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Hawk and Awe

HB Heisman
Sep 15, 2012
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Breaking ground on a new home in a couple months. I've found some things I'm looking forward to install with the build instead of down the road. Here's what I have so far - any additions would be appreciated.

Central vac - no brainer

Ethernet wired throughout the house. Realtor thinks I'm nuts, but I want smart TVs and don't care for wireless

Bluetooth locks and garage door

Nest thermostat - needs to be top of the line. I've never had a thermostat I've been happy with

External gas lines - definitely for grill, potentially for fire pit

Geothermal - still trying to figure out cost. Lots of options but seems like a no brainer in a house well stay in at least 10 years.

USB ports in outlets

Others?
 
If you are into audio and video toys you can have the home pre-wired for that as well. I think many people have Cat 5 wire put in as it can be modified to carry just about any type of signals. That may be what they use for Ethernet too. (The beginning and end connections can be changed to suit your needs.) When we had our addition built I put in heavy gauge speaker wire which can be used for the front or surround channels. Though due to the orientation of the sun, the audio video toys have always stayed on the south side of the room.

http://www.hometoys.com/content.php?post_type=1196
 
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Hawk and Awe said:
Breaking ground on a new home in a couple months. I've found some things I'm looking forward to install with the build instead of down the road. Here's what I have so far - any additions would be appreciated.

Central vac - no brainer

Ethernet wired throughout the house. Realtor thinks I'm nuts, but I want smart TVs and don't care for wireless

Bluetooth locks and garage door

Nest thermostat - needs to be top of the line. I've never had a thermostat I've been happy with

External gas lines - definitely for grill, potentially for fire pit

Geothermal - still trying to figure out cost. Lots of options but seems like a no brainer in a house well stay in at least 10 years.

USB ports in outlets

Others?
Click to expand...

In floor heat for basement & garage. You only get one chance to do this one right, heck if I were to do it again I'd have another zone for the driveway and sidewalk!
 
Sentry guns.
sentryguns2.JPG

tumblr_inline_nfqyygHMqM1rqf6g8.jpg

 
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Nest can be done later. No reason to do this upfront and pay a premium to HVAC people. Look at Ecobee as well as they have sensors available. Go with Nest for your smoke and CO. You'll be Happy you did.

Ethernet all over, even where you have want phones. Take it all back to one central location. Have some run to outdoor soffits. Set for outdoor AP later.

Don't forget drains in garage. Not a gadget, but still ......
 
We recently remodeled our master bathroom, and I added heated floors in spite of the wife's reluctance. She tells me at least once a week that she's glad I insisted on it. Add them in at least your master bath...you'll be glad you did.

Also, do the entire floor, don't get cheap about it.
 
Hawk and Awe......Before any good suggestions can be
made, we need to know the state in which your home is
being built. There is a big difference in climate between
Florida and Minnesota.
 
Wiring for surround sound speakers and a media closet for your receiver, DVR, etc. so you have a place to store them out of sight. Also a wet bar with fridge and dish washer so you don't have to carry the glasses back and forth to the kitchen when they get dirty. I've also seen some homes have an extra water faucet over the top of the stove in the kitchen to make it easier to fill up pots with water when cooking. And if you have kids or a dog a mud room with a sink (or even a shower!) to clean them up before they come in to the house. And if you have a basement, 9ft ceilings are a really nice feature. And 2 zones for heating/cooling. My current house is impossible to keep all the same temperature. If the main floor is 70 degrees the finished basement feels like it's 65. My next house will definitely have a separate zone to fix this problem.
 
dandh said:
We recently remodeled our master bathroom, and I added heated floors in spite of the wife's reluctance. She tells me at least once a week that she's glad I insisted on it. Add them in at least your master bath...you'll be glad you did.

Also, do the entire floor, don't get cheap about it.
Click to expand...

Ironic, we have this and we never use it. Total waste in our case.
 
Pepperman said:
Ironic, we have this and we never use it. Total waste in our case.
Click to expand...

Did you heat the entire floor?

I did because I saw a model home where they only heated part of it, and I'd guess it's really annoying when you step off of it. That's why I did the entire surface. It's great when you get out of the shower or tub, or even in the middle of the night when you have to go to the bathroom.
 
You might consider buying a roof mount TV antenna and hanging it in your attic. Run the cable to your distribution point. Comes in handy if you have Directv and you lose your signal.
 
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Don't forget a drain in garage.

Would also out hot and cold water spigot in garage.

Cable outlets etc up high in corners of rooms like master BR, office, work out rooms.

In floor heat is good.

Maybe zone the heating and air

Cable in garage.

Ceiling fans in most rooms.


When pouring foundation walls have a small area for tornado room. Easy and cheap.
 
When you have them wire the whole house for audio/video, have them run those wires to each room through conduit so you can easily change them out for other wires/technology down the road.
 
dandh said:
Did you heat the entire floor?

I did because I saw a model home where they only heated part of it, and I'd guess it's really annoying when you step off of it. That's why I did the entire surface. It's great when you get out of the shower or tub, or even in the middle of the night when you have to go to the bathroom.
Click to expand...

Yeah, we have the whole master bath floor heated. We just don't use it. There is some kind of timer thing where we could set it, but what I found is it takes a good 15-20 minutes to get up to temp. Maybe our system isn't as snappy as yours, I don't know. It just didn't seem worth the time to figure it all out when the first few times I tried to use it, I was finished with the shower and getting dressed before the floor was warm.

I guess I'll have to try it again this winter. It would be nice to get something out of the money we used on it!
 
This isn't a gadget, just a suggestion that, if you follow it, will cause you to thank me roughly 364 days a year as long as you live in the house.

Make the doors 36 inches wide instead of 32 inches.

Won't cost you a nickel more and makes life vastly easier.
 
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Pepperman said:
Yeah, we have the whole master bath floor heated. We just don't use it. There is some kind of timer thing where we could set it, but what I found is it takes a good 15-20 minutes to get up to temp. Maybe our system isn't as snappy as yours, I don't know. It just didn't seem worth the time to figure it all out when the first few times I tried to use it, I was finished with the shower and getting dressed before the floor was warm.

I guess I'll have to try it again this winter. It would be nice to get something out of the money we used on it!
Click to expand...


Mine's on a programmable thermostat - so it's a continuous temperature (I set it at 78 in the summer, and 80 in the winter) when we're home. I don't think it would be very handy to have to turn it on and off, as it takes quite a while to heat up. That would not be very useful, imo.
 
My current house was wired for Ethernet throughout and it is nice. They also wired the house for the front and back patio for audio which is a plus.

If you do geothermal make sure your ground floor has floor heating and run lines to your bathrooms. I had floor heating on my main floor in Germany and only had to run the radiator in the master bedroom during the coldest months. In January I had the windows open as it heated so well. No need for a humidifier.
 
dandh said:
Mine's on a programmable thermostat - so it's a continuous temperature (I set it at 78 in the summer, and 80 in the winter) when we're home. I don't think it would be very handy to have to turn it on and off, as it takes quite a while to heat up. That would not be very useful, imo.
Click to expand...

We have the exact same system. I'm not telling anybody NOT to do it, I'm just saying in my experience it has been worthless. I guess maybe this winter I should just set it to 78 and see what I think?
 
Whole house fan

Whole house surge protector at the main electrical box

Transfer switch- so that if power goes out, you run 1 cord from your generator to your main box
 
Pepperman said:
We have the exact same system. I'm not telling anybody NOT to do it, I'm just saying in my experience it has been worthless. I guess maybe this winter I should just set it to 78 and see what I think?
Click to expand...
We use it all year. With the ac on the floors would be pretty cold without it (we have tile floors). Unless you've actually experienced it with the floor being warm, you really haven't tried it out. It doesn't get warm and cold, it stays within a degree or two of the temperature at which it's set. Plus, it actually takes 2-3 hours to warm up completely, once you start it up after it's been off for an extended period (days).

Try it out this fall/winter and see what you think.
 
I have tile and have never thought the floor seems that cold. How cold are you guys keeping your house in the winter?
 
Buy a house on a golf course.

Pay people extra so they can tell you when your garage door can be open.

Buy a four-door truck, because the type of guy who buys a truck is typically into car-pooling to the job site.

Back your car into your driveway so you can better show your dumbass neighbors what you drive.

Make your garage doors the most prominent, forward-facing aspect of your home.
 
Hawk and Awe said:
Breaking ground on a new home in a couple months. I've found some things I'm looking forward to install with the build instead of down the road. Here's what I have so far - any additions would be appreciated.

Central vac - no brainer

Ethernet wired throughout the house. Realtor thinks I'm nuts, but I want smart TVs and don't care for wireless

Bluetooth locks and garage door

Nest thermostat - needs to be top of the line. I've never had a thermostat I've been happy with

External gas lines - definitely for grill, potentially for fire pit

Geothermal - still trying to figure out cost. Lots of options but seems like a no brainer in a house well stay in at least 10 years.

USB ports in outlets

Others?
Click to expand...
Wire for surround sound for main TV(s), and stick in-wall/cieling bluetooth speakers in master bathroom.

Consider wiring for HDMI around where TV's will be. This would allow you to serve several TV's with a single box (with RF remote), so you avoid extra monthly receiver fees, particularly for lesser-used TV's. Just put your receiver or roku, etc. near your main hub, and pass the signal to the tvs throughout the house via hdmi.

Ditch central vac, everyone I know who has it has given up on it either for maintenance or inconvenience, and opted for a vacuum or 2. Your average dyson will work better anyway.

Unless your wife really must have it, save some space and don't have an oversized jet tub in bathroom or full sized hot tub anywhere. They both sound great when you're building but almost never get used. This is our experience and the experience of all neighbors (and others) I know, in both cases.

Your realtor is nuts, wired ethernet is just smart, even if not a real requirement.
 
thewop said:
Wire for surround sound for main TV(s), and stick in-wall/cieling bluetooth speakers in master bathroom.

Consider wiring for HDMI around where TV's will be. This would allow you to serve several TV's with a single box (with RF remote), so you avoid extra monthly receiver fees, particularly for lesser-used TV's. Just put your receiver or roku, etc. near your main hub, and pass the signal to the tvs throughout the house via hdmi.

Ditch central vac, everyone I know who has it has given up on it either for maintenance or inconvenience, and opted for a vacuum or 2. Your average dyson will work better anyway.

Unless your wife really must have it, save some space and don't have an oversized jet tub in bathroom or full sized hot tub anywhere. They both sound great when you're building but almost never get used. This is our experience and the experience of all neighbors (and others) I know, in both cases.

Your realtor is nuts, wired ethernet is just smart, even if not a real requirement.
Click to expand...
If you are wiring your home, why go bluetooth for speakers? BT has audio limitations and don't need to be put in place at build. IMO, bluetooth only makes sense if you were outfitting an existing home and didn't want to wire.
 
naturalmwa said:
If you are wiring your home, why go bluetooth for speakers? BT has audio limitations and don't need to be put in place at build. IMO, bluetooth only makes sense if you were outfitting an existing home and didn't want to wire.
Click to expand...
For me, I use it to play from my phone (tunein, iheart, etc.) while in the shower or for when I just decide to take a nap on the bathroom floor. I suppose you could put a wall input in, but bluetooth works well for that purpose, so you can just put your phone down wherever and it plays. Different story if you want it hard-wired to a receiver in a different part of the house.
 
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thewop said:
For me, I use it to play from my phone (tunein, iheart, etc.) while in the shower or for when I just decide to take a nap on the bathroom floor. I suppose you could put a wall input in, but bluetooth works well for that purpose, so you can just put your phone down wherever and it plays. Different story if you want it hard-wired to a receiver in a different part of the house.
Click to expand...
I hadn't thought of that. Makes sense.
 
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