Installing Cable In Stud Wall

[ban-all-sheds]

I used a small hand drill to make tiny holes through the wood panel to allow cable access.

I hope you checked with the maker of those structural components that it would be OK to do that.

Also, it looks as though you have Band I and Band II cables in the same containment systems or tied together - are all the Band I cables insulated for the highest voltage present?]

 

[GazzaS]

Hi ban-all-sheds,

I hope you checked with the maker of those structural components that it would be OK to do that.

According to the builders of the house the panels between the cavities are for noise and heat insulation and do not bare any structural weight. I of course did not touch the load bearing beams. Are you saying this is not correct?

Also, it looks as though you have Band I and Band II cables in the same containment systems or tied together - are all the Band I cables insulated for the highest voltage present?]

The picture is actually one of the existing cables installed by the builders. I tried to take as many photos in the walls and cavities to make sure I copied what the builders had done. In fact the holes that I created were about half the size and I used silicon plugs to seal them once the cable was through. Therefore I have no idea if the Band I cables are insulated correctly. The only electrics I touched through this whole project was to created a fused spur into the downstairs cupboard. Before doing this I checked with an electrician on site (and on DIYnot) all the regulations. The power to the TV is done through high insulated 13amp cables with a plug at one end and the kettle lead at the other.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[GazzaS]

Hi,

As a follow up: After ban all sheds rang my alarm bells i did some research into my floor structure and have learnt that I should not have trusted the builder quite so much. The joists under the floor boards were I-joists and the complete unit was required to take the load. According to the manufacturer it is ok to make small holes in the chipboard web as long as the holes are in the centre and do not occur nearer than a minimum distance from other holes and support.

Luckily the holes I made for the cable were mostly 5-10mm for speaker cable with one hole being about 15-20mm. I copied the current builders holes by making them central and separated from other holes and support.

Holes should never be made in the flanges and the I-Joist does help insulate from noise, fire and heat loss so at least he was right about something

Thanks,
Gary

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The picture is actually one of the existing cables installed by the builders. I tried to take as many photos in the walls and cavities to make sure I copied what the builders had done. In fact the holes that I created were about half the size and I used silicon plugs to seal them once the cable was through. Therefore I have no idea if the Band I cables are insulated correctly.

I thought you installed all of the cables?

Where does this get its power?

View media item 30658

 

[GazzaS]

Hi ban all sheds,

Sorry, no I was only installing AV cables (Cat6, Speaker, Coax and HDMI) into the floor cavity. The picture under the floor boards was from my investigation of what was originally there. The builders just seemed to have streamed cables mixed together through these holes. I'm glad you mentioned it though as it made me question the I-Joist holes. Luckily the holes I had made are within the manufactures recommendations.

The lounge TV (pictured) obtains its power from the plug left of the TV (you can just about see it behind the sofa). There is a 13amp IEC (kettle) lead from the TV, behind the dot and dab to a 3 amp fused plug which is then plugged in behind the sofa. I have a standby power monitor thing which switches everything off when the TV goes into standby.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So you've got a flex coming out of a hole in the wall, with a plug on the end, going into a socket?

That's truly horrible.

Also, what route does the flex concealed in the wall take? Does it follow the prescribed routes, or does it meander diagonally, in a dangerous and illegal way?

 

[inkypinky]

cheers GazzaS.

Your response is very much appreciated, thank you very much.

I am still in very early planning stages but you are right I have to inspect my space properly before I begin and also as mine is a new build (2004) i feel bit cautious doing DIY .

Thx!

 

[GazzaS]

So you've got a flex coming out of a hole in the wall, with a plug on the end, going into a socket?

That's truly horrible.

I completely disagree. Behind the TV I have no room to plug in the TV, LED lights, a HDMI Balun and Remote extender. Plus other installations I have done with an installed socket behind the TV (done by a sparky) have found the plug for the HDMI balun overheating in the confined space. Therefore I pass all the wiring out in the corner of the room (out of site) where they are all plugged into a surge protector with standby energy saving. From my point of view it looks no different and has the benefit of being switched off when not in use.

Also, what route does the flex concealed in the wall take? Does it follow the prescribed routes, or does it meander diagonally, in a dangerous and illegal way?

The flex takes an L shape from the TV, down and along to the brushed exit point. I used access holes which were plastered up afterwards.

Everything I did in the project I either posted on here for advice first, spoke to an Electrician or consulted a site builder.

 

[GazzaS]

cheers GazzaS.

Your response is very much appreciated, thank you very much.

I am still in very early planning stages but you are right I have to inspect my space properly before I begin and also as mine is a new build (2004) i feel bit cautious doing DIY .

Thx!

Hi inkypinky,
Yes I would investigate all the cavities first and then talk to a qualified electrician and builder before planning your install. I also agree being cautious doing DIY. I must admit I did have a tear in my eye when I cut in the first socket hole in my brand new house!
Cheers,
Gary

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I completely disagree.

Some people disagree about stone cladding being horrible too.

The flex takes an L shape from the TV, down and along to the brushed exit point. I used access holes which were plastered up afterwards.

OK.

Everything I did in the project I either posted on here for advice first, spoke to an Electrician or a site builder.

Did you ask here about the idea of having a cable coming out of the wall and plugging into a socket?

There are always alternatives to that - switched FCUs for example.

 

[inkypinky]

This is what I am trying to do as my first DIY project.

I have attached a 3D floor plan of my ground floor, mine is a 3 story house. Point A is where my NAS, Homehub, Switch will be located, Point B is where Wii, Vision, Sky, TV is located. I want to run 4 Cat 5e cables from A to B.

Floor is concrete, carpeted.

What is the best advice.

View media item 30699

 

[inkypinky]

sorry to hijack you thread..if this is not right i will start a new thread.

 

[GazzaS]

sorry to hijack you thread..if this is not right i will start a new thread.

Hi,

I would start a new thread as this thread is nearly a year old. Send me the link once you have it. You may also want to post on AV Forums as there is a lot of advice regarding AV technologies rather than just cabling.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This is also a good site:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/

 

[bernardgreen]

This is also a good site:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/[/QUOTE]

Do they recommend Russ Andrews ?