How would one go about installing cameras on a home like this??
- Thread starter rufunky
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sebastiantombs
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Oceanslider
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Is this a multifamily? There has to be attic space unless the ceilings on the top floor are vaulted?
Your best bet then is to hire an electrician that specializes in low-voltage work.
Your best bet then is to hire an electrician that specializes in low-voltage work.
- Dec 2, 2015
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sebastiantombs
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If you have a basement and are a DIY type comfortable with drills and sheetrock repair, you can get wiring in that way. If not, find a low voltage installer or an electrician familiar with low voltage work to get the cables in. Camera mounting will be determined by testing proposed locations using a test rig as described in the WiKi. The test rig will allow you to determine pretty much exact locations and the proper lens needed for each camera.
Generally speaking you'll want two cameras near the front door, one for facial recognition and one for package monitoring. In you case, I'd say four for the garage area, one on each end and one between each bay especially if you park cars out there at night. The projecting bays make placement to cover the other end of the front a little tricky and, again, that test rig will help to determine those, but I'd plan on at least two cameras looking back toward each other for overlapping coverage.
Don't forget that masonry bit and maybe a roto hammer/hammer drill as well.
Generally speaking you'll want two cameras near the front door, one for facial recognition and one for package monitoring. In you case, I'd say four for the garage area, one on each end and one between each bay especially if you park cars out there at night. The projecting bays make placement to cover the other end of the front a little tricky and, again, that test rig will help to determine those, but I'd plan on at least two cameras looking back toward each other for overlapping coverage.
Don't forget that masonry bit and maybe a roto hammer/hammer drill as well.
bababouy
Known around here
I would use the inside of the garage for most cameras. You can punch out next to or just above the garage doors. You can also punch out to the left so that you can install cameras on that side of the house. You should also be able to get to a front door camera from the garage area. I would take a look at going out of the garage low, then running conduit underground, close to the foundation to get to the left side of the house. Once you decide where you want your cameras, just run a conduit from the ground up the wall. You can always plant something small in front of the conduit to disguise it.
I see three gutters coming down the front of that house. I would build a buy a cabinet for the garage where i would run all my cameras there to a switch. Then i would go from the switch to my second router. Then from second router to my Internet provider router, and to my computer or NVR. I would run wire through conduit that is attached to the brick right next to the gutters to go to the soffit on top for over view cameras. I would put recognition cameras under the soffit over the garage doors. I see it would take a long ladder to go up to the top of that place. Or rent a lift basket from Lowes or Home Depot, which would be more safe.
CCTVCam
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- Sep 25, 2017
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In areas like the door, if you need to disguise wiring then you can always put a cover strip from floor to ceiling on both sides of the door so it matches and looks like a part of the door and not a conduit. Evcen better if you can get the came wood or pvc as the manufacturer used. Wood opens the way up for a cover strip with a channel routed out in the back of the piece. Another way of doing it albeit it's a bit cowboy and leaves the wiring open to damage if the door is ever replaced or a tradesman drills there not knowing the cables are there would be to remove the silcioe sealant between the door frame and the brick on one side. I'm guessing in the US they probably don't use expanding foam in the gap unless you're in a very cold state in which case there maybe a cavity between the door and wall wide enough to fit a cable in, in which case put a cable in it. hold it in place with a llttle masking tape or similar and then silicone back over the top sealing it into the gap (obviously make sure you guide the cable out where you're going to mount the camera (!) which means siliconing above and below the cable up to the cable. Don't seal the whole cable into the cavity!
- Dec 2, 2015
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Thank you for all the suggestions! I found out this house has a full ( finished) basement to the left of the garage.
Here's what i'm thinking:
NVR in garage
-1 cam over each car bay (3 cams total)
-Route cable through garage/ basement to far left, punch through on the corner, run conduit up the side about 12 ft, behind the bush. OR just to the right side by side with the gutter as the other way will have a huge blind spot due to the bump out window..
-The same as above for the two back corners of the house.
-One cam for the front door/porch area ( not sure how I would get this here as I have not seen the house in person yet...
7 cameras total
The brick, cathedral ceilings and the bump outs def add some complexity to this..
Here's what i'm thinking:
NVR in garage
-1 cam over each car bay (3 cams total)
-Route cable through garage/ basement to far left, punch through on the corner, run conduit up the side about 12 ft, behind the bush. OR just to the right side by side with the gutter as the other way will have a huge blind spot due to the bump out window..
-The same as above for the two back corners of the house.
-One cam for the front door/porch area ( not sure how I would get this here as I have not seen the house in person yet...
7 cameras total
The brick, cathedral ceilings and the bump outs def add some complexity to this..
Last edited:
sebastiantombs
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Cameras centered over the garage bays won't provide good views if cars are parked in the driveway. Don't mount any camera 12 feet high. All you'll end up with are tops of heads, hoods or hats. 8 feet is about the max for good identification. At 12 feet hgh and at that corner even a 6mm lens won't provide identification.
I wouldn't put a camera limit set up a testing camera in all the areas you will place a camera and get a view on what can be seen. A test cam is nothing more than a 2x4 in a bucket with sand or whatever to hold that board up. Attach a varifocal camera to it and you can see the view and get a good idea of placement. @looney2ns has examples on the videos he post. Heck i thought all i needed was 4 because i have a square house. Well i have 13 and i have 3 more to go, then i should be done. 
Also 12 feet would be to high, unless all you want is overview.
Also 12 feet would be to high, unless all you want is overview.