Hustler Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 hmmm...so may be I should ask the BB folks, just to install the conduit and then later on, I'll install the cable myself. As of now, I am thinking of the Rf-7's with a H/K 635. Ofcourse, I am gonna build the whole thing slowly and not all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firme Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 ---------------- On 6/29/2005 3:16:53 PM Hustler wrote: hmmm...so may be I should ask the BB folks, just to install the conduit and then later on, I'll install the cable myself. ---------------- THAT is the best thing IMO. That way, you can run WHATEVER you need later on. If a cable has a problem, its super easy to re-run it through the conduit. Also, you can find a good price for the speaker cable, projector cable, and hdmi cable, and run it yourself. No cable premium, no being forced to use the cables the installer sells, and no worries about having to tear stuff up to change a cable out in the future, especially if you had to upgrade something. Like I said, I ran the coduit myself, and I spent less that $25 on all the material. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hustler Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Guys, I have just thought about trying the wire hiders along with the crown molding for the surrounds and runnin the fronts under the carpet right below the drywalls. wat do you guys think..i know i know its a cheapo way around but is it reasonable..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 That is another option but please Please PLEASE!! If you have open studs RUN THE CONDUIT!!!!! My HT was installed 27 years after the house was built and I had to go under carpet and up the walls into the attic and through the celing but YOU DON'T HAVE TO! Just run big enough conduit that the ends of the cables will fit through it, depending on what you are running to the PJ. Speaker wire will fit through 1/2" flex just fine! You can do the job yourself if you want to with the walls open. Just 1) decide where you want the speakers to be mounted 2) nail J boxes to the studs where you want the wires to come out of the wall. Use boxes that have the offset of the drywall built into the mounting bkt. 3 look for the easiest way to route the conduit from the component location to the outlet boxes. 4 drill holes in the studds along the route to allow the conduit to be run inside the wall 5 run the conduit through the holes you drilled 6 connect the conduit to the boxes YOU ARE NOW DONE FOR LIFE!! (in this home anyway) Let the drywalers do their thing and when you are ready, pull the wires through the conduit. DONE! EDIT: You will need to have a 120v outlet run to the PJ anyway. Do it now while it is easy! You can not run power through the same conduit you run speaker / av wires through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hustler Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 once again, the builder does NOT allow to work on the pre-wiring MYSELF OR a CONTRACTOR that i bring. They will only allow the company THEY have a contract with to get it done if i want it done BEFORE the drywall goes up. I havent asked them what would they charge me to run just the conduits. But if thats also something out the roof, I will get the whole thing done AFTER i move in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Ears Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 ---------------- On 6/30/2005 5:05:39 PM Hustler wrote: once again, the builder does NOT allow to work on the pre-wiring MYSELF OR a CONTRACTOR that i bring. They will only allow the company THEY have a contract with to get it done if i want it done BEFORE the drywall goes up. I havent asked them what would they charge me to run just the conduits. But if thats also something out the roof, I will get the whole thing done AFTER i move in. ---------------- If it were me, I would ***** at the top of my lungs and to anyone who would listen. I would go to my agent an let him have it. Then go to the builder and let them have it big time. Call the corperate office of the builder and let them have it, etc. Tell them, you can get it done with better materials for less than half the price. If they have a "contract" with someone, all that means is they get a referral for the work they give them. You should not be held hostage by the builder, it's your house they are building, after all. That's just me though, I expect people I do business with to play fair. If I think they are Full of SH*T, I call them on it. No exceptions! I would be down there messing with this guy everyday and talking to his boss until I got what I wanted. But that is just me... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hustler Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 u know it does sound like a good idea. Let me try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Installing the conduit...(a plastic pipe..all of like 7 dollars at any home depot store for 10 feet...) 3 inches thick... Your wire through it before drywall.. Priceless. I am telling you.. do it right before dry wall starts.. after the work crews are done.. the dry wallers will not give a rats a$$ who did it.. you spend maybe 250- 350 tops for wire and conduit pipe.. AGAIN, 880.00 or more saved.. It is your house... I hope, too, your paying for this "out of pocket" and not just adding it to be paid off in 30 yrs as well. (Big Mistake) Sorry to be so blunt, but your wasting $$ that you can keep in your pocket. Just trying to help you out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTYoung Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 ---------------- On 6/30/2005 6:00:14 PM Big Ears wrote: If it were me, I would ***** at the top of my lungs and to anyone who would listen. I would go to my agent an let him have it. Then go to the builder and let them have it big time. Call the corperate office of the builder and let them have it, etc. Tell them, you can get it done with better materials for less than half the price. If they have a "contract" with someone, all that means is they get a referral for the work they give them. You should not be held hostage by the builder, it's your house they are building, after all. That's just me though, I expect people I do business with to play fair. If I think they are Full of SH*T, I call them on it. No exceptions! I would be down there messing with this guy everyday and talking to his boss until I got what I wanted. But that is just me... Chris ---------------- A builder is in this business to make money. Unless you are geting a true custom home many builders don't like people coming in and making changes and modifications without going through them. Until the person closes on that house, the house belongs to the builder, all that exists is a contract to purchase the hosue when it is completed. That means the builder is responsible for everything that goes on in that house while it is being built. Requiring extra work to go through the builder is a smart thing. That way the builder has assurances that the person performing the work is qualified to perform it, they have adequate insurance to protecte themselves and the builder if the subcontractor does something that causes damage or some type of loss. Some builders do not care, but those are usually the ones who haven't been burned by a buyer or a buyers subcontractor who did some of his own work and ended up in a dispute with the builder. Would you pay your builder extra to fix something that you or your own subcontractor screwed up while doing some of your own work? Where you might, there are too many people who wouldn't and would expect the builder to fix it for free. Builders don't want to deal with those headaches, they want to be able to control what is done and who does it, that way if something gets screwed up they can charge the proper person when it has to be fixed. This has nothing to do with "fair play" it is all about smart business practices and protecting yourself from potential losses in our lawsuit happy society. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Ears Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 ---------------- On 7/1/2005 11:53:04 AM JTYoung wrote: ---------------- A builder is in this business to make money. Unless you are geting a true custom home many builders don't like people coming in and making changes and modifications without going through them. Until the person closes on that house, the house belongs to the builder, all that exists is a contract to purchase the hosue when it is completed. That means the builder is responsible for everything that goes on in that house while it is being built. Requiring extra work to go through the builder is a smart thing. That way the builder has assurances that the person performing the work is qualified to perform it, they have adequate insurance to protecte themselves and the builder if the subcontractor does something that causes damage or some type of loss. Some builders do not care, but those are usually the ones who haven't been burned by a buyer or a buyers subcontractor who did some of his own work and ended up in a dispute with the builder. Would you pay your builder extra to fix something that you or your own subcontractor screwed up while doing some of your own work? Where you might, there are too many people who wouldn't and would expect the builder to fix it for free. Builders don't want to deal with those headaches, they want to be able to control what is done and who does it, that way if something gets screwed up they can charge the proper person when it has to be fixed. This has nothing to do with "fair play" it is all about smart business practices and protecting yourself from potential losses in our lawsuit happy society. ---------------- JT- I agree in theory as to why the builder doesn't want to assume any liability before the house is signed over. Although, we are talking about speaker wire, not custom add ons. If you read my earlier posts, I told him to use estimates from a HT company to leverage the builder. It doesn't matter who does the work, but $1200 is a rip off. I don't agree with earlier posts to sneak in and do the work before the drywall goes up either. That could create a big problem. The builder could shut the job down and have someone come in to rip out all the conduit. Then he could bill the additional labor to the future homeowner before he begins work again. I wouldn't do any work on the house without the project managers approval. From the builders standpoint though, let's say the loan falls through at the last minute, the builder has to find a new buyer and now advertises the house as having "pre-wired surround", no loss or harm to the builder IMO. (Personally, I think all new homes should come pre-wired)If he were asking for anything more particualr than that, I would side with the builder. Bottom line is-Ask for Nothing, Get Nothing... I'm willing to bet if he raises enough hell, he'll get what he wants. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaidin Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Sorry, but your builder needs to be called out a bit. He works for you, and is building your house. It's not just a signed contract between you and the builder, you have put down money that is non-refundable if you back out. I'd guess you were working with a mass-builder who has several developments going at once. I didn't stand for it with my last builder, and I wouldn't recommend you standing for it either. Find out if there's code for running speaker wire in your city and if they require any kind of "licensed" installer for it. If not, set him straight. If they do, go get as many bids as you can and force his hand on the price. Seriously, make the builders life a living hell if you have to. Get out there with your tape measure and find every single thing you can to make them redo. I just WOULD NOT let the builder take advantage of you...it's a matter of principle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTYoung Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I agree the buidler should be called out a bit, but if construction has already started he is bargaining from a much weaker position because he already has a signed contract to purchase the house. $1200 does sound high, IMO a price to prewire should be around half that, but not knowing the codes in the area, prewiring the house for 5.1 could be something that his local building official requires that it be submitted to the permitting authority before it can be done. That means new plans, and someone having to drive to the permit office to submit the plans for approval. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejez Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hustler Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Well, I've asked the builder to bring the cost down or I am not getting it done. If he brings it down.....well and good, if not, screw it, I'll just get it done later on after I move in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSoundBroker Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 I've told my clients to go in on the weekends and do it. It is, afterall, your house they are building for you under contract. The builder likely won't notice if there is wiring in there and it looks professionally done. I've had a number of clients do this under the same circumstances. 16 GA wiring is inadequate. If they are going to charge $1200, insist on 14/4 (more ga. than 12/2 plus gives you the capability to bi-wire), DVI or HDMI, Component and conduit for everything PLUS a written warranty that the house will be futureproof. I'd explain that that is an outrageously expensive price to wire a single room where the studs are open. If you do end up doing it yourself, use ONLY CL rated cables and try to use low oxy copper...it lasts longer (that is one of the differences between super cheap and decent speaker cables, 10 years down the line you'll maintain performance). We use Liberty UltraCap THX 14/4 in most all of our wiring jobs. Runs about $.90/ft, is flexible and easy to run and has good specs. On the other hand...retrofitting is a total PITA. Do it now while things are open...I can't stress that enough. $400 to retro a room is actually pretty reasonable since it is a total pain in the rear (attics SUCK!) and about 1/2 way thru, you will inevitably wonder why you didn't shell out the $$. Heck, I do it for a living and I had somebody else do my house in the areas that weren't open to the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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