first time cable pulling questions

[cb0r]

After seeing a third quote to have a contractor run Cat 6 for me I decided to try the DIY route first. Yesterday I bought a ladder and laid my eyes upon my attic for the first time since I bought this house. I knew that it was unfinished with no flooring at all. So, I would like to get at least some minimal walkway type strips/paths laid over the joists to make navigating between the trusses without putting a foot/falling through the ceiling. I'm 6'4" & ~265lbs so one slip of the foot could lead to disaster. Then the next step in my plan is to cut the hole in the ceiling of the closet to feed the cables through.

What would be the recommended plywood type and dimensions for walkway pieces? I was thinking of getting 3/4" sheets cut into 1' x 32" pieces to haul up the ladder (10' ceiling in garage where attic entry is located) and then laying them across the joists (16" centered). Would like to hear from others that i have experience with the process?

I can see where the coax cable is going through the pink insulation into the closet where I am placing my patch panel. I was thinking I should install some type of conduit or section of pipe to feed the cables through the ceiling (probably ~48 cables total). Curious as to what others have used or would use if they had to do theirs again?

Thanks in advance for your time taken to share expertise/experience/advice to help this first timer.

 

[sebastiantombs]

I used nominal 1/2" aspenite, actually 7/16, to span 24" center rafters. I'm 6'1" and weighed about 220 back when I did that. Yeah, it bows a little, but if anchored to the rafters at all three rafters, both ends and the center, it won't break. YMMV. I keep a few spare pieces to be able to work in areas off the main walk/crawl way. I just used pre-cut 24"x48" pieces from a big box store.

Look into either a fish tape, electrician's style, or push rods so you don't have to crawl out to the eaves. Lowes, Home Depot and Amazon have both types available and that can make pulling wire a heck of a lot less work. I also use a 5' drill bit with a coat hanger hook on one end to extend my reach. It doesn't have to be a 5' drill bit, anything 5' long and light enough to handle with one hand will work just fine.

Just remember to stay away from running CAT parallel to AC lines whenever possible and keep the separated by as much as possible.

 

[mat200]

Fyi - a few 2x4 can work also .. ( which of course you can then reuse when done .. )

 

[sebastiantombs]

One more comment, leave a service loop at both ends. Makes changing cameras or re-arranging terminations at the head end a lot easier and less frustrating.

 

[bradner]

OMG, 6'4" and 265 navigating through there, I'm shorter, lighter, fairly nimble and my attic isn't as cramped (almost but not as much) and I struggle when I have to go up there.

My tips are that I wear a headlamp and I have a work light on an extension hanging up there to for when I need it. I also have long 2x4's nailed at the bottom of the trusses (just above the insulation level) that I walk on. My feet are at an angle but it works because I can't have anything flat or I'll compress the insulation. Your trusses look to have a steeper angle than mine and yours looks more variable too - mine are all the same with pretty much a clear pass from one side to the other - yours is a gauntlet.

You can buy ceiling/wall pass thru devices (circular or rectangle) or I've seen homemade risers using wide plastic piping so it goes well above the insulation. Amazon carries some. Something like this...



I don't envy your attic trips..... but good luck.

 

[looney2ns]

While you are in the mood to be in the attic, add some insulation on those bare patch's of sheet rock. Such as 8" batts of fiberglass. Raise the cat walks up so it's above the insulation and doesn't compress it. Even if that is over the garage, your utility bill will thank you.

Use 2x6's on edge on top of the existing ceiling joists to raise the catwalk. Fasten the two pieces of wood together with something like this: Tie Plate

I like to use regular ole 1"x12" pine boards for the cat walk. Screw to the top of the 2x6 with something like these: screws

Plan your work, then work your plan.

 

[looney2ns]

OMG, 6'4" and 265 navigating through there, I'm shorter, lighter, fairly nimble and my attic isn't as cramped (almost but not as much) and I struggle when I have to go up there.

My tips are that I wear a headlamp and I have a work light on an extension hanging up there to for when I need it. I also have long 2x4's nailed at the bottom of the trusses (just above the insulation level) that I walk on. My feet are at an angle but it works because I can't have anything flat or I'll compress the insulation.

You can buy ceiling/wall pass thru devices (circular or rectangle) or I've seen homemade risers using wide plastic piping so it goes well above the insulation. Amazon carries some.

I don't envy your attic trips..... but good luck.

Eh, mine is much worse, this is were electrician push/ pull rods come in mighty handy.
Pick a day or evening when it's 40f outdoors.

 

[pete_c]

Here first thing I did was redid the framing for a new sturdy aluminum telescopic ladder and redid the attic access panel and insulation on the second floor of the two story. Then built a removable cat walk end to end with 4 ' X 4 ' pieces of plywood and 120VAC illuminated the attic end to end.

Built a chase from the basement to the 2nd floor attic using a common wall. I used those plumbing PVC pipe hangers close the ceiling of the attic to support the cabling.

I would make it a one wire one project baby steps taking your time.

You may want to reconsider and subcontract a cable puller under your direction rafter climber. Did that with a peers new home and used his 18 year old son who could maneuver like a monkey in rafters of new home not completed.

 

[Griswalduk]

Usually i would advise using 3/4 flooring sheets or plywood cut as big possible to fit though the hatch but your loft area looks to be quiet restricted. You might be better buying full sheets measuring and cutting them on-site to your required dimensions using a straight edge and circular saw. Joints should be on a joist or if it's easier you can glue and screw a 6" wide joining strip to the underside of the plywood where the sheets meet. These can be cut from the same plywood.

As mentioned you should look at insulating the loft area.

A search on YouTube will get you hundreds of how to's

Cable wise you can use cable tray or cable basket to support the cables. I prefer and have used the tray myself. They both come in different sizes. as mentioned these cables should be kept away from electrical mains cable. See links / photos.

Regarding my own install one potentially fatal thing i didn't consider was the temperature In the loft during the summer. Typically here a summers day is around 77 degrees and the loft area 95 degrees. I'll have to think of a work around for mine but you might also consider if heat in the closet will be an issue and how to solve it If your installing more than a patch panel.

Good luck

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[sebastiantombs]

I did have to install some 2x4, laying flat, on the rafters to stay above the insulation. That also increased overlap of the joints and cut the span down about 3".

As far as cable management I ran them all down a "trunk" route then branched off for each camera location. When done, went back and added split cable rings. I'm not trying to make a piece of art, just keep it all organized and still easy to trace if/when there's a problem. The split rings make it easy and fast to add or remove a cable from the bundle.

This is for example purposes, I bought as many as I needed locally from a real electrical supply store.

Amazon.com

 

[biggen]

I have the EXACT same attic as you. I just walk on the joists kicking the insulation away to make my walkway so I can easily see the joists to move back and forth. Then when I'm done, work backwards to cover up my footpath as much as possible. Too much work hauling up wood pieces and most hatches are a bitch to get it through.

Also, I wouldn't cut a hole in the ceiling. Cut a hole in the top plate on the wall you are mounting your equipment on, run the cables down the inside of the wall, and cut a hole in the drywall for it to exit. A wire fish makes this a breeze. You feed the wire fish in from the top all the way to the bottom and then use a dry wall hand saw to cut your outlet.

 

[bradner]

This is for example purposes, I bought as many as I needed locally from a real electrical supply store.

Amazon.com

This is why I like these threads - I never knew/thought of these. Thanks

 

[cb0r]

Wow. Thanks for all of your input! You gave me plenty of food for thought that's for sure. After much thought I have decided to call an audible on my plan and put some of your suggestions/advice to use.

As was suggested, I have secured the services of two of my friend's college aged sons. One of which spent two summers working for an HVAC company taboot. Not being the one to navigate the joists/trusses/etc in my attic does not sadden me in the least. I will just be the Foreman over their work in the attic.

I picked up a pack of these cable staples that I plan to use to keep Cat 6 separated from the electrical and raised above the insulation. Gardner Bender Multi-Cable Staples (20-Pack)-MCS-20W - The Home Depot

I plant to keep the Cat 6 as separate from the electrical as possible. But what about the cable company coaxial cable? Is it OK for my CAT 6 to run alongside the coaxial cable carrying the internet bits & tv bytes?

There are 9 locations that I plan to have a device and need at least one drop. I think I may go ahead and pull 4 cables (I have 4 x Cat 6 rolls) to each location. I figure it is better to have too many cables run now than to realize later than I need one more soomewhere.

As for the gear going the the closet. It will be network and NAS only. Netgear CM1200 modem, Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-SE controller, US-24-250W switch, Synology DS920+ and APC 1500 SmartUPS. I the controller and switch both produce a bit of heat. I had thought about the heat buildup in the closet and I probably need to install some type of fan for ventilation. The ceiling in the closet is 10ft and I plan to use the extra wall space above the shelf to mount a 9U wall mount rack. Mediacom cable sent a tech out to install a cable outlet in the closet for $50, so my current basic network gear has been on the shelf in the closet pending my planned upgrades. I plan to install a 120V outlet in the closet at some point as well.

I am curious as to how others have addressed the heat buildup issue in similar situations?

The insulation or rather lackof insulation is definitely something that I plan to address after I complete this Cat 6 cable project.

Bad lighting & blurry pics of the current closet situation. (as is obvious; my cable management needs some work)

Thanks again for all the input. It is always good to hear from others that have already done what you are trying to do for the first time.

 

[sebastiantombs]

If you install a vent low on the door and another high on the door the convection effect should help a lot. That's not to say there won't be a heat buildup above the height of the top vent, but a small fan to assist up there will help as well. Worst case, a vent to the attic, but that becomes a fire hazard so maybe venting through the ceiling with a duct to the outside might be a better idea. As long as the vents in the door are in place you should get some fairly good convection cooling. For those vents, regular forced air heating/cooling vents, or even the vent grills for return ducts, will do the trick.

 

[mat200]

Wow. Thanks for all of your input! You gave me plenty of food for thought that's for sure. After much thought I have decided to call an audible on my plan and put some of your suggestions/advice to use.

As was suggested, I have secured the services of two of my friend's college aged sons. One of which spent two summers working for an HVAC company taboot. Not being the one to navigate the joists/trusses/etc in my attic does not sadden me in the least. I will just be the Foreman over their work in the attic.

I picked up a pack of these cable staples that I plan to use to keep Cat 6 separated from the electrical and raised above the insulation. Gardner Bender Multi-Cable Staples (20-Pack)-MCS-20W - The Home Depot

I plant to keep the Cat 6 as separate from the electrical as possible. But what about the cable company coaxial cable? Is it OK for my CAT 6 to run alongside the coaxial cable carrying the internet bits & tv bytes?

There are 9 locations that I plan to have a device and need at least one drop. I think I may go ahead and pull 4 cables (I have 4 x Cat 6 rolls) to each location. I figure it is better to have too many cables run now than to realize later than I need one more soomewhere.

As for the gear going the the closet. It will be network and NAS only. Netgear CM1200 modem, Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-SE controller, US-24-250W switch, Synology DS920+ and APC 1500 SmartUPS. I the controller and switch both produce a bit of heat. I had thought about the heat buildup in the closet and I probably need to install some type of fan for ventilation. The ceiling in the closet is 10ft and I plan to use the extra wall space above the shelf to mount a 9U wall mount rack. Mediacom cable sent a tech out to install a cable outlet in the closet for $50, so my current basic network gear has been on the shelf in the closet pending my planned upgrades. I plan to install a 120V outlet in the closet at some point as well.

I am curious as to how others have addressed the heat buildup issue in similar situations?

The insulation or rather lackof insulation is definitely something that I plan to address after I complete this Cat 6 cable project.

Bad lighting & blurry pics of the current closet situation. (as is obvious; my cable management needs some work)

Thanks again for all the input. It is always good to hear from others that have already done what you are trying to do for the first time.

see the following:

Suggested vent for closet - if your closet gets too hot

Hi, I wanted to share a couple of pictures to inspire others. A simple solution for a hallway closet "datacenter" if you find that it is getting too hot for your equipment. I recommend watching the temp and if it is exceeding 80 degrees F to find a way to better vent an enclosed space. This...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[SJGUSMC21]

I don't envy you at all! I did my Attic monkey crap about 1.5 years ago. Little by little. I also did like 11 drops in my house as well. Hanging from the rafters, crawling on my 'robust' gut from one rafter to another, was not my idea of fun, not even close. Just take your time. I used glow in the dark rods, certainly helped me a few times. I actually still have part of one of my rods stuck in a wall...it's going to stay there. I used my daughters old 'Dora the Explorer' back pack to haul all of my tools around with me. I am sure the site of me with this, kept Death chuckling and away from me!

 

[Griswalduk]

As mentioned I've run into the same problem. My current idea is to install an inline fan dumping the heat outside which is controlled by a thermostat. While not perfect i plan to set the thermostat to come on if the temperature rises above 85 or so and switch off if / when temperature drops below. Think of your home heating but in reverse lol.

Keep I mind the i don't have the extremes of weather many others here experience. During the summer here we had record breaking temperatures of 86 degrees. I'm guessing it was pushing 100 in the loft area where the equipment is.

Any other ideas welcome

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[Griswalduk]

Obviously lower temperatures are better but i was wondering what temperatures others here in the forum are happy to run their equipment at?

While I suppose a lot depends on the equipment specification I was wondering is there a maximum permissible or a rule of thumb?

 

[sebastiantombs]

I prefer ambient room temperature, say 70F. Unfortunately even that varies and can range from 60F at night during the winter to 100F during the day when the AC is off for one reason or another. So far, knock on wood, no problems. I do have a switch in an unheated building that deals with everything from sub zero (F), to well over 100F and has been running fine for three years so far.

 

[Griswalduk]

The luxury of air conditioning lol. Here in the UK we don't get those temperature swings to warrant the cost of having it installed domestically. It's more for hospitals hotels business and server rooms etc.

@sebastiantombs I'm thinking HDD's would be the weakest link have you had any problems with those?