Best Practices – Prewire

Home Concepts Prewire – Process and Best Practices

Process

Phase 1 – Prior to scheduling

Home Concepts:

1. Digitize layout
2. Print layout and checklist (for Prewire Team)
3. Confirm site readiness and schedule Prewire Team

Phase 2 – Prewiring

Home Concepts – Day 1:

1. Pick up and deliver wire and supplies, print layout and checklist
2. Install speaker brackets, frame and vapor where necessary
3. Box out and mark on stud what is to be pulled as per legend codes
4. Tack camera location identifiers
5. Mark head end and frame any head end support for wire entry (wire stress relief)

Prewire Team – Day 1 to Finish:

1. Day 1 – Meet on site for walk through
2. Complete prewire
3. Arrange walk through with Home Concepts to confirm completion

Phase 3 – Completion

Home Concepts – Final:

1. Take photos of all wiring
2. Upload photos to basecamp – with labels
3. Invoice Builder

Best Practices

General

• Label all individual wires (not bundles) with sharpie so they are legible – Room then use (Great Room TV, Rec Room Spks, Foyer Motion, etc.)
• Make sure all wiring, even wires that will be covered with drywall, are run neatly and consistently.
• Use the same path where you can
• Never run with electrical
• If you damage someone else’s work PLEASE tell Home Concepts. It’s better to tell us now and get it fixed than it is to find out later.
• If you are unsure of something PLEASE contact Home Concepts for verification.

Head end

• Leave enough wire so that the run goes to the floor and back up to the roof (18-20’)
• Separate the wires by type, then colour. (white speaker wire should be separate from white Cat6)
• Coil all wires in neat bundles so they are not touching the ground.

SPK – Multiroom Speakers – 16/4 or 14/4

• Use 16/4 (or 14/4 in some cases) in one run from head end to speakers.
• Leave large loop at first speaker and end at second speaker.
• Leave 2-3’ extra at ending speaker.
• Coil and tack up excess up above speaker ring (so drywallers don’t damage wire).

TV – TV Locations – 1 x White Cat6, 1 x Blue Cat6, 1 x Yellow Cat6

• Leave large loop in the wall, do not zip tie or tack up inside wall (it will not allow the wire to be pulled out).
• Tape the end of the bundle together and make sure it is easily accessible once drywalled.

CON – Conduit – Orange flexible pipe

• Avoid sharp corners
• Try to make straight runs with wide corners as it makes it easier to pull through later

CAM – Cameras – 1 x Blue Cat6

• Look for location identifiers (orange).
• Leave some excess in the wall and 3-4’ of excess outside. In case the wire gets damaged.

Surround Sound – 16/2 or 14/2

• Left, Center, Right low plate front speakers (for box speakers) – leave 4-6’ of extra wiring
• Left, Center, Right, Surrounds, Rear higher plate speakers (for inwall speakers) – leave large coil in wall
• In-ceiling Surround, Atmos and Rear Speakers – follow same rules as multiroom speakers

Subwoofers – 14/4 or RG6

• In-wall passive subwoofer – Run 14/4 and leave a large coil in the wall.
• Powered subwoofer – if there is a low rough in box this designates a powered subwoofer and will be a RG6

Projector – Conduit or HDTV bundle

• If the projector is in a location that a 50’ HDMI can be run through a conduit at install, install orange flexible conduit from head end to projector.
• If the projector is further than 50’ away then pull 1 x White Cat6, 1 x Blue Cat6, 1 x Yellow Cat6

SPK – 16/4 or 14/4 Multiroom Speakers TV – 1 x White Cat6, 1 x Blue Cat6, 1 x Yellow Cat6 CON – Orange flexible conduit CAM – 1 x Blue Cat6 PROJ – Orange flexible conduit (less than 50’) or TV bundle WAP – Wireless Access Point (Wifi) 1 x Blue Cat6 2 CAT – 2 x Blue Cat6 GLS – Security Glass Break – 1 x Station wire SMOKE – Security Smoke Detector – 1 x Station wire DOOR – Security Door Contact – 1 x Station wire MTN – Security Motion – 1 x Station wire WIN – Security Window contact – 1 x Station wire FLOOD  – Security Flood Detector – 1 x Station wire TEMP – Security Temp Sensor – 1 x Station wire OHD – Security Overhead Garage Door Sensor – 1 x Station wire SRN – Security Siren – 1 x Station wire CO – Security Carbon Monoxide Detector – 1 x Station wire CAT KP – Security Keypad – 1 x White Cat6 TP – Touch Panel – 1 x Blue Cat6 DS – Video Doorbell – 1 x Blue Cat6 SHADE – Motorized Shade – 1 x 16/2 GATE – 1 x White Cat6, 1 x Yellow Cat6, 1 x Blue Cat6 LS – Local Source – 1 x Blue Cat6, 1 x Yellow Cat6, 1 x RG6 SAT – Satellite Bundle – 2 x RG6, 1 x Cat6 TEL – Telephone landline – 1 x White Cat6