New media room, garage, and house entrance... What gadgets should I install?

[Scarpozzi]

SO....I started this project in April. I tore out my carport concrete with a jackhammer I bought on eBay. I hired a guy with a bobcat and an excavator to dig out the carport to make a 2 feet deep crawlspace and I built a wood floor where the carport was, put in a bay window..... 30x30 garage and 600+ square foot upstairs bedroom.

All of this stuff is unfinished and I'm not starting on the electrical this week.

I'm decided to run 100 amp service to the attached garage from my main breaker for a sub panel to simplify that wing's electrical service. I'm going to run some RG6 coax for my satellite service and to relocate my cable modem/wifi access point to better cover the addition.

I started thinking about other things. Should I put in a RJ45 patch panel and setup VOIP devices throughout the house? I've thought about having an intercom system, but don't know how much we'd use it. Most of the house is one level, but my wife either yells for me or texts me on my cellphone. I think it'd be cool to have an intercom in a few of the rooms and perhaps one where the doorbell is.


I'm also thinking about wiring my smoke detectors together and wiring my media room for surround sound.


Are there any other things I should consider?

 

[MiniDoom]

kegerator!

 

[Juddog]

SO....I started this project in April. I tore out my carport concrete with a jackhammer I bought on eBay. I hired a guy with a bobcat and an excavator to dig out the carport to make a 2 feet deep crawlspace and I built a wood floor where the carport was, put in a bay window..... 30x30 garage and 600+ square foot upstairs bedroom.

All of this stuff is unfinished and I'm not starting on the electrical this week.

I'm decided to run 100 amp service to the attached garage from my main breaker for a sub panel to simplify that wing's electrical service. I'm going to run some RG6 coax for my satellite service and to relocate my cable modem/wifi access point to better cover the addition.

I started thinking about other things. Should I put in a RJ45 patch panel and setup VOIP devices throughout the house? I've thought about having an intercom system, but don't know how much we'd use it. Most of the house is one level, but my wife either yells for me or texts me on my cellphone. I think it'd be cool to have an intercom in a few of the rooms and perhaps one where the doorbell is.


I'm also thinking about wiring my smoke detectors together and wiring my media room for surround sound.


Are there any other things I should consider?

That sounds like a pretty ambitious project; got any pics?

 

[Scarpozzi]

kegerator!

I already have 2 taps that are going in the garage.

 

[Scarpozzi]

That sounds like a pretty ambitious project; got any pics?

My driveway used to have 30, 80ft pine trees lining it. The first step was to remove those...
Here's the picture of my driveway after the trees were gone:

Foundation work:

Supporting the roof to lay footers/block:

 

[natto fire]

I would just pull a bunch of cat6 wires or put PVC conduit to allow adding more low voltage wires to key areas. Make sure not to run any of the low voltage wires parallel to the high voltage ones to minimize interference, especially the #2 copper or single aught aluminum wire you are going to need to feed your sub panel.

I'm assuming you are pretty much done with the flooring, because radiant heat flooring is the only other thing I could think of for things to do while everything is exposed.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

japanese sex chair

 

[Thebobo]

You need in in house bunker for the end of the world!

 

[Kaido]

New media room, garage, and house entrance... What gadgets should I install?

Monoprice has a great 5.1 system for $250, just add receiver!

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=10565&seq=1&format=2

Doorbots are shipping next month for $199 - webcam for your doorbell:

http://www.getdoorbot.com/

And a Lockitron smartphone-controlled deadbolt controller while you're at it:

https://lockitron.com/preorder

A lot of people like HTD's Lync system for intercom & whole-house audio:

http://www.htd.com/Products/Lync

If you want to get into smarthome stuff, INSTEON has a Smokebridge adapter that works with First Alert ONELINK smoke detectors and can alert your smartphone when there's a fire:

http://www.smarthome.com/2982-222/INSTEON-Smoke-Bridge/p.aspx

You can install some power outlets with built-in USB charging ports:

http://www.newertech.com/products/power2u.php

HP has a 21" Android Tablet out for $399 that you can use for a family calendar, looking up recipes, etc:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/new-products/slate-21-aio.html

What gadgets should you install? How much money ya got?

 

[Juddog]

I would just pull a bunch of cat6 wires or put PVC conduit to allow adding more low voltage wires to key areas. Make sure not to run any of the low voltage wires parallel to the high voltage ones to minimize interference, especially the #2 copper or single aught aluminum wire you are going to need to feed your sub panel.

I'm assuming you are pretty much done with the flooring, because radiant heat flooring is the only other thing I could think of for things to do while everything is exposed.

^^ Co-signed; install the conduit pipes now so that you can install anything else you want later on, whether that be CAT6 / speaker wire / HDMI cables, etc..

 

[Scarpozzi]

Monoprice has a great 5.1 system for $250, just add receiver!

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=10565&seq=1&format=2

Doorbots are shipping next month for $199 - webcam for your doorbell:

http://www.getdoorbot.com/

And a Lockitron smartphone-controlled deadbolt controller while you're at it:

https://lockitron.com/preorder

A lot of people like HTD's Lync system for intercom & whole-house audio:

http://www.htd.com/Products/Lync

If you want to get into smarthome stuff, INSTEON has a Smokebridge adapter that works with First Alert ONELINK smoke detectors and can alert your smartphone when there's a fire:

http://www.smarthome.com/2982-222/INSTEON-Smoke-Bridge/p.aspx

You can install some power outlets with built-in USB charging ports:

http://www.newertech.com/products/power2u.php

HP has a 21" Android Tablet out for $399 that you can use for a family calendar, looking up recipes, etc:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ads/new-products/slate-21-aio.html

What gadgets should you install? How much money ya got?

AWESOME reply. Thanks. I don't have much money left because I'm still building. I just want to make sure I do what I need to while the walls are open.

 

[Kaido]

AWESOME reply. Thanks. I don't have much money left because I'm still building. I just want to make sure I do what I need to while the walls are open.

Like Juddog, install big conduits. That way you can expand as much as needed in the future. Are you using 2x6 framing, by any chance?

The nice thing is, a lot of those links are budget-oriented items. Instead of paying $50,000 for a Crestron system, you can spend a few grand and get a fabulous intercom/whole-house audio system. Or buy the Monoprice speakers instead of paying $2,000 for a Bose system. Lots of nice, budget-minded options out there!

 

[Kaido]

AWESOME reply. Thanks. I don't have much money left because I'm still building. I just want to make sure I do what I need to while the walls are open.

I don't know if you're extending your HVAC system, but I'm a huge fan of Mr. Slims and recently helped a buddy install another one on his house:

http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/en/consumer/product-solutions/product-showcase

Similar idea to a swamp cooler, but doesn't have to sit in a window. The new H2i units can pull warm air from -13F outside temperatures, so you can get relatively inexpensive heating AND air conditioning, per room, via remote control. I think his DIY cost was around $1600 per unit plus tools.

You can also get ceiling fans with built-in speakers, so you don't have to run individual speakers to every room:

http://www.amazon.com/Hunter-21623-5.../dp/B002O15PK8

Lots of crazy options out there! All depends on what you want to do & how much you want to spend

 

[Scarpozzi]

^^ Co-signed; install the conduit pipes now so that you can install anything else you want later on, whether that be CAT6 / speaker wire / HDMI cables, etc..

I don't think I'll need to run conduit at this point. I've got a crawlspace to work in... I can just use low voltage wire clips for most stuff. I'm more concerned with making sure I get what I need in the walls before I insulate and hang drywall.

 

[Kaido]

Oh yeah, and if you want to make a real "man cave", Eldorado Stone sells awesome concrete veneer for interiors:

http://www.eldoradostone.com/

Lots of cool ideas from stone to brick, but way cheaper than the real stuff, easier to install with better lifetime results (no sagging), and imo looks better because it's patterned but not uniform, so it doesn't look fake but it also doesn't look so natural that it doesn't blend well:

http://www.eldoradostone.com/imagine/before-and-after/

 

[Kaido]

I don't think I'll need to run conduit at this point. I've got a crawlspace to work in... I can just use low voltage wire clips for most stuff. I'm more concerned with making sure I get what I need in the walls before I insulate and hang drywall.

Have you chosen the insulation yet? If not, check out Rockwool, the stuff is *amazing*:

http://www.rockwool.com/stone+wool+benefits

It's like cotton candy made from stone :awe: SUPER quiet too! They sell it at Home Depot: (there's a video next to the picture)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roxul-Sa...t-Insulation-RXSS31525/202531875#.Um_zQXC-om8

 

[Juddog]

Have you chosen the insulation yet? If not, check out Rockwool, the stuff is *amazing*:

http://www.rockwool.com/stone+wool+benefits

It's like cotton candy made from stone :awe: SUPER quiet too! They sell it at Home Depot: (there's a video next to the picture)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roxul-Sa...t-Insulation-RXSS31525/202531875#.Um_zQXC-om8

Most of the soundproofing threads mention that combining rockwool with green glue and quiet rock is the holy trio for easy / cheap soundproofing.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Future Media Room....is 20x20 counting the stairs and closet space below. So 20x15 usable space.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Have you chosen the insulation yet? If not, check out Rockwool, the stuff is *amazing*:

http://www.rockwool.com/stone+wool+benefits

It's like cotton candy made from stone :awe: SUPER quiet too! They sell it at Home Depot: (there's a video next to the picture)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roxul-Sa...t-Insulation-RXSS31525/202531875#.Um_zQXC-om8

I've got fiberglass bats for upstairs, but haven't gotten most of the wall insulation yet.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'll definitely check out Eldorado when I do my outdoor firepit. I'm going to run natural gas outside and construct a firepit out of concrete blocks and will need a veneer.

I don't think I could go with brick or stone inside and have it look right. It wouldn't match the other rooms in the house. I still have to find my existing hardwood floors to match them. Last I checked, they're about $7.50/sq ft.

 

[Kaido]

I'll definitely check out Eldorado when I do my outdoor firepit. I'm going to run natural gas outside and construct a firepit out of concrete blocks and will need a veneer.

I don't think I could go with brick or stone inside and have it look right. It wouldn't match the other rooms in the house. I still have to find my existing hardwood floors to match them. Last I checked, they're about $7.50/sq ft.

Check out Laticrete MVIS for installation; nice waterproof mortar for outdoor applications:

http://www.laticrete.com/mvis/

Nice to have a high-end look without a high-end price, and without the traditional problems (uniformity issues, sag issues from water seepage, etc.).

 

[Kaido]

Most of the soundproofing threads mention that combining rockwool with green glue and quiet rock is the holy trio for easy / cheap soundproofing.

My buddy is doing his bathroom with rockwool; you can pretty much hear your own heartbeat in there haha. It's very eerie to be in the room, even with the door open, because as soon as you walk in, it's like being inside anechoic chamber :biggrin:

 

[Juddog]

My buddy is doing his bathroom with rockwool; you can pretty much hear your own heartbeat in there haha. It's very eerie to be in the room, even with the door open, because as soon as you walk in, it's like being inside anechoic chamber :biggrin:

Yeah the big advantage of rockwool is simply that it's heavy and contains a lot of mass for deadening the vibrations. When I redo the drywall in my livingroom, my plan is to use rockwool along with staggered studs to de-couple the sound from my entertainment system.

 

[natto fire]

I don't think I'll need to run conduit at this point. I've got a crawlspace to work in... I can just use low voltage wire clips for most stuff. I'm more concerned with making sure I get what I need in the walls before I insulate and hang drywall.

When I said conduit, I did mean in the walls, but I wasn't sure what was going where. It was just a caveat that you WILL come to a point after this is finished saying "why didn't I..." and was trying to help cover your bases on the low voltage end.

Not that fishing wires is the end of the world (unless you go spray foam insulation) it is just much easier to tie to a string and pull it right through. Ditto on new work boxes versus old work, but again I don't know what your final vision is and what kind of wiring that will take. I mainly do commercial electrical work, but the residential I have done was usually a result of poor planning, or a disconnect between builder and end user.

 

[SyndromeOCZ]

Make sure you put an outlet on every other stud in your garage. Can't ever have enough of those.

I would suggest the rockwool as well, its what alot of the commercial industry has switched over to. All of the projects I do anymore use it, along with tons of other sound dampening materials, but most of the other stuff is for wood/metal shops, gymnasiums, and auditoriums.

Last residential remodel I did for myself I ended up with multiple cat6 cables to each room, speakers in every room, and HDMI in everything except the bathroom.