Structured Cabling

The open framing on the ground floor provided an excellent opportunity to install structured cabling. After some deliberating between the choices of CAT-5E and CAT-6 we decided on the former despite it's greater expense because of its substantially faster capacity. Each run consists of 2 CAT-6 cables and 2 RG-6 coaxial cables. Deciding on where to place the runs to each room was a bit of a challenge; in the end we decided on two runs per room, withe each one diagonally opposite from the other.

More Seismic Upgrades

The carpenters have been busy installing the shear walls throughout the ground floor. The shear walls will provide a great deal of lateral strength in the case of a major earthquake. The plywood used is particularly strong (it's expensive at more than $80 per sheet).

Getting Started On The Electrical

We're in the process of upgrading the old knob and tube wiring to the house. We decided to install a 200 amp service panel split up with a 100 amps for the first floor, a 100 amps for the top two floors and 30 amps for outside lighting. We've designed the electrical and plumbing systems so that the first floor unit is on a completely separate system from the rest of the house so as to be able to rent it out if we decide to.

Roughing In The Plumbing

I've been out of town for more than 3 weeks and a lot has been done in my absence. The plumbers have just about finished roughing in the plumbing for the downstairs bathroom, kitchen and new on-demand hot water boiler. They are now extending the drain, gas and water pipes to the rest of the house (the top two floors.