Prewire Boxes

Smokes, glassbreaks, keypads, & inside sirens get standard 1 gang nail on boxes with hand wrap of extra wire tucked all the way to the back of the box. Motions get a 16 penny nail with a gob of wire wrapped around it, and an accordion bend of wire back inside the wall so when the drywallers beat your nail to death you can pull fresh wire out of the wall. Door and window contacts get an overhand knot inside the frame with an short accordion bend of extra wire in the wall. Main power gets tucked into the nail that holds the electrical box where you will plug in the transformer. Standard personnel doors get a double bent wire showing through the hole in the jamb with... an accordion bend of wire inside the header.

I have taken to doing a walk around a with my cell phone in video mode after every single prewire showing every single wire.

I always assume the general, the dry waller, and anybody else in the house are assholes who will deliberately damage stuff if they think they can get away with it, so I use the hell out of nailing safety plates.

Bob,

Sounds similar to what I do with motions now. However, that extra bit of w ire in the wall is usually useless, as the drywallers have pinched the wire between the stud and the drywall. When mounting the motion, I would prefe r to have a couple feet of wire to work with, connect the motion, then stuf f the rest of the wire back into the wall. Typically, this isn't an option . And then, naturally, the nail itself tends to disappear... even the ones used in nail guns with glue at the tip.

I could, of course, use single-gang electrical boxes... but I've seen that done and the end result looks terrible.

- Chris

If the nail is placed in the center of the face of the 2x4, the drywall pinches the wire and you cannot push a service loop inside the wall without opening up the hole over to the edge of the 2x4. I place my nail at the corner of the 2x4 where the front meets the side, so when I pull the wire off the nail, I can push the excess inside the wall.

John

I will wrap a gob around a nail, but also I do about a foot of crisscross in the stud space using lightly inserted staples. This makes a really nice sounder if someone has to use a toner and, it's very easy to pop a hole, stick in a hook and yank out the wire.

Whenever I've done that, there's no battle or frustration when I come back for the finish to find all the corners nice and smooth.

Another trick I've seen is to drill a 7/8 or 1" hole right into the corner. bring the wire through that and wad up a ball in the hole plus a nail and a wad right on top of it.

Boxes for what kind of device? Like you said, plastic boxes for keypads and smokes. I've used mudrings for phone & cable jacks.

Those place we don't use a box we use 1/2 or 3/8 pvc about 4-6" long. Using romex staples we secure the pvc to the side of the stud either for side wall or ceiling. Then run the wire through the pvc and place a loop knot in the end so it will not pull back through the pvc. Also leave a extra loop inside the wall or overhead cavity as a safety.. (when dealing with unknown sheet rocker or contractors, we sometime wrap the stud with tinfoil, to aid in tracking wire location with a small metal detector.)

RTS

Bob,

Sounds similar to what I do with motions now. However, that extra bit of wire in the wall is usually useless, as the drywallers have pinched the wire between the stud and the drywall. When mounting the motion, I would prefer to have a couple feet of wire to work with, connect the motion, then stuff the rest of the wire back into the wall. Typically, this isn't an option. And then, naturally, the nail itself tends to disappear... even the ones used in nail guns with glue at the tip.

I could, of course, use single-gang electrical boxes... but I've seen that done and the end result looks terrible.

- Chris

Ditto on everything except that I don't think they deliberately do anything. They aren't that intelligent. Thoughtless, uncaring, mindless, morons .... yes ..... but deliberate ..... not likely.

One of my pet outrages is when floor sanding companies, painters and other dust producing trades go into a location and NEVER cover or ask to have the smoke detectors covered and the fire department is called. I just imagine how many Fu..... ing times that must have happened to them and STILL they just don't do it. Talk about thoughtless ...........

That is roughly what I do except I only drill a 3/8 hole.

Hi,

Close to what I do, but I do it with a twist. I never use nails since the drywallers will either pull them out or beat them in...That's all they know. I realized long ago that drywallers are only wanting to get their work done as quick and as easy as possible.

I have not had any problems doing it this way below.

Drill a 7/8" hole in the corner about 2" deep. Drill a 3/8" hole from the bottom of the first hole to get your wire from the main line.

Find on the jobsite or buy, a length of pvc pipe that fits the hole. The pipe needs only to be about 5" long. Drill a small hole into one end, on the side, about 1/4" from the end so that you can thread your 4 conductor. Put the pipe into the hole, it should be snug...tap in it if you need to.

Pull your wire snug, start folding it together in a small, flat loop of about 4" long, about 3-4 times, and use a small zip-tie to hold it together.

Insert it into the pipe, and the left over wire length will come thru the end hole from the inside. Then, simply make a knot, around the end of the pipe, with the wire end and leave about 3" out and bend it back flat against the pipe.

The wire will be totally protected. Oh yes, I look at the contractor real straight in the eyes and show him the pipe(s) for the motions. I tell him to make sure the drywallers are notified by himself... and that he is totally responsible.

.......Or else he pays $115. for a wireless motion...! I've never had any problems.

When it's time to trim out, the pipe easily twists out with a pair of pliers and your wire comes out of its cocoon ready for brighter days of motion viewing.

I also use this for glassbreaks into ceilings, thru the rafter method, so that even if I use a round glassbreak, the hole will be covered up. It does not take time. I keep a bag of ready made pipes in my van. I re-use the ones removed at trimout.

Hope this helps someone.