-wiring my new home (the drywalls haven't been put up yet) for an alarm system and/or cat5 cables. Any recommendations on how I would go about this or if this is even necessary?

A lot of people are mentioning that i can forgo the alarm pre-wiring, and just install a wireless alarm system. Any comments?

[hugh_da_man]

Did you ask your builder? My builder wouldn't let me in to do any pre-wiring.

If I had the option I'd run cat5e/6 and cable to every room and I'd run all the alarm system wiring as well (although I think the builder is running all the alarm system wiring anyways).

I wouldn't limit myself to only a wireless system when I could have my choice in the future.

[OldFortYork]

I'd go with a wired alarm system, and install Cat 6 cable.

[Keigotw]

I'm looking at pre-wiring my new home (the drywalls haven't been put up yet) for an alarm system and/or cat5 cables. Any recommendations on how I would go about this or if this is even necessary?

A lot of people are mentioning that i can forgo the alarm pre-wiring, and just install a wireless alarm system. Any comments?

Builder usually pre wire for alarm

I run Cat6 cable in every room before the dry wall was put in

[davebert]

You should have at least 1 phone, 1 cat5e and 2 RG6 cable outlet per room. During my basement renovations I ran 3 cat5e for phone and network and 3 RB6 cable per outlet. Here are the connectors that I used and my home made patch panel.

[BuildingHomes]

If you have the option, do it.

If you need assistance on how to do it right, please feel free to PM me.

[fogo]

What about sound?

I'm selling something that you might be interested in?

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/s...34#post7082134

Make me an offer?

[bfr]

My security guy says it's still advantageous to go wired for security.

Same thing for the reliability and speed potential of your network.

I agree with the above post, with the awesome homemade panel, about cables to run if you have the option.

[loudsubz]

Always go wired for an alarm if you can. Wireless batteries need to be changed, and sometimes if a transmitter goes bad and you don't have wireless check in supervision enabled, you might not know when a device has gone belly up. Wireless motions tend to be crap as well, since they take naps once in awhile and you can basically walk right by them without setting it off.

If you need any help let us know. We do home automation as well as all low voltage assemblies for your home/office etc.

[loudsubz]

If you want to rough it in yourself, just go to home depot and buy a box of 24/4c, (24 awg, 4 conductor) QUAD as they call it.

This is adequate for every part of the alarm system (contact runs, power from transformer to panel, phone to alarm system, etc).

Drill all your door contacts with 3/8" bits and move the bit in and out to make sure the hole is nice and clean. Position the door contacts on the front side of the door so you can utilize a magnet sytle, and not a plunger switch (mechanical).

Rough in for a keypad, motions, and any windows. Also run 2 pairs to the attic in case you want to add anything extra down the line.

[plymouthhater]

If you want to rough it in yourself, just go to home depot and buy a box of 24/4c, (24 awg, 4 conductor) QUAD as they call it.

This is adequate for every part of the alarm system (contact runs, power from transformer to panel, phone to alarm system, etc).

Drill all your door contacts with 3/8" bits and move the bit in and out to make sure the hole is nice and clean. Position the door contacts on the front side of the door so you can utilize a magnet sytle, and not a plunger switch (mechanical).

Rough in for a keypad, motions, and any windows. Also run 2 pairs to the attic in case you want to add anything extra down the line.

Well said.

Here's another suggestion:

Run a 1" piece of poly pipe (black plastic lawn sprinkler pipe) from each room you wish to prewire to the basement down inside of an exterior wall. Why exterior walls? They always line up, interior walls may not. Terminate the pipe at electrical socket height on the wall. Go and buy "plaster rings" from an electrical supplier. Plaster rings are the front plate of an electrical box with no box. Basically the space between the studs becomes your defacto electrical box. For electrical wiring (110v) this is a NO NO but for pulling coax, ethernet, telephone wiring in the future this works great. You put a blank faceplate over the plaster ring cutout where the sprinkler pipe terminates. In the future if you ever want to pull anything to a room - simply drop a piece of string with a couple of nuts or washers for weight on tied to the end. The string falls down to the basement. Tie your wire on in the basement and pull the wire up and into the room.

[GTT1]

You should have at least 1 phone, 1 cat5e and 2 RG6 cable outlet per room. During my basement renovations I ran 3 cat5e for phone and network and 3 RB6 cable per outlet. Here are the connectors that I used and my home made patch panel.

Can you explain what Cat5e and RG6 is used for. Is it networking cable and TV cable?

[jnette]

Can you explain what Cat5e and RG6 is used for. Is it networking cable and TV cable?

Cat5e is for phone/networking and RG6 is for satellite/cable tv

[clueless]

Well said.

Here's another suggestion:

Run a 1" piece of poly pipe (black plastic lawn sprinkler pipe) from each room you wish to prewire to the basement down inside of an exterior wall. Why exterior walls? They always line up, interior walls may not. Terminate the pipe at electrical socket height on the wall. Go and buy "plaster rings" from an electrical supplier. Plaster rings are the front plate of an electrical box with no box. Basically the space between the studs becomes your defacto electrical box. For electrical wiring (110v) this is a NO NO but for pulling coax, ethernet, telephone wiring in the future this works great. You put a blank faceplate over the plaster ring cutout where the sprinkler pipe terminates. In the future if you ever want to pull anything to a room - simply drop a piece of string with a couple of nuts or washers for weight on tied to the end. The string falls down to the basement. Tie your wire on in the basement and pull the wire up and into the room.

That's pretty cool ...
but i'm worried about the builder not letting anyone "officially" into the house. Has anyone just gone into the house on a weekend to do the wiring anyways? will the builder rip it out or make me take it out?

I knew that cat5 could be used for internet, but could it be used for other things (like home monitoring and hooking a video camera up to the internet?)?

[loudsubz]

cat5e is so universal it can be used for many different applications, so you can't go wrong with using cat5e as a fail safe for future "plans"