# Networking a house



## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

My wife and I took the plunge and are buying our first home. It's a brand new single story but "lacks" stuff I want/need. I was planning to install an On-Q/Legrande type control center in the master closet and run Cat5e to every room and additional coaxial as well. I've worked with plenty of these in existing installations but I've never actually installed one myself. Has anyone done this and are there and tips or tricks I ought to know before I bring out the ladder and saws?


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## DriftLife (May 27, 2011)

Plan well.
I had to do this where I live as well.
I ran the wires outside and hide em the best I could.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm very familiar with outside runs but I don't want to do that.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Ladder?? Are you on a slab?? (The house.....not you!! That just didn't sound right.....:laugh


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

It's on a slab yes but I'm doing everything as wall drops to avoid running lines along the house. Gonna be playing in the attic.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Pick the locations in the room well before running the wires avoid insulated outside walls as much as possible especially if the house has a vapor barrier in it, dropping them down is pretty easy, best advice I can give you is to use plastic wall boxes they're a lot more secure then just using a cover plate screwed to the wall.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I've done walldrops before and I'm not planning to use any outside walls because of the difficulty of dropping lines near the edges of the attic and because my house does have moisture barriers. Each drop will be on an internal wall with boxes mounted to studs. This isn't some cheap job, this is an upgrade!


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

I've used the plastic existing work boxes before, the ones with the wings and screws to tighten them up, they work well with out having to make a hole big enough to get to a stud.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Don't beat yourself up by trying to attach a box to a stud....."old work" boxes work rather well....just don't get sloppy when cutting the hole. I just checked Home Depot.......98 cents for a single gang. The old work "bracket" (no box) is $1.28. When you tighten the mounting screws the wings swing into the correct position. 

I checked other methods and they are more expensive but not better. Leviton makes a LV wall bracket ($1.59) and in days of old we used "Madison Clamps".....but that was for metal boxes. Could be used for plastic if the box has plaster tabs........but then you have to buy the clamps. Too cheap to go with the old work boxes.....they are ready to go.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

When I was a cable installer we used metal brackets that just bent around the sheetrock. When compressed with channel locks they made for a rather solid mounting point for cat 5 and coaxial lines without the need for a box or a stud.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

That's the Leviton bracket I mentioned at $1.59 each......I have some on hand (I think) and used them often. Electric suppliers may sell them cheaper if you buy the cable and ends at the same time. Most home improvement centers sell junk at high prices......buying in bulk at a wholeseller used to mean great savings but I have not done that in years. My daughter recently purchased a complete entry (door, jambs, 2 sidelites) and saved $350 by staying away from a home improvement center and going to a standard lumber yard at my request. I went with her and got the price for a cheaper unit at Lowes and then called one of my former suppliers and got a better unit far cheaper.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm digging through Leviton's site but the way they present products is terrible! I'd love to get this stuff as cheap as I can but I don't want to have to buy 200 to save a few cents per unit.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Here's the ones I've used > Amazon.com: Thomas & Betts #B120R SG Old Work Box: Home Improvement


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Buy a Leviton 1-Gang Wall Mounting Bracket - R02-C0224-000 at The Home Depot is what you are talking about.

But for 98 cents they offer Carlon 1-Gang Non-Metallic Old Work Box - B114RB at The Home Depot

$1.28 will get you Carlon 1-Gang Low-Voltage Old-Work Bracket - SC100RR at The Home Depot

Could go a little higher but you don't need the extra cubic inches Carlon 1-Gang 20 cu. in. Electrical Old Work Box - B120R at The Home Depot

C.I. only deals with 110V and higher.....14ga needs 1 ci per unit and 12ga needs 1.25 ci per unit. Device counts as 1 unit..... all conductors count as 1 unit whether they are coming or going. All that matters is if they enter the box.......don't want to do any crowding. 

Low voltage does not need any type of box......at least in this area according to the last NEC and local code I looked at.


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