Wiring your new home

If you're working in a new home, you'll need to work your wiring project into your builder's schedule. In this section, we'll offer suggestions on working successfully with your building and provide step-by-step tips on installing cables in your home.

Will your builder let you work on the site?
Don't assume that it will be OK with your builder for you to work on "your" construction site. If you don't have any experience working on a construction site or with low-voltage wiring, your builder might not want to risk potential delays. What if your work is inspected and found unacceptable? All of the other subcontractors will be delayed while you fix your work. Also, some builders may have insurance policies that prohibit unlicensed or uninsured subcontractors from working on sites they supervise.

Speak sincerely to your builder about your determination to do a good job. Some custom builders and a few tract-home builders will allow a home owner to do the work, provided you guarantee you will not delay or interfere with other contractors.

Your role on the construction site
The construction schedule puts your A/V installations in a narrow time frame. In the early stages of house construction, weather can delay a project. Likewise, circumstances may make the schedule go faster than planned. Keep in close touch with your builder to avoid unpleasant surprises. House construction proceeds in stages. Here's how we think you should schedule your work around the builder's tasks (your steps are shown in bold):

• Foundation
• Framing and roof
• Plumbing rough-in
• Electrical rough-in
• Audio, video, and Ethernet pre-wiring and rough-in
• Rough-in inspection
• Insulation installation
• Drywall installation
• In-wall/in-ceiling speaker grilles and frames — install them now if you want them painted
• Paint
• Plumbing and electrical trim out
• Audio, video, and Ethernet trim out — install wall plates, controls, in-wall/in-ceiling speakers
• Floor installation
• Final inspection (all holes, boxes, and brackets must be closed)
• Move-in
• Install and hook up A/V components

You'll want to install all A/V wires after the electrician has finished pulling AC wires. This is critical, because you should avoid electrical wires as much as possible. After the AC power wires are run, the electrician may still be on-site for a day or two installing switches and terminating. If your builder is on a tight schedule, you may have to work while the electrician is still on-site. Sometimes your builder may be able to delay the next stage until the following week, giving you the weekend to work.

Working successfully with other trades on the site
You will find the subcontractors on the job site much more cooperative if you follow some simple guidelines while you're on their turf. Remember, they make their living by completing their work on schedule.

• Try to work in rooms and areas where no other work is going on.
• Keep your tools, ladders, and extension cords organized and neat.
• Don't borrow tools from subcontractors.
• Clean up after yourself. Bring a broom and dustpan to sweep up any wood shavings and debris you create.

Pre-wiring your house, step-by-step

1. Bring all your tools, parts and wire into a room that's not occupied by other workers. If you're installing cables in a single room that other people are working in, you should wait for them to finish if you can't easily work around them. Try to set up near a hallway or entrance. That makes it easier to measure out your lengths of wire, and tape them into a bundle to pull them all at once, if necessary.
2. Using a large, bright felt pen or crayon, walk through your room or house and mark the locations of all your rough-in brackets, outlets, and controllers according to your wiring plan. It's important to be thorough and systematic with this step, particularly if you're installing a multi-room system. Start with the most distant room and work your way back "home," to where your main audio/video system will live.
3. You and your helper can split up and start drilling holes and installing boxes and brackets. Drilling can be tiring, so if you have lots of holes to drill, switch from one task to the other periodically.
   When you have a long run of holes to drill through studs or joists, use a laser level or snap a chalk line against the face of the studs or joists to line up your holes perfectly. As you drill, work backward so that you can always see the holes you just made. Lined-up holes make pulling wire much easier. Always drill in the center of the stud or joist and at least 1-1/4" away from the edge.
   In-wall controls are usually located 44-48" off the floor. They will look best if you measure and match the height of your wall switches. Don't attach low-voltage boxes to light switch boxes. Wall plates and outlets are typically aligned with the AC wall receptacles (12-18" off the floor).
4. Installing hole-saving brackets for in-wall and in-ceiling speakers and controls saves work later and allows you to position the speakers relative to door and window frames and lights. Using a laser level or snapping a chalk line from light fixtures helps you align ceiling speakers with lights.
5. Now it's time to measure, cut, label, and pull the wire.
   • Start with the longest runs first, while you're fresh. As you tire, the wire runs will get shorter and easier. On the other hand, if you're unsure about estimating wire lengths, start with the short runs first. As you gain confidence, start pulling the longer runs.
   • Pace out the wire lengths according to your previous calculations, and take this time to double check your measurements. Measure your wire run by pacing it (where one pace is approximately two feet). Count each floor-to-ceiling run as four paces. Allow at least three extra paces at speaker ends, two extra paces at volume controls or wall plates. Total your paces.
   • Pace off the distance from your spools (or coils) of wire and place a marker (you may have to walk out into the yard on long runs). Pull one wire from a spool to the marker, and then cut. Label each end of the wire for source and destination before pulling it, or before cutting another wire.
   • Don't try to pull wire right off the spool. It will not save time.
   • To pull more than one wire through a hole at once, first bundle the wires with electrical tape at the leading end. Stagger the ends, so that the bundle gets progressively thicker.
   • Don't pull too hard. Stretching the center conductor and/or dielectric can damage your wires. Carefully move the wire bundle to the starting point for your run. Have your helper keep the wire from getting hung up as you move it. Feed the wire through the holes and pull it to your destination. Whenever the wire binds, stop pulling, find the point of friction, and ask your helper to ease the wire past that point as you continue pulling.
   • Don't kink the cables or attempt to make your corners tight. Cable should not be bent sharply. Kinks or tight turns can change the electrical characteristics of the cable and negatively affect performance.
   • When running wire in a basement or attic crawlspace, don't just lay the cable on joists. Fix cable brackets or hooks every 4-1/2 feet.
6. Once the wire has been pulled, you must dress it.
   • Support the wire within 1 foot of a J-box or P-ring. At each bracket, J-box or P-ring, dress at least 4 feet wire, leaving it looped just inside, or secured to the stud or joist.
   • It's better to use wire ties or clamps rather than wire staples, since wire staples are more likely to compress the wire and hurt the performance. Wire ties should not be over-tightened. It's important that nothing you do changes the shape of the wire.
   • The drywall will cover up your wire, so photograph or measure the location so that you can find the wire after the drywall is up.

Dress at least 4 feet of speaker wire in a loop at each J-box or P-ring location, securing it with wire ties.

• Affix a nail plate to any stud or joist with a wire closer than 1-1/4" from the face of the stud or joist.
• Wrap the ends of each wire with plastic bags and tape to prevent moisture from entering wires. Wire can rot from paint and plaster moisture. Make sure labels are protected.
• Inspect every room twice. Drywall installers will cover up everything you've done, so take pictures of any concealed wiring and make careful notes. Clean up each room, check that you have everything you came with, and head home for a well-deserved rest.

Once you've completed the wiring, you may still need to make up to three separate installation visits to your new home over the next few weeks, so stay in touch with your builder. (See LINK your role on the construction site.)

Now, we'll look at what's involved in routing in-wall wire in a finished home.