Home Automation…Day 2

We’ve engaged SLH Home Systems to install a security system, and central vacuum in the “L” Shaped House. They are also installing the home networking and audio/visual wiring. Don Hains and I met to talk about home automation way back in January. After more than six months of thought we are still not exactly sure how much automation we are going to add to the “L” Shaped House and decided to try to “future proof” the house by installing a combination of structured wiring and conduit race ways. The photo on the right below shows the telephone and cable television wiring as it enters the garage adjacent the main electrical panel. There are six co-axial feeds for cable (two for terrestrial cable and four digital satellite feeds) and the Qwest phone line running up the right hand side of the garage window.

The first photo below shows the main bundle of structured wiring heading down the back wall of the kitchen toward the basement utility room where the main phone, networking, and security systems will be terminated. The second photo shows the basement family room ceiling with three of the speaker mounts for the home theatre surround sound system installed. Two of the orange 2” conduit race ways are also visible in this shot.

The conduit is being installed to provide an easy way to add wiring between the utility room, basement home theatre, and first floor audio/visual systems in the music room. The sketch below shows the conduit layout in the basement. There is an additional 2” conduit running between the stereo cabinet in the living room and the wall mounted television above the piano in the first floor music room.

There is a stereo system installed on the first floor with speakers in the ceiling on both the living room and kitchen/dining room sides of the house. The stereo receiver (AM/FM radio etc.) will be housed in the networking rack on the utility room wall in the basement. Controls for the system will be mounted in the kitchen and living room. A music player dock in the kitchen desk will allow an i-pod or Zune to be used as the source. The sketch below shows the wall behind the desk area with all of the home systems identified. Many of the first floor walls are going to be very “busy”!