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jbcg
join:2001-09-15
Milwaukee, WI
| reply to DrewC
Re: Best way to wire an old house w/out attic
said by ninjatutle  :Try wifi. Heh heh. That would be easiest, wouldn't it? But, of course, in a 3-story house, wi-fi probably isn't going to propagate satisfactorily without using multiple APs, and those multiple APs are going to have to be (you guessed it) wired.
You could use repeaters but that can get into a lot of rocket science for a not-too-satisfactory outcome. And there are actually a number of other very good reasons to hard wire a house.
First, if you're going to go to the trouble to wire rooms, I would definitely wire at LEAST 3 drops (1 cat5e for phone and two for network) to each room that's used on a regular basis (excluding, perhaps, bathrooms). It's just as easy to pull 3 cables as 1 and it helps future-proof your house. I've regretted it every time I've ever run only 1 or 2 cables into a room. There are web cams, second phone lines, multiple PCs, TVs or other devices that require firmware updates via Ethernet, content adapters for TV and sound and on and on.
Second, I'd go to the trouble to map out the floor plans in Visio or just with graph paper. This helps you determine where there might be chases, where you want to put each drop termination, how each floor (and its walls) overlays the other floors, where there might be infrastructure (like high-voltage power lines, for example) that would interfere with your cable plant, etc. And it helps you determine how much cable you'll need to buy. This doesn't have to be a highly formal process--you're just documenting stuff ahead of time that you're going to learn the hard way otherwise.
Finally, once you get your drop terminations mapped out and (hopefully) find a chase to go from floor to floor, start working the problem of how do you pull each drop. I'm willing to bet the first floor won't be terribly difficult because you have a basement or cellar (right?); start with that one. The top floor might have some kind of unused space behind kneewalls or above the ceiling. Once you get cable to that space, it's easy to pull to where you want to terminate it.
The second floor's the toughie because it has finished space above and below. You have a number of options. Consider whether there is a chase or "stacked" closets (a second floor closet over a first floor closet where you could pull and surface-mount cable without it being visible). If those aren't available, you might consider using holes left around water or waste pipes (NOT steam pipes, though!), a forced air duct (of course, make sure you use plenum-rated cable if you have to go this route) or other penetrations. Another option is a stairway. Sometimes the undersides of stairways (whether finished or not) provide a nice chase. You could also mount the cable to the outside of the house in a real pinch. Make sure you use UV rated exterior cable, and cover it with something--a metal cable chase, PVC pipe, etc). Routing outside is a last resort as you'll have an increased hazard of lightning strike to your system, plus the possibilities of air and water leaks, appearance issues, etc.
Whatever you do, don't route category cable alongside 110v or 220v cable. Try to keep them at least a full stud bay (16" with two studs) apart, but in a pinch, 12" of air will do. Try to cross high voltage cable at a 90-degree angle.
So now you've got the cable onto each floor. From there you have to decide how to route it to its terminations. Is appearance terribly critical? If not, you might consider plastic baseboard races for surface mounting. If it is, map out the direction the ceiling and floor joists go--that'll tell you how easy it will be to fish cable thru the ceiling or floor to get it from wall to wall. It may also be possible to hide cable behind baseboards (remove the baseboard and cut a groove in the back of the baseboard or in the plaster to take the cable, then be careful where you nail when you put the baseboard back!) or crown molding. You can also route cable unobtrusively on the surface of the wall inside a closet. You might find that opening a small, easily repaired groove or hole in a wall helps to get the cable around a tight spot.
Once you get to the stud bay where you'd like to mount the termination, it's an easy matter to fish it thru the wall (on an interior wall, at least!). If you're dealing with exterior walls, insulation may pose a challenge that you can deal with by careful manipulation of fish tools.
No matter how you route it, be very careful of your bend radius. I try to keep at least a 1" radius on ALL category cable, but with Cat 5e (that's what I'd use) you can go tighter if you must to accommodate plastic baseboard races, etc. Just don't kink it. And don't pull the cable with more force than the mfr specifies. (I try not to exceed 30 lbs of pull force.) Cable lubricant can help here.
Tools required? Fish tapes--you'll need at least two and possibly a fish pole or two. A long, flexible auger bit that can be inserted into a wall plate cutout to make holes in wall plates (the bottom or top 2x4 that holds the wall studs together) and studs and even to penetrate insulation sometimes. I have several 5' bits (3/4" and 1/2" dia.) that I use regularly . A good set of regular auger or spade bits. A stud detector comes in very handy, as does a "mirror on a stick" (dental-type mirror available at just about any auto parts or hardware store). A couple of rolls of nylon string are great for pulling cables one after the other or several at a time. Two or three rolls of electrical tape--used to attach cable to string or fish tapes/poles. A really good flashlight. Stepladder and step stool. Rotozip or Dremel tool with plaster and wood cutting bits to make wall openings. Plus all the wiring tools (punchdown, strippers, cutters, etc) you need to complete the job.
I've done this job several times and it takes a lot of patience and resourcefulness, but I think it's worth it.
Good luck!
Joey | |
no_one
@qwest.net
| said by jbcg :said by ninjatutle :Try wifi. Heh heh. That would be easiest, wouldn't it? But, of course, in a 3-story house, wi-fi probably isn't going to propagate satisfactorily without using multiple APs, and those multiple APs are going to have to be (you guessed it) wired. You could use repeaters but that can get into a lot of rocket science for a not-too-satisfactory outcome. And there are actually a number of other very good reasons to hard wire a house. First, if you're going to go to the trouble to wire rooms, I would definitely wire at LEAST 3 drops (1 cat5e for phone and two for network) to each room that's used on a regular basis (excluding, perhaps, bathrooms). .................. I've done this job several times and it takes a lot of patience and resourcefulness, but I think it's worth it. Good luck! Joey Pull a couple baseboards. Run some wire in the ceiling between floors. A little hole to patch here and there on problem areas. Honestly, I would never have that patience. Just get some wire neatly between the floors and go wireless. As soon as you get the jack in that perfect area someone rearranges the room and the jack that was perfect is on the opposite wall. All the time and effort was now wasted. So to me just get some nice neat cable between the floors good hints already given and go wireless. Just plan the between floor runs so if you ever wanted or needed to you could use them later to expand the wiring. | |
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