type of box.

[doogan123]

Hi everyone. I have a question. I have alot of my audio cabling ran. however i have a question about the boxes for the keypads in each room. Since i do not know exactly what i am going to be installing down the line, do i just install a singly gang box nailed to the stud on the side, or should it be a double box. One local guy advised me to just bring the wire out in the center of the stud in the sheetrock , without any box and that most of the keypads will come with ears that clip onto the sheetrock and hold in place


What should i do?

thanks again all

 

[dykwok]

I did a lot of keypad cat5 and speaker wirings for our new build home.
If you are sure that the location is gonna be having a keypad for sure,
I would put either a low voltage plastic or metal gang box (1 gang) in there by the stud.
This will save you the work after you have moved in to install the keypad as
the builder will have already put the dry wall surrounding your gang box. Make sure you align the
height of your gang box with other gang boxes in the house.

If you are not sure if you are gonna be installing any keypad, you can just
leave the wire inside or outside. You can always fill the hole afterward if you changed your mind.
In terms of speaker wires, I simply left them out and have the dry wall
people do a hole for the wires to be out of the wall. This will allow you to cut
the hole for speakers later on unless you have a pre-frame for the speakers. If so,
just install them before they do the drywall.

Hope this helps.

Hi everyone. I have a question. I have alot of my audio cabling ran. however i have a question about the boxes for the keypads in each room. Since i do not know exactly what i am going to be installing down the line, do i just install a singly gang box nailed to the stud on the side, or should it be a double box. One local guy advised me to just bring the wire out in the center of the stud in the sheetrock , without any box and that most of the keypads will come with ears that clip onto the sheetrock and hold in place


What should i do?

thanks again all

 

[PaulD]

Just finished a new house and I had the wiring people put a low voltage box (open back) with Cat5e at each location plus I had them run the speaker wire by the box as it was routed to the ceiling speaker locations. Running the speaker wire by the box gives you the option of tieing the speaker wire into your unit at the box if you choose a system that uses that approach.
I had some boxes with Cat5e installed at various locations for future items such as a touch screen that I am not installing right now and then put a blank cover plate on the box to keep things tidy until I decide to install something at that spot.

 

[icellama21]

In many places you don't need a box for low voltage wiring, you can just put a plate-mounting bracket into a hole in the drywall. Of course if you want to have the drywall guys do the cutting, boxes are easier. I just hate them when I have to fish more wires later. Much easier just to have a hole in the wall.

 

[doogan123]

In many places you don't need a box for low voltage wiring, you can just put a plate-mounting bracket into a hole in the drywall. Of course if you want to have the drywall guys do the cutting, boxes are easier. I just hate them when I have to fish more wires later. Much easier just to have a hole in the wall.

As long as most keypads will fit into a single gang - then i will go with the open back one's. Am i safe with this approach?

 

[Steve]

If you don't know exactly what will be going there yet, I would not put a box, especially one nailed or screwed to the stud. Lets say you put a single gang and then you need double gang, now you have the work of ripping out 1 box to put another. Personally I would leave the wire in the wall maybe taped to the stud where you would want it, then when you are ready and know exactly what you want, simpley cut whatever size cutout you need and use a retrofit LV ring. Even with a single it will be big enough to reach your hand through and access the wire.

 

[opie]

When I wire Spec homes for DA (when spec homes were being built ) I put single gang backless boxes at keypad locations. It's really easy to saw the nails off a single gang box and install a retrofit double gang box later. Making a double gang box into a single requires drywall repair which I try to avoid. If your not sure there will ever be a system than go with the hidden approach but if you are sure there will be something why not let the drywall crew make the holes for you, you may not need to do any changes at all.

 

[Neurorad]

How soon will the DA be installed? How long will there be blank wall plates there? Will they bother you?

I'd just keep the cables hidden behind the drywall. Take photos showing the locations.

Install LV old work bracketes, when the time comes, exactly where you want.

 

[Neurorad]

I've found it easier to pry old boxes away from studs, instead of sawing the nail, and letting it fall in the wall.

Easy to chip and dent the adjacent drywall, though, when prying, if you're not careful.