What to do while walls are still open?

[zc15]

Garage walls are still bare (to the studs). Have plenty of outlets. Not planning to run air lines behind the walls.

What else should be done before insulation and wall covering goes on?

 

[kd3pc]

an outside outlet

horizontal bracing for workbench, tool box, shelves

enjoy

 

[mike93lx]

Are termites an issue there? If so, spray the framing with boracare

 

[zc15]

an outside outlet

horizontal bracing for workbench, tool box, shelves

enjoy

I could understand for a workbench and shelves, but how so for a tool box would blocking help?

Are termites an issue there? If so, spray the framing with boracare

They are not luckiliy

 

[jdm5]

Any low voltage needs? Wifi access point in ceiling? Ethernet ports? Coax tv jack? Or conduit for any of these?

ip camera for outside?

 

[Neggy]

Cat5 or better wiring back to a central point, or wall boxes with conduit to the attic space with a string left on the conduit for ease of pulling future wires.

Speaker wires back to a point where you would put a receiver/amplifier.

There are boxes for that purpose with spring loaded or other connection points

Co-axial cable can be piggybacked with any of the above

 

[Innovate1]

Take some pictures. Especially in areas that have plumbing or lots of things that you might want to know location of once they are covered. Even if it is just wiring it still might be handy to know where the runs are later.

 

[mike93lx]

I have ethernet all over my house and use basically none of it. With mesh wifi and wifi cameras, it just isn't necessary in most homes/shops anymore

 

[zc15]

Good stuff so far!

 

[MattN03]

Take some pictures. Especially in areas that have plumbing or lots of things that you might want to know location of once they are covered. Even if it is just wiring it still might be handy to know where the runs are later.

I did this, along with cellphone video when we remodeled our house. We put an addition on and gutted most of the first floor, so it was the perfect opportunity to take pictures and videos.

 

[Innovate1]

Cat5 or better wiring back to a central point, or wall boxes with conduit to the attic space with a string left on the conduit for ease of pulling future wires.

Speaker wires back to a point where you would put a receiver/amplifier.

There are boxes for that purpose with spring loaded or other connection points

Co-axial cable can be piggybacked with any of the above

If you aren't sure of future needs you can still put a box in the soffit with a cover plate and conduit back to the attic. I would use at least 3/4" conduit so a small connector could be fit through.

 

[240sxguy]

If you're planning on any 220v tools do you have wiring done yet for that?

 

[zc15]

If you're planning on any 220v tools do you have wiring done yet for that?

Do have 220 already which is a plus

 

[finn]

Wiring for cameras, televisions, computer networks, pex for additional water access points (both inside and outside), backing for cabinets or shelving and hanging heaters, wall vent fan, exterior outlets.

 

[kd3pc]

I could understand for a workbench and shelves, but how so for a tool box would blocking help?



They are not luckiliy

something to pin the box to, will keep it from falling forward (too many drawers out) or if you have kids and they like climbing

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd say plumbing but if you're not heating it and live in Michigan, I wouldn't put plumbing in an exterior wall. However, I would put a DWV pipe in an exterior wall up to the attic.

 

[dcg9381]

• Blocking for cabinets, anywhere you're going to attach anything
• Conduit with pull-strings (future use)
• low voltage (if you're into such) - wire in an access point if you're fully wireless
• Take pictures of all framing

 

[Steve in UT]

+1 on the pictures. I did it, and use them all the time.
Also, I ran a smurf tube in to my router area. I thought the fiber guy was going to kiss me (he'd been in attics all day.)

 

[ybnormal]

I have ethernet all over my house and use basically none of it. With mesh wifi and wifi cameras, it just isn't necessary in most homes/shops anymore

true but when you sell the house the new buyer may be admiring you for your foresight in getting it pre-wired.
additionally, while you're playing round making sure your wi-fi devices is secure, I'm physically plugging in and have more security and faster speeds. you just never know.....

 

[ybnormal]

along with all the wiring, conduits, etc, think about plumbing, either for pneumatic tools or water lines for a scrub up sink

 

[dcg9381]

I have ethernet all over my house and use basically none of it. With mesh wifi and wifi cameras, it just isn't necessary in most homes/shops anymore

I have over a mile of CAT6 in the house. I'm using 30% of it.
Modern 4k cameras take a lot of bandwidth. Even before that, 1080p cameras could have a pretty good impact on wi-fi if you have enough of them.

The other cool thing about hardwired is POE. All of my cameras are POE and they are power-out protected. Turn off the power to the house to break in? Cameras stay up for quite a long time....

 

[zc15]

Its a detached space. Currently has cat 6 ran in to a router/AP, gas and heater installed too.

Can't imagine doing any water, as I'm not currently bothered by a lack of it

Luckily the plan is to use some free half sheets of plywood, so ideally they'll be removable in the future, but just tedious to do so

 

[mike93lx]

true but when you sell the house the new buyer may be admiring you for your foresight in getting it pre-wired.
additionally, while you're playing round making sure your wi-fi devices is secure, I'm physically plugging in and have more security and faster speeds. you just never know.....

Speed is a non issue with modern wifi. I can get 300 megabit down at nearly any part of my house and my 2k cameras run fine.

 

[mike93lx]

I have over a mile of CAT6 in the house. I'm using 30% of it.
Modern 4k cameras take a lot of bandwidth. Even before that, 1080p cameras could have a pretty good impact on wi-fi if you have enough of them.

The other cool thing about hardwired is POE. All of my cameras are POE and they are power-out protected. Turn off the power to the house to break in? Cameras stay up for quite a long time....

If someone cuts the power to your house for a break in, you have a huge problem that cameras won't solve

 

[ybnormal]

If someone cuts the power to your house for a break in, you have a huge problem that cameras won't solve

...
dcg has solar and a power bank

 

[dcg9381]

...
dcg has solar and a power bank

Solar and a generator, actually. Didn't design for a power bank. Technology to integrate all 3 wasn't in my wheel house at the time I put it together.

I disagree that cameras and a break-in with a power shut down can't be solved by the footage picked up by the cameras (potentially).
I've (luckily) never had a break in... Having German Shepherds helps substantially, but cameras have solved more than one or two "neighborhood" mysteries and they also alert me to people being in places they shouldn't be during certain times. Modern camera technlogy is pretty impressive.

OP: Propane is the only thing that I wish I would have put more of in the walls... Depends on your climate. I'm using ductless propane heaters quite a bit in the shop now, could use a few more propane drops.

 

[gsuty17]

If you intend to add any HVAC, run your thermostat wire right now. Stub out any conduit with capped leads tied into your exterior lights if you want to tie into that circuit for driveway lights, etc. Do the same for any existing or future sprinkler control wires, etc. I'm doing all of this right now in my garage as well. I also added a 2" swept conduit section through the garage wall, down underground, and to my shed where my air compressor resides.

 

[mike93lx]

Air seal.

If you can get the place dark, go in there mid day and look for light. Attack any penetrations and the sill area, in particular

 

[bctexas]

If you know where your workbench is going to go, pre-wire for lights above the workbench. I have found that a long power strip on the face of the workbench is really handy - run 110 to a box that you can tie that into easily. I also ran a 110 circuit to outlets above my desk to power a wireless router, TV and stereo gear. We ran a non-gfi circuit for a refrigerator. I ran Cat-6 and coax in conduit from the closet in the house where the service provider's router is installed, terminated on the wall above my desk. So I have catv and a wireless access point for the shop. I'm currently using one of the Cat-6 lines for a landline phone. We give that number to businesses we want to ignore - keeps the calls off our cell phones.

Enjoy!

 

[jack stand]

Air seal.

If you can get the place dark, go in there mid day and look for light. Attack any penetrations and the sill area, in particular

This includes caulking all wire penetrations in every stud bay.
Very important for f/g insulation to reach their rated performance.

 

[brownbagg]

what to do while wall still open

TAKE PICTURES

 

[Nowater]

Lay out an extended twenty-five foot tape measure on the floor and then take pictures off the walls, so you can estimate distances to studs. Photos are cheap insurance.

 

[matt_i]

I put in wiring for smoke detectors, heat-rise detectors, glass-break sensors. Ceiling fans. 4 speakers in the corners.

I also caulked all of the framed cavities, especially the top and bottom, get the cavities as "dead air" and your effective R- value will be at highest % of max advertised.

I added a PVC conduit which runs up from the "media center" to the attic. Mainly to avoid future needs for things I forgot about so I didn't have to punch holes in the wall, messy and difficult wire fishing job. In the attic I put a PVC square box on it where I can drill holes for bulkhead connectors as the wires are needed. Basically did not want an open conduit to be a pathway for airflow between the conditioned shop and non-conditioned attic.

 

[ddurrett896]

2" conduit from the panel to the attic for future circuits.

 

[zc15]

I put in wiring for smoke detectors, heat-rise detectors, glass-break sensors. Ceiling fans. 4 speakers in the corners.

I also caulked all of the framed cavities, especially the top and bottom, get the cavities as "dead air" and your effective R- value will be at highest % of max advertised.

I added a PVC conduit which runs up from the "media center" to the attic. Mainly to avoid future needs for things I forgot about so I didn't have to punch holes in the wall, messy and difficult wire fishing job. In the attic I put a PVC square box on it where I can drill holes for bulkhead connectors as the wires are needed. Basically did not want an open conduit to be a pathway for airflow between the conditioned shop and non-conditioned attic.

Can you clarify on the caulking of all cavities? Wouldn’t the siding and sheathing prevent air from infiltrating the cavities?

 

[mike93lx]

Can you clarify on the caulking of all cavities? Wouldn’t the siding and sheathing prevent air from infiltrating the cavities?

No, it definitely will not. Siding is very permeable. If you are sheathing with something like Zip, you will be pretty well sealed, but no framing job is perfect. You'll have gaps where studs aren't perfectly flush, at the sill, at penetrations, from errant nails, etc.

 

[1967ChevyRagtop]

If you know where your workbench is going to go, pre-wire for lights above the workbench. I have found that a long power strip on the face of the workbench is really handy - run 110 to a box that you can tie that into easily. I also ran a 110 circuit to outlets above my desk to power a wireless router, TV and stereo gear. We ran a non-gfi circuit for a refrigerator. I ran Cat-6 and coax in conduit from the closet in the house where the service provider's router is installed, terminated on the wall above my desk. So I have catv and a wireless access point for the shop. I'm currently using one of the Cat-6 lines for a landline phone. We give that number to businesses we want to ignore - keeps the calls off our cell phones.

Enjoy!

Is that a 12A or 13B on your workbench?

 

[Bucko]

what to do while wall still open

TAKE PICTURES

Funny story

My in-laws last house was a track home and the previous owner was the original owner. He rented a house in the same neighborhood and said he was on-site every day (sure he was a nightmare for the crews). He traced a copy of the overhead plan and put dimensions for every stud on the entire house. He gave it to my father-in-law and he was in construction his entire life and actually got some use outta it. He left it with the new owners who were also contractors.

 

[mike93lx]

Funny story

My in-laws last house was a track home and the previous owner was the original owner. He rented a house in the same neighborhood and said he was on-site every day (sure he was a nightmare for the crews). He traced a copy of the overhead plan and put dimensions for every stud on the entire house. He gave it to my father-in-law and he was in construction his entire life and actually got some use outta it. He left it with the new owners who were also contractors.

I don't have stud layout but I do have plans for my house which have been very helpful multiple times.

 

[brownbagg]

if you need to trace a romex or copper line, pvc vent or just knowing what side the stud is on a electrical box, pictures helps