From Issue #2 , Page #48

A structured wiring system can plug you into a garden of digital delights.

There are few legal things you can have more fun doing than planning your new home's structured wiring system. It is exciting, because you anticipate what you will use the system for: lighting control, communications, computer networking, energy management, kitchen inventory, appliance automation, home entertainment, security, even helping to care for family members.

It's a "snap" to work with your new home plans, and to determine the places where everything will be located, both now and into the future. Pre-cabling, before the walls go up, is always the best way to install a structured wiring system. Moreover, cost and value are important, no matter what the budget is.

The Wired Web According to the Federal Communications Commission, homebuilders are legally required to install at least a minimum grade of data cable in every new home! Not so long ago, the term "structured wiring" was used only to describe something in offices and industrial buildings.

Today, we use the term structured wiring to include the modern ways that devices can connect in a private residence. In fact, structured wiring is a bit of a misnomer, because it implies that wiring is the sole element. In reality, a "structured wiring system" has three main parts: an enclosure, the cabling and various multi-port outlets.

Cables & Jacks
Certain services such as digital cable, high-definition TV (HDTV) and the like require high-performance cables to allow full access throughout the house. Most systems include RG-6 coaxial cable for TV and video distribution. This looks similar to the round kind of cable used to hook up TV sets and small satellite dishes. Coaxial cable comes in several types and sizes. The best kind of RG-6 has four shields (so-called "quad shield") and can carry signals well into the microwave frequencies. This assures that the cable will be useful for many years to come. Quad-shield RG-6 is sold at home improvement stores, and is made by many cable manufacturers, including Belden. You will also need Category 5 or better twisted-pair cable for telephone and data. Cat 5, 5e ("enhanced") or Cat 6 provide high-speed characteristics needed for moving digital data, voice, and video signals around the home. Cat 5e is sold on easy-spooling 500-foot cardboard reel boxes at home improvement stores, and costs just pennies per foot. Recommended wiring consists of two Cat 5 cables (Cat 5e is preferred, and Cat 6 is starting to pop up as well), and two RG-6 quad-shielded cables.

Plan for jacks (also known as multimedia outlets) to be installed wherever you might add a telephone, security sensor, gaming device, entertainment product, or computer. Each one can be customized to suit your special needs. They are truly universal.

For jack locations that require more than one coaxial and/or Cat 6 cable, some manufacturers make and sell "hybrid" cables that include one or more of each type of cable. This means that the installer has to pull only one main cable to each location, which will save you a tremendous amount of labor costs.

With a structured wiring system, things like whole-house audio, advanced security systems, high-speed computer networking, energy management, and even an intercom all move from the family wish list to an exclamation of "How did we ever live without that?" Structured wiring allows different systems to interact. For instance, when actions occur in your security system, it can trigger lighting, and so on.

Wrapping Everything Up

A structured wiring system, for the typical home, consists of wiring for voice, video, and data, brought from all the places in the home where you need to provide such connections, to a central location where equipment can be installed. The distribution panel, or enclosure, works like a switchboard. Outside services such as cable TV, telephone service, and the Internet enter the panel and are distributed throughout the house.

The equipment at the central location (the wiring closet) depends greatly on what is connected and how much functionality you expect from your system. Typically enclosures come in sizes ranging from 12 to 42 inches high. If you want a better idea of what some enclosures look like, check out your home's circuit breaker panel.

Usually, a 4-by-4-foot closet with some kind of positive ventilation will suffice. It is also desirable to have a wide, louvered door with a lock on the wiring closet, to allow for secure access, as well as proper airflow. Don't forget to allow for adequate space, power outlets, and cooling at this central location. If you don't have the space for such a closet, you can also install a simple enclosure between the studs in a basement or garage wall.

Where the Wild Wires Go
Take a look at your house plans: you can see that every room has a main purpose and a likely location for people and furniture. This is the "well kept secret" of wire planning: go where the people will go, and put in the jacks while you're there. You can never go wrong with this simple, common-sense method.

Ironically, you know right away where some kinds of cabling will not be necessary, because not every place in the home needs both types of cable (or any at all). For example, it is not likely that someone would want to install a satellite TV receiver in a formal dining room (except a real sports nut!). In the same way, you generally do not need many data or TV jacks in a clothes closet.

In other cases, some spots in the house might need wall jacks that sport both types of cable connections. An example of this would be the location where an entertainment center would be located.

Entertainment devices are a special case in structured wiring. It is wise to plan for two coaxial cables where each stereo and TV set will be located, in addition to two Cat 5e jacks. For entertainment centers, often two of these 4-cable jacks are handy. The coaxial cables can be used to deliver signals to the entertainment system and then transfer those same signals to other areas in the home. Alternatively, a video setup might have a mini satellite dish feed as well as a feed from the cable TV lines. These sorts of connections require separate coaxial cables, so you can quickly see how pairs of them can get used up. If you also have an FM stereo radio in the same entertainment center, a third cable could be used to connect it to an antenna dedicated to picking up your favorite station.

Calling In a Pro
These advanced cables can be installed by an ever-increasingly knowledgeable pool of wiring contractors (or by the homeowner; see the sidebar). It's easy to find an experienced and recommended wiring contractor for your new home's structured wiring system.

How do you know who is a reputable installer, or how to contact them? Perhaps the same electrician who is wiring your home for power outlets has had training or other experience with structured wiring installation. If not, he or she will certainly know of other local contractors who specialize in such work.

Your builder or general contractor will also have a list of local experts who can take care of the parts of the job that you decide will be done by the pros. Smarthome and other specialty dealers maintain lists of accredited installation contractors. You can also check ElectronicHouse.com for more information on installers in your area.

The "Adaptable" Home
Bruce Gutman, president of WireTracks, agrees with industry experts that even a small investment can add significantly to the living experience. However, you also need to make sure your investment is always up to date. "Technologies change; you do not want to end up with a house full of 8-track tapes," Gutman says. "So, build an adaptable house."

The "adaptable" house, as Gutman calls it, is one where "you can consider technologies you do not yet know of." Gutman is frank about the situation that his customers describe: "What you want is something you actually learn after the walls are in." With the WireTracks product, a change in how a room is used or in the kinds of cables needed to support new functions (such as a high-definition TV display) no longer renders the structured cable system of the room obsolete.

Gutman says the words he hears most often from his security-minded customers are "Gosh, I should have planned a video camera hookup there!" Adding a cable for a new camera would be a snap with the WireTracks system. Hidden behind the home's floor trim board, WireTracks is a horizontal cable "raceway" that allows simple and fast wiring retrofits without major renovations.

A brief word about wireless devices is in order. Today, "wiring" does not always mean you need a physical wire anymore. Many telephone, computer, and entertainment devices are wireless, or are going that way. That doesn't mean you can get away with no wires, though; even a cordless telephone has to plug in somewhere. Some new cables will be needed to help support the cable-less part of the structured wiring system.

Wires or Not—Here We Come!
It is very difficult to estimate costs for a structured wiring system in a new home. Industry experts peg the installed price at between one and two percent of the construction cost of the home. The wide variance accounts for the many different choices a homeowner may elect when finalizing his or her plans. Factors in the price are, of course, the number of outlets, the quality of the cable, jacks, and installation, the size of the central wiring location and its amenities, and the number of cables terminated. You can save money by running all the cables you will ever need, but terminating only those you need right away. It is possible to cut the price significantly by doing the labor yourself; many homebuilders do not allow this, though, so check first.

For an existing home, a good rule of thumb is to budget $1 per square foot.

Remember to enjoy the planning process for your new structured wiring system. Consult all your family members about what they might want in the new home, and be sure to talk to others who have also done some similar work. Swap ideas and experiences, and savor the results when you move in and find that living in your new home is more carefree and enjoyable than you had ever thought possible.

The Trifecta
System: Structured Wiring
Benefits: Share control, audio, video, computers and more—making your home more comfortable, enjoyable and safe.
Estimated Price: 1–2% of the home’s selling price if installed during construction. In an existing home, estimates often run around $1 per square foot.

Wiring Manufacturers
The best place to start is at the source!

AMP NetConnect
www.home.ampnetconnect.com

Belden Electronics Division
www.belden.com

Channel Vision Technology
www.channelvision.com

Digital Security Controls
www.dsc.com

Elan Home Systems
www.elanhomesystems.com

GE Security
www.ge-security.com

Greyfox Systems Inc.
www.greyfox.com

Honeywell/FutureSmart
www.futuresmart.com

Leviton Manufacturing
www.leviton.com

Mulitplex Technology, Inc.
www.multiplextechnology.com

On-Q Home
www.onqhome.com

Superior Modular Products
www.superiormod.com

Unicom
www.unicomlink.com

UStec
www.ustecnet.com

DIY: Do It Yourself
Nearly one in five of our readers will elect to do 100 percent of their planning and installation themselves, according to several industry pundits’ comments. If you are planning on staying in your home for keeps, a big benefit of this is that you will be able to add, move, and change your cabling as you need to, without calling in the installer.

Today’s do-it-yourselfer has a far easier time than their peers of just a few years ago. He or she had to trek about town for days, finding local sources of wiring and hardware. Nobody sold everything in one place, either. The security company had some, and the telephone contractor store had others, and the electrical supply shop clerk—well, he would know the homeowner by name.

Internet stores, like those at Smarthome, asiHome, Worthington Distribution, and others, help get you the specialty parts you need. The wiring bits and pieces, and even the great tools to make the job go easier, are found at your local home improvement store. Many of these same stores stock pro-grade tools, cable, and wiring accessories such as jacks, patch panels, and conduit (Carlon brand “smurf” conduit is our favorite!).

All this can mean that your DIY installation will be at par quality with one done by professional installers. That is, it will be—if you are handy with the tools and cabling. If this is your first time, you may want to enlist the help of somebody who has done it before, or get one of the several books and video guides on the market. It can be quite overwhelming, as well as hazardous. Whether you “un-roll” your own, or get the local pros to do it, good luck. And, remember to enjoy all the planning, installation, and benefits of your new wired home!