Attic my third home.....

Ya know, I would think that builders these days would be savy about computers. They use them daily. So why is it that they don't put in network wiring when they do the phone and coax wiring? Do they assume that everything will work using wireless. NOT!! I have just spent the past two weeks crawling around the attic through the mounds of cotton, identifing where wires, water pipes, wall headers and the like.

This house had no wiring to speak of, there were three wires sticking out of the bricks outside to bring telephone into the house. Two were cat5 and one was cat who knows. The cat5 wires went to phone jacks in the kitchen and the master bedroom. There were 4 coax lines there as well, one to each bedroom and the entertainment center. When AT&T installed our DSL service they put a box on the house and terminated the three wires for phone service.

After hours on the phone with AT&T, I ended up with the DSL modem connected to the phone line in the kitchen. Centrally located yes, good place, NO.

From the kitchen, I proceed to string up wires using pvc utility poles to provide network access to the various areas that I needed service. Bedroom, Family room both ends, master bedroom.
Along with these wires I decided to put my dvr security cameras up to evaluate the location I wanted to place cameras. So now my home is starting to look like a ruarl road with wires running everywhere.

There are lots of devices that want to chat on the internet for updates etc., not to mention my computers. I decided to make my network center in the master closet. It is where the security alarm system is centered and there is a phone line there so I can connect the DSL modem. Behind this wall is the family room entertainment center. Also this was the place I determend I wanted my security cameras. They can see the entry doors front and back.

I cut a hole 14+ x 14+ inches for the wiring box for my network. I got a good look at the dropped ceiling area over the entertainment center. It was a nice area wide open for wiring. I took advantage of that and installed 4 network drops in the entertainment area. I could also mount my cameras and run the wires through this area. A great start for networking.

It took two days to get my dsl modem to work correctly in the closet. I ended disconnecting the wires running to the kitchen and master bedroom to get the service stabilized. While I was at it I tied the wires from the kitchen and master bedroom together to use as a network drop between the two. One of those, I did it because I could, for no particular reason.

After several weeks of having wires strung around the house with pvc pipe holding them out of the way of a certain grandson and some old folks shuffeling feet, It was finally time to get wires in the walls and disassemble my temporary wiring.

I scanned for studs in the walls, I think I used two batteries in this process. I was amazed and dumbfounded to find fireblocks between every stud. This is not normal where I lived for 35 years. I finally decided to drive over to another community where my builder was actively building. I wanted to see what a house in the tooth pick stage looked like. Maybe it would answer some questions. I found one and jumped out of the car and camera in hand started snapping pictures. I was half way throu the house before I realized that the floor plan was our house. I slowed down and started taking more detailed pictures. Since these are cookie cutter houses, I figured it would be worth while.

Early the next morning, like 4 AM. I was going thru the pictures using an application that allowed me to quickly zoom to 100% and even 400% size. I was evaluating the structure. The more I saw the more I wondered if I could get wires inside the walls in some places. I finally had a plan in my head and had made enough trips to Lowes, Home Depot and Frys to collect enough stuff to do the job, I THOUGHT.

My plan, after consulting friends around the country, was to place some plywood flooring around the attic so I could make many trips with ease. I purchased 4 4x8 sheets of ply wood and had them ripped into 2 x 8 sheets. It took me one whole day to get all that into the attic. I was thinking 16 inch centers and 8 feet long would work well. I then found out that our house is built with 24" centers, not 16". I proceded to rip the 8 foot boards to 4 feet. A lot easier to manage when in the attic.

I took a simple broom and started moving the insulation out of the way. New problems arrise. Power wires run over the top. Putting plywood down would pinch the wires, I was not going to do that. So back to the hardware store. I picked up some strips of wood to place on the rafters so the wires would be protected. Now I start laying my yellow brick road. Very slow going. lots of hazards along the way. Can lights in the kitchen were the first. I had to shift my path about 12 feet into the process when I ran into an AC duct. Fortunately the AC ducts are attached to the rafters so I could go under them. Several days later, I finally reached my primary destination, the closet in the master bedroom. I had already cut a hole in the wall and mounted a box to hold all my nice wires.

Another handy recommendation from my cool friends was to poke a wire through the ceiling where I needed to run wiring. This worked great. I put 4 wires through and when I got into the attic I started spotting the wires. It made my job of finding wall headers and drilling a lot easier.
The work begun but still I was concurned about the ability to get wires down the walls with cross bracing. My first hole was into my box. No problem there as the box is mounted at the ceiling.

Now the fun begins. The easiest wire to run is in Cameron's room. It backs up to the master closet. I cut a hole in the wall to mount a low voltage wiring frame. I sat a lamp next to the hole hoping that when I drill the hole in the attic I would see light. I stretch over from my yellow brick road and drill a hole in the header. Light was visible, but not directly. The stud in the wall half way up was there. I figured I would have to use a long drill bit extension to drill through the block. I put it in the wall but never hit the stud. This was baffeling as I expected it to be 4 feet below me. My drill shaft was 5' long. I pulled it out and then put in a rod that was 10' long. it went down until I had 2 fee showing. I was at the floor. I put my wire down the hole and it went down 8'. Piece of cake.

Now the challenging holes were to come. Across the family room where my computer desk is setup and down the wall in the master bedroom is for the tv in there. The master bedroom has 3 walls which are outside. Fire breaks and insulation for sure. The 4th wall is full of doors and other stuff. After studying the pictures above, I though I may have a chance in the corner of the inside wall but it meets a hip joint in the roof so space would be limited. I pre-cut holes in the walls for the wire termination, made my way across the attic to the remote areas using temporary plywood steps and was able to get the wires down the walls. It is amazing how the insulation seems shallower then before I started.

It took days but finally I was able to tear down my utility poles in the house. I have one more drop to pull in the guest bedroom. I have two more security cameras to install for the outside so my work is on going.

The house is returning to normal slowly and now I can start thinking about my next mission, should I choose to accept it!