Builders need to wire homes for Low voltage! Alarm, Speakers and Network. Get on it builders!!

Builders need to wire homes for Low voltage! Alarm, Speakers, and Network. Get on it builders!! Short video on the minimum wiring TDC does in our spec home projects.

[@admirableawesome2317]

looks really good! would love to see more of the way you do your electrical!

[@BlueNoteStan]

IMO, one outlet per room is not enough! People like to rearrange and wall mount TV locations are common enough these days to rough in. Also a rule of thumb we use in commercial low voltage that I never see the residential guys use is "If you're gonna run one, might as well run two." Run everything in pairs. I understand that the extra wire isn't free, but the cost of running it again after the fact is much higher!

[@purduepurdy]

Can you use schedule 40 connectors for like that panel when using ENT? Using 2" LDPE non-split and trying to figure out how to secure it to some boxes.

[@patelsandip00]

Great video! Which brand rough in speakers ring are you using?

[@theaterdesignco]

Origin Acoustics in this one. We use the Vanguard or Klipsch Rough in 90% of the time!!

[@NathanMendel]

Why not run 4-conductor wiring to the keypad locations, to allow for wider range of keypad devices (that have separate power & data lines)?

[@theaterdesignco]

Good point.

[@DW-ni4xb]

I rebuilt my trailer ran eithernet in my house finally got my brother finish putting keystone jacks together after a year I even ran a 200 foot cat 6 for one from my hub to my shed for a router Extender will be finally going that up soon so I'd I'm mowing my lawn wanna listen to music or something online instead using my data or wanna a bomb fire I can do that all and all I have almost 24 eithernet available threw or my 60 foot trailer lol over kill but you never know when might need a hook up lol

[@romr6824]

Looks great, now show me how you do a house built in the 50s

[@theaterdesignco]

Retro fit. Generally pretty easy if there is an attic.

[@kris7g]

Why did you zig zag the 16-2power wire? (At 1:46)

[@kris7g]

Well I found this online...I'm assuming this is why... " zig zag a bunch of extra wire back and forth across the space between the studs loosely stapling the wire. Do this so that the zig zag wire covers a fairly large area. You then have the opportunity to fine tune your exact placement of the drywall cut-out and still be able to easily grab the wire and pull plenty out. If it is an insulated wall you need to be sure to do this after the insulation is in."

[@theaterdesignco]

Correct. This is to future proof or if the customer does not know the exact location. Cheers.

[@elvysmedina9695]

What is the cost for a package like that???

[@theaterdesignco]

1200-1500 to wire

[@nicolascardillo7615]

I'm, sorry the electrical discussion is ok, but as a Civil Engineer, and a Subcontractor I couldn't stop looking at the "Doors n windows Headers" that have been laid in a horizontal way instead of vertical (except for the engineer been's shown in the background). I would really like to check the building code in Washington, to see how is that alow, but I have designed multiple projects in different states n this is the first time I see this. The Headers are sandwich like normally are on framing but placed sideways reducing the weight they are to hold by around 65%-90%

[@theaterdesignco]

Good point. I will ask the builder next time I see them.

[@Josh.1234]

I don't see any headers that are a problem. Not sure exactly which you are talking about. There are a good number of glulams in there which have sandwiched 2x4s in plank orientation but they are designed for their spans. All the load bearing exterior window headers were in beam orientation and some interior nonload bearing were plank headers over doors.

[@akiedablackie]

How much does a setup like this cost?

[@theaterdesignco]

I like to estimate at least 1.00 per square foot for rough in wiring. Cheers

[@uno7209]

@@theaterdesignco is that cost of the wire or both wire and labor? are rough-in boxes and terminations included in this estimate?

[@ajsdfk]

Been there done that. Buyers didn't even know what it was. Comcast didn't even hook up to it. Waste of money.

[@theaterdesignco]

I would equate this to not putting electrical outlets in the home!!!

[@BlueNoteStan]

Some installers are either told to only run new lines for "warranty purposes" or they just assume it was a high voltage electrician who ran the wires, and the installer doesn't trust that the electrician knew what they were doing. That they either ran them wrong, used staples and didn't care about kinking the dielectric, or ran the wrong gauge/type of wire. Tbh, when I worked for Dish I saw all of those possibilities and for me, as long as the gauge/type was right and tested fine, I was happy that someone pre-wired it for me! The biggest problem I ran into was there being only one line to each room. For most rooms this was okay, but for the love of Pete, please put more than one coax in the living room! Living rooms get 4, MINIMUM! Two wires in two locations! Cable companies can bring their TV and internet down one line, but when a customer has internet through Spectrum or Comcast or the like and then they want satellite service, whichever company comes second has to run a new line (spoiler alert, it usually gets screw-clipped along the siding 🤮). None of these service providers are paying their guys to fish your wall, most will charge the customer for that service but give very little (if any) incentive to spend the time doing it properly.

[@crabkilla]

Murphy's Law says that if you didn't do the work, the buyer would have passed on the house because you didn't have it.

[@kevinstenger4334]

I disagree. Builders need to quit pretending they know what people will need and where. The building industry moves a snail speed in comparison to technology and homes are in use fo many many years without opening up walls and ceilings. Instead of wasting money and materials for runs that will never be used we should be installing ENT (smurf tube) all over the house from the data panel so installers can easily install whatever is needed anywhere in the house. My house is only 5 years old and had fiber run to the house and yet the builder ran coax all over the house that will NEVER be used.

[@theaterdesignco]

Conduit for sure. This video is really explaining builders need to pull for technology. Cheers.

[@gregmckinley5178]

Running conduit in the house is the way to go. Builders are cheap and do not want to add much. Make sure to run conduit in from the service box outside to the distribution panel. The distribution box in the video is to small. It needs to be bigger for more stuff with a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Builders think these boxes are wonderful, they have no room for growth. I have see a lot of home owners remove the these boxes.

[@saidyakhyoev7411]

Amen..

[@patrickbellefleur5508]

Yes ! They are running fiber straight to the modems now, so if you have finished walls/ceilings that will be a nightmare down the line. Also the days of using wired connection is dead, hardcore techies/gamers don't even use wired. Don't get me wrong the contractor/installer did a great job, but as you stated alot of this stuff does not match reality unless the client explicitly wants these items.

[@ZackMeetsWorld]

@@patrickbellefleur5508 wired is more reliable and faster. only poors use wireless.

[@doveshouse]

A permit for low-voltage come on that is craziness.... You're under 120 right?

[@theaterdesignco]

Makes sense Lots of trades doing terrible wiring up here in the NW

[@doveshouse]

@@theaterdesignco so in this case it's less of a safety thing than it is a "I want to check that you did it right" thing?

[@theaterdesignco]

@@doveshouse Most likely a money things with the state but there are some great inspectors who are actually making sure the work is done right.