Cable running ideas

[saltwater]

Yes, checking other similar houses under construction is a must do if you are unsure of what's behind the brick. I recently went through a house-build, I ended up with thousands of photos of the various stages of construction, just wondering if you did the same.

Whichever way to decide to run cable, it's a PIA either way, do it once but while doing it once lay cable to multiple spots,

I will bet that there are LAN jacks in every room, some rooms probably have more than one. If you can get from the outside to one of these, you can place a POE switch there for the cams to plug into and then plug that switch into one LAN jack to get you to the IT closet. I have done this at my front door and in the garage. This is how I got from the front door to the study where there are a few LAN jacks.

Great idea, and I'll keep this in mind.

 

[JNDATHP]

^^^ and multiple cables to the camera spots for backup.

 

[RUMBLESTRIP]

I don't see why you couldn't drill the top plates through the attic, although it does really suck. Cut the bill off of a heavy ball cap to minimize scalp damage from nails. For the garage cams I'd just cut an access hole to drill up into the wall. Then again, I don't mind blank covers.

The porch cam would be a little more difficult, but I would probably drill down from the attic and gain access at cam level from the front of the house. I'd put a light at the front and run 1 romex and 2 cat cables for a future cam too. It's definitely going to be a 2 man job and the insulation will make you cuss, but it won't look trashy.

I'd rather spend a week pulling wires than having to look at external conduit and forever wishing I had done a clean job.

 

[samplenhold]

I'd rather spend a week pulling wires than having to look at external conduit and forever wishing I had done a clean job.

Yes.

 

[Sybertiger]

Looks like your front porch is next to the garage. Consider moving the cam to the brick wall that adjoins the garage.

As suggested, you can drill through the top plate but also consider you probably have fire stops about halfway up between the floors and ceilings. You might need a 5 foot flexible drill extension to drill through the fire stop. Of course, if you don't mind doing a little drywall work you can cut a small hole on either side of the firestop then use a short flex bit to drill through them. Drywall repair is rather easy and quick to do so I don't mind doing that.

See pic below. The hole you see light coming through is daylight outside where I drilled a hole in the brick to mount a cam next to the front door. You can see that I was unlucky and have a fire stop just below the hole. I had to cut out the drywall then drill through the fire stop to be able to run the wire down to the basement. Easy-peasy to repair the drywall then touchup the paint....you'd never know the wall had been opened up.

 

[RUMBLESTRIP]

I don't know the code, but I haven't seen a fire stop in typical height exterior wall in decades. My house was built in 1999 and didn't even have fire stops in the garage to house wall. I do know there are instances where fiberglass insulation is acceptable as a fire block, so maybe that is why. I would only expect fire blocks in 14'+ walls, and even then that is just speculation.

 

[Flintstone61]

 

[Flintstone61]

I typically use this style in 12" I just squeaks through a 12" block. with my old Rockwell 20V Hammer drill on setting 2.
I have 12 inch cinderblock construction at the Condo.
If I make any more holes, the building might fall down

12" long 1/2" masonary bit - Google Search

www.google.com

Milwaukee 1/2 in. x 12 in. 2-Cutter SDS-PLUS Carbide Drill Bit (5-Pack) 48-20-7474-5X - The Home Depot

The Milwaukee 48-20-7474 is a 1/2 in. x 12 in. Carbide 2-Cutter SDS Bit. Milwaukee's 44 Magnum series carbide drilling bits offers a unique multi-faceted carbide insert reducing the breakage possibility

www.homedepot.com

 

[Firefighter]

All new construction here in the Houston area is brick veneer. But as @Firefighter stated, it will not be a smooth, easy fishing experience.

I will bet that there are LAN jacks in every room, some rooms probably have more than one. If you can get from the outside to one of these, you can place a POE switch there for the cams to plug into and then plug that switch into one LAN jack to get you to the IT closet. I have done this at my front door and in the garage.

^^ Ooo, Smart Idea I hadn't even considered. See what wiring the house already has and see if you can take advantage of that. If there is a room near by that has wire ran already

 

[CCTVCam]

Often there is an airgap in newer construction between the brick work and the wall .. behind that there should be some sort of house wrap ( ideally we want to minimize holes in the house wrap and definitely want to try to watch out for potential water intrustion.

If you see similar houses being constructed, pay attention to how they are built, as that should give you some clear ideas of how to approach the job.

It's a pity you didn't ask them to run cables at the build stage.

What is dscribed here is a cavity wall. It's been the UK's standard method of contruction since forever (probabl at least the 1800's!).

Modern homes have various obstructions and fillings in th cavity that may make ghetting cable access through harder. The picture below shows a basic cavity. You have a brick or stone outer wall with either a brick, stone, or block inner wall. Between this are steel rods called wall ties. Their purpose is to fasten the 2 walls together to prevent separation. Between the spaces between the wall, in all but tropical locations is placed insulation. I presume this will be the same mode of construction for the US:

The obvious complications are:

1 The steel ties albeit these are spaced out so plenty of opportuity to miss or force a puller rod round them

2. The type of inusalation. Older houses tend to have retorfited insulation which is often blow mineral wool and loose. Easy to pull through. Newer houses like yours may have mineral fibre solid blocks as pictured or solid insulation foam blocks such as celotex etc. These you will not be able to pull / push through as they're solid. You may be able to get a wirre down the side and in warmer locals you may get lucky and find the insualtion is thinner and doesn't take up the whole cavity bu it fixed to the outer wall.

The final complication you can get is closers. The cavities are usually clsoed these days at the top in the attic although I think you may enocunter these sometimes between floors - I'm not a builder! These literally close off the cavity gap entirely as pictured here (cream area):

You could try asking your builder how it's contructed as it's a new build as this might influence the decision whether to DIY or get a professional in.

 

[Firefighter]

Ours is a little different in the usa here. Between the brick and the wood sheathing should be a one inch air gap. Not filled to allow moisture to weep and dry.

 

[CCTVCam]

Like I said, it may differ according to which state you are in as tropical locations won't require insulation or a large air gap where as cold states might. You have to remember the UK is much smaller than the US so the climate is more even over the whole country.

 

[wittaj]

The northern states I have lived in that get cold and snow still required an air gap.

But regardless the OP has confirmed with a scope that he has an air gap space between the brick and house.

 

[Firefighter]

Yeah I thought op was in the US so that's why I mentioned that. It's national standard to have the air gap cold or hot climate here.
I'm beating a dead horse though.

Look forward to seeing what the op does!!

 

[mat200]

wondering how I would do this .. perhaps removing one brick would help? ..

this one brick is what I would consider removing to get access to the airgap .. once done you can replace it ..

( note: remember anyway you run the cable down, if exposed outside.. be certain to not create a way for the water to follow the cable / conduit down in between the wall and brick . . )

 

[tech_junkie]

I would mount it differently on the crossbeam of the porch, then wrap my wire around the backside and up into the porch ceiling and fasten with zipties that have a screw hole in them.

The other one there are a couple of ways I would try, But I have to go get ready for work and install cameras. will post my suggestions later.

 

[sebastiantombs]

^^^ That header is a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 plate steel. That's going to be kind of hard to attach too.

 

[looktall]

^^^ That header is a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 plate steel. That's going to be kind of hard to attach too.

Big fucking magnet.

 

[mat200]

Big fucking magnet.

Next we'll get requests to help with image quality and data transfer issues ...

 

[looktall]

Next we'll get requests to help with image quality and data transfer issues ...

I reckon you could use a neodymium magnet to hold a junction box to the steel plate and then mount the camera to the junction box.
With the right magnet it would have a strong but small magnetic field which should be ok.

Probably.