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Home Wiring &
One of the most important things to consider when you build, is Home
Wiring. We have all become accustomed to electrical conveniences, which
have now become necessities, in the modern home. |
Home wiring should be approached like any other aspect of Home Building, by first planning. Planning your home starts with a good set of plans, which will include an electrical wiring detail, for the home.
Go to House Plans for more details.
Once you have your plans you need to review them, and make sure you a satisfied with the electrical layout. Sit down with your family, and decide, what you will need in each room, and on the outside of the house. I am not suggesting you re-engineer the electrical system. What I am suggesting is, you make a list of things you may want. Consider, additional plugs, phone jacks, cable runs for tv, alarm etc…. Are you going to need ceiling fans? Maybe, a Jacuzzi on the porch, or in the bath that needs an outlet? Make notes and get a plan of what you want now. Why?
Because now is the time to plan so you can put the wires in the wall. I know I have said this many times on this site, but it is so important! Planning is the key to a great house, with fewer headaches.
It is a good time to review the Structured Wiring Page. It will help you understand how the Structured Wiring approach enhances your communication systems.
Now you have a good list of what you want and need in your home wiring
system. You can now take the plans and your additions (or subtractions
from the plans), and get bids from electrical contractors, on your home
wiring. If you want more information on selecting a electrical
contractor and bidding, go to the
Building Contractor page.
I would like to go over a few important points, that pertain to
your home wiring. You now have selected your electrical contractor, and
all your paperwork is out of the way. If not go to the
Legal Page
and review it.
You need to meet with your Electrical Contractor and discuss the project. Do this face to face. Firm up your dates as closely as possible, for electrical contractors part of the construction.
The first thing you electrical contractor is going to need to do, is
put in a temporary power pole. This pole will have plugs for the trades
(contractors) to plug into. It should include at least two 220 volt
plugs, for the framers air compressors, and at least four 110 volt
plugs, each of these should have their own breaker. Why? Because they
will plug everything in the world into the outlets, overload them, and
then the breakers trip, until they overheat, and shut the job down.
Build extra capacity into the power pole up front, and avoid having the
electrician come back, and add it later! I have included a picture of
mine below. Sorry about the quality. I must have been asleep that day.
The electrical contractors next visit will be to put in any wiring to go in the foundation. I have included a picture before we poured below. You will notice conduit running under the rebar, and coming up through the slab to be. This is another reason to plan carefully, once they pour the concrete, it is very difficult to put in wiring that must go through the foundation.
What wiring does this include? Good question! It includes, plugs that
will go to kitchen islands and floor plugs etc…. Essentially, anything
you cannot run through the walls, or overhead in an attic or crawl
space. Sorry, I got carried away here is the picture (you will notice my floor plug boxes for my greatroom in the back where they are pouring):
The next time the electrical contractor comes will be after the framing is up to do the rough in home wiring. This is essentially everything that goes in the walls. I have included a picture below:
After the electrical contractor has finished the rough home wiring, you should check and see, that all receptacles, switches and device boxes are where they should be. In other words, is there a light switch box, wall outlet, light fixture box etc… where it should be?
Take your home wiring detail pages of your plans, and walk out the entire house carefully. Take your time, once the walls are sealed up, it is too late. Not really, but it is no fun tearing out the sheet rock!
One other thing that you need to do at this stage, is mark on the slab with spray paint, or a big magic marker where every electrical box is. This includes every light box, wall receptacle, or anything else that you need access to after the sheetrock, or wall covering is up. Why? Because the sheet rockers will put wallboard right over some of them, and not cut the holes out. When this happens, and it will, you just look at your mark on the slab, and you know they missed cutting it out.
After the sheet rock is up, and your wall covering paint or whatever is done the electrical Contractor will come back and top out (finish) the home wiring. They will put in all the switches, receptacles, lights and other goodies you have agreed on.
For more information on Home Wiring go to the
Home Wiring Knowledge Center.
For more Information on Building Your Own Home Go to Our
Building Knowledge Center.
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