BUILDING A HOME
Building Considerations
If you are building a home, you probably want to plan it for home electronics, now and in the future. Here are some simple things to consider:
- Will you want music around the house?
- Will you have a computer or more than one computer?
- Will you have TV via antennae, cable, satellite or all of these?
- Will you want room-to-room control?
- Will there be adequate telephone jacks?
- Will there be a home theater (surround sound)?
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Is paging, door answering a consideration?
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Would you prefer one set of controls for lighting, temperature, music, video, etc?
Lots of decisions to be made. However, these decisions are typically not high on the priority list of a new home owner during the early stages of building a home. Thinking about the modern conveniences of home electronics is sometimes put off until it is too late or at the very least much more costly. If you examine a few of your preferences before the drywall goes up, your electronic “after life” can be a lot more fulfilling.
The Possibilities
Most people’s thoughts on home electronics are limited by their knowledge of what is possible. Here are a few thought-provoking possibilities:
- Different Music in Every Room
- Answer the Door from the Phone
- Mute Music when Phone or Chimes Ring
- One Set of Controls…That’s Really Cool
- Keep an Eye on the House
- Great Video and Better Sound
KNOWING WHAT TO ASK
Knowing What to Ask From Your Builder
Most builders are not electronic specialists. They care more about home construction than about home systems. With this in mind, be aware that most builders focus only on TV and telephone outlets and their placement. You will have to make an effort to communicate to your builder that you want to bring in a specialist
that will help design specific systems in your home. We have been working closely with builders and architects for over 13 years.
TV & Telephone Wiring Outlets
TV and telephone outlets should be home run to a central location (that is, each wire should terminate at a common central point). This facilitates easier changes in the future and provides the purest signal quality. For telephone, ask for data grade, category 5 wiring. This will serve your internet requirements better. For TV, the RG-6 or Quad 6 cabling is superior and carries a higher bandwidth rating as well. Some people often ask about fiber optics. This cable is generally more expensive and competing standards do not necessarily make it a wise choice. With the great number of coax and telephone wired homes, the best bet is CAT5 and RG-6.
Beyond TV & Telephone
Many wise homeowners think ahead and make sure that, during the building process, future capabilities are taken into consideration. Audio wire, lighting control wire, door stations, cameras, automation and local networks are all possibilities. Wiring for them may be the best money you spend on the “infrastructure” of the home. This is where you will need to make sure you have a wiring specialist to ensure success. Taking the time to map out these possibilities is well worth it, but don’t delay… the framers are moving quickly!