This Old House

[Skiz]

I have a Zotac Zbox in my basement living room that is equipped with 802.11 b/g/n wifi but is notoriously slow. Mine is no different. I pay for 105 Mbps connection and the shit Zbox has been reporting between 1 and 1.5 Mbps during various speed tests. After setting up the new 65" TV and speaker system, I just couldn't bear to sit there watching watching my Kodi box buffer for another minute. Something needed to be done. I kicked around the idea of building a new machine. I even pondered getting an Nvidia Shield. But there was always the chance I might have spurious results with any of those as well.

The solution hit me. I opted to run my own cable and do away with wifi for my downstairs home theater area once and for all.

The house I recently purchased is almost 60 years old. I figured that with an old home without fire blocks, I could likely tackle this project on my own.

My town has been rolling out a local fiber gigabit network and I wanted to get everything done before that hit my area sometime soon ("Spring 2016"). I planned to run Cat6a from my office modem, down an internal wall into the basement. Then I would remove the baseboards and cut into the wall. There I could bore holes into the studs and run the cable around to the TV area. That plan fell flat as I had a door in my way. I opted for a similar plan, but this time outside the wall.

I already had the tools I needed except for a few job specific items. I purchased 250ft of Cat6a cable on Monoprice for $35. It was cheaper to order it that way than to order the individual pieces I needed. This would also give me some versatility if I changed my mind or ran into any problems. I bought the Cat6 jacks and wall plates at Lowes for around $30. The plastic molding/conduit type stuff was the most expensive thing at around $10 per 5 ft section.

Before I even got started I ran into a problem. The walls weren't aligned right on top of each other in the upstairs office and the downstairs basement. After doing quite a bit of measuring, calculations and sketching, I was able to drill a 1/8" test hole in the office floor (out of sight, under the printer stand) and hit inside the basement wall perfectly. I then opened that test hole up with a 3/8" bit to accommodate the three cables. I wasn't keen on putting a hole in my original wood floors but it was an unavoidable sacrifice.


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My initial thought was to just run one cable to connect the Kodi PC. This quickly turned to, "well if I'm going to run one I might as well run two". It ultimately ended up as "If I'm going to run two I might as well run three." I did some more measuring and cut three 60' lengths of cable that I would run. I put a 3/8" hole in the very bottom of the basement wall and used my fish tape and some fine wire to pull it through. I started running the cable inside the plastic molding and sticking it to the wall. This went very quickly once I got the hang of it.

My doors go right to the ceiling so I needed to remove the top molding and cut it with a table saw to re-fit.


http://i.imgur.com/I6Sz9Cb.jpg


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Once I had it all the way behind the TV area, I cut another 3/8" hole and put the cables back into the wall, up about a foot, and out to the box. Then came punching down all three cables to Cat6 jacks on both ends. Then testing to ensure everything worked and label each one.


http://i.imgur.com/yLfihm3.jpg


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Kodi PC that was getting 1-2 Mbps over wifi is now getting full speed 120 Mbps and is ready for the impending gigabit network. :)

[megabyteme]

Nice job, Skiz. Shame about the hardwood floor, but you will be using the wires for years. If you ever did change that, you can find a similar grain and color piece of matching hardwood and use a plug cutter.

[Gribley]

You`ve got to do something more asthmatic with that break out box on the right. Or just put a chair/table or anything to cover it up :D

You didn`t ask but what the hell:
I run cat5e around the house but then we have plasterboard internal walls so running new cables isn`t really an issue once I got the main feed to the loft and then with a gigabit switch goes to all the bedrooms.... cheated in kitchen with a power line adaptor but that is fine for Kodi use :)

Anyhow put something over that ugly connection so your wife don`t notice ;)

[Skiz]

Do you mean "aesthetic"? :eyebrows:

Both of those boxes are on the wall and behind the TV stand. They aren't visible at all. I just had everything pulled out for installation purposes. Everything is nice and clean with tidy cable mgmt as well. :)

[Gribley]

Opps yes, I really can`t spell beyond the checkers abilities :D Didn`t notice that mistake, don`t think the socket needs an inhaler but good camouflage I think is essential :)

[IdolEyes787]

Before I even got started I ran into a problem. The walls weren't aligned right on top of each other in the upstairs office and the downstairs basement. After doing quite a bit of measuring, calculations and sketching, I was able to drill a 1/8" test hole in the office floor (out of sight, under the printer stand) and hit inside the basement wall perfectly. I then opened that test hole up with a 3/8" bit to accommodate the three cables. I wasn't keen on putting a hole in my original wood floors but it was an unavoidable sacrifice.



See, this is why we can't have anything nice. :no:

On a purely pragmatic level I hope that one day Gribley comes to realize that asthmatics are nearly as important as basically anything.

On a serious note, nice job, Bob.

I'm running custom builds of Kodi on my computers (Apollo and Kryptonite) because they're cool and I'm lazy.

[Skiz]

During last weeks blizzard, we had 6 large branches either break and fall off of two large trees we have in the back yard. Chainsaw time.

I inherited a Craftsman chainsaw from my grandfather some time ago. It's a 24" beast that must weigh every bit of 15 pounds. It's loud, spews white smoke from a 2-stroke mixture that is always too rich, and has no safety features of any kind. The manual I have for it indicates it was purchased in '79.

I got the ladder out, made my way up the tree and got to work. The chainsaw was doing ok but maneuvering such a long and heavy (giggity) item 20 feet up a tree isn't easy. I decided to buy a new chainsaw for the tree job. I bought an Echo CS-400 18".

Have any of you played competitive baseball and used a bat weight in the on deck circle, and then when you're up to bat your normal bat feels like a 1 pound wiffle ball bat? Yeah, that's how this new chainsaw felt. So a day and a half later I had a large bounty of firewood size pieces and stacked in the shed for next year.

You think I can put that I own two chainsaws on my next resume? :sly:

Next project: kitchen speakers.

[IdolEyes787]

Good job, urbane cowboy.

As you're a redneck I assume the old chainsaw will end up being something like this.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP_Xt-fYP4k

[Skiz]

Put some speakers in the kitchen recently. Some Audioengine P4's. I was tired of doing the bluetooth dance every time I wanted to listen to something, and I didn't want to be wired either. I wanted an option that would allow me to play music via wifi.

The Audioengine P4's are a passive speaker so I needed an amp and I didn't have any experience with small amps. Did some reading and found a nice little one online. I had power behind the stove hood so did some work to create an outlet behind there. Put both speakers above the cabinets, as well as the amp. The third piece of the puzzle was an older Apple Airport Express which allows me to use AirPlay to play music over wifi. So I have a 3.5mm cable coming out of the Airport Express and and splits to a red/white RCA connection into the amp, which in turn run to the speakers. All sitting on top of the cabinets and out of sight. Works great. Don't have to be worried about distance either. I can go to the yard, garage, wherever and as long as I have a wifi connection there's no interruption.

Next projects will be shelving for the garage and some office improvements. :01:

[megabyteme]

Good job, urbane cowboy.

As you're a redneck I assume the old chainsaw will end up being something like this.

[video=Lance Armstrong Returns to Tour de France!]

It is a very competitive sport these days...

[Skiz]

Garage shelving done. Anchored with angle iron up top. Sturdy as fk. I can climb the shelves to reach the top if needed.

Workbench coming in next.




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[AndrewNguyen]

Wow, it's really impressed me!

[Skiz]

I wanted to document this project somewhere but I don't blog so... here we go.

About 6-7 weeks ago I mentioned somewhere that there was a leak in our kitchen. Our house was built in 1960 and the plumbing was done with copper. Copper is pretty reliable I've learned except for some corrosion/build up if your water has the right combination of minerals to cause such a thing. Here in Colorado I've learned, we have the opposite problem: our water is so clean that it will over time draw out certain minerals in the copper pipe and wear them away. Lucky me.

Since the broken pipe created quite a bit of damage, we decided that maybe this was the opportune time to upgrade the bland cabinets, countertops, and backsplash that came with the house. They aren't terrible but they're also nothing we would have ever picked out, so just never quite felt right. I had initially planned to allow a contractor in to do all the work. As it happens, while we had a restoration team in our house to do all the drying and mold mitigation, we had the cable company pierce our sewer line out in the street. Long story and a shit-ton of money later (we've made a claim and reimbursement should be obvious but going through the process is taking forever), we've decided to cut some costs and do a lot of the work on our own. (This really mean on my own but she says she'll help).

Here's the current situation:

Overall view of things. Place is a total fucking mess. Under the window is where the broken pipe was initially. All the plumbing was done by a professional. I did a small underground garden sprinkler system last summer and that's about the extent of my plumbing knowledge. This took almost 2 full days for a pro to complete as I wanted all the copper we could get to replaced. That meant from the kitchen to the basement to the roof venting.


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The wall was so saturated for so many days that there was some shifting that took place. It popped out the old backsplash and cracked the sheetrock. I cut out the nastiest part of the wood and inserted a piece of pressure treated wood to solidify the sill plate and put a metal shim in there as well. Pretty confident that isn't going to move again.


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Over the coming weekends and evenings I'll be replacing the old subfloor and laying down flooring. Then cabinets, countertops are still being contracted out. Then finally backsplash. Updates to follow.

[Skiz]

Got a bunch done this weekend. Pulled out all the old cheap backsplash and cabinets. Tile was trash. Sold cabinets and countertops on Craigslist for $500. :01:

Some of the drywall in that area got cracked or peeled more than I was comfortable with leaving so I ended up cutting a lot of it out. Much better to replace it than to worry about it holding up later when doing the tile work at the very end. After the cabinets and countertop are in there no reasonable way to go backwards so best to just fix it all now.

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Drywall almost done. My third time ever doing some sheet rock work. I still use excessive amounts of spackle but it's even so fk it. I've definitely gotten better with each try.


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Done. Floors are starting to come out now as well. I needed to see how many sheets of plywood I'd need to buy.


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Next up is repairing the plywood in the subfloor. Found the old hardwood under here as well. It's practically black and is covered in a...something. Almost feels like wax but dirty at the same time. I'm wondering if someone years ago installed a glued down floor at some point. Anyways, three full sheets of OSB and a few small fillers and the floor repairs are done. Still need to demo the remaining old vinyl floors and prep for new flooring. Proper flooring planks should be here on Monday or Tuesday and some time after that I'll start the install so we'll have an actual finished floor and the first signs of a kitchen.


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[megabyteme]

That's coming along. You have already reached the point in the project where I usually quit, so congrats! :D

[Skiz]

Quitting is not an option. :sly: Been without a kitchen for 2 months already. And living in a small-medium town, we’re downright fed up with eating at the same dozen restaurants. Flooring should arrive sometime tomorrow. I’ve never put down flooring. Should be interesting. Hoping I have no probs and it drops in pretty easily. If I can keep Murphy’s Law at a distance for one of these projects that would be great. :pinch:

[megabyteme]

I really enjoy seeing your project, skiz. I have some old cabinets (functional but not attractive) that I have been eyeing to replace since we bought the house. So much to do just to get through each day-- never enough time, money, or energy. The steps you are taking are exactly what I will have ahead of me. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your efforts.

[IdolEyes787]

. Flooring should arrive sometime tomorrow. I’ve never put down flooring. Should be interesting. Hoping I have no probs and it drops in pretty easily. Seriously, dewd how difficult could it be to lay down dirt?

Of course you may be one of those uppity types who has to have straw.

[IdolEyes787]

Btw I'm trying this new thing where I don't read and only look at pictures so all I have to say is that must have been one hell of a party.

[Skiz]

I really enjoy seeing your project, skiz. I have some old cabinets (functional but not attractive) that I have been eyeing to replace since we bought the house. So much to do just to get through each day-- never enough time, money, or energy. The steps you are taking are exactly what I will have ahead of me. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your efforts.

It isn't too bad after you get past the monetary hurdle. Insurance helped pad about half the cost so that helped ease the pain quite a bit.

Floors in. No problems at all. Left space around where the cabinets will go. Since it's a floating floor it needs room for expansion and isn't supposed to have cabinets sitting on top. When I get the cabinets delivered in 10-15 days I'll need to get them in position, mark where the front edges touch the flooring and then use a zip saw type thing (still need to purchase) to cut off the excess flooring that would otherwise end up under the base cabinets. Still need to do the stair nose and transition strips sometime this week. I anticipated this taking 8-10 hours but it was more like 15+. The final strips by the sliding door were a bitch and it became a bit of a puzzle to work through. The middle areas go really fast however. I could have done a room 4x this size in probably the same amount of time.


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[Skiz]

Btw I'm trying this new thing where I don't read and only look at pictures so all I have to say is that must have been one hell of a party.

That would require at least a handful of friends. I only really have work friends here. We haven't found CO people to be the most welcoming folks and I can get along with just about anyone. :dabs:

[SoniaSharmaDelhi]

It seems you are facing the problem due to walls that are not aligned right on top of each other in the upstairs office and the downstairs basement. I suggest taking interior designing services they can advise you much better.

[Skiz]

Update. Been slow going due to time constraints and the holy hell that has come with problems and issues along the way.

Got base cabinets in a few weeks ago. The old house floors are hilariously wonky in some places. Shimming was a challenge. I was doing the cabinet install by myself so it took quite a bit of time. Got everything in, shimmed, and leveled. Next came the uppers. I thought I would need to buy some of these stands (https://www.bunnings.com.au/tradesman-stan-the-stand-cabinet-levelling-system_p2660827) to hold the wall cabinets while I put them in but I opted to just screw a 2x4 to the wall and just muscle through it. Same as the floors, the walls were very wavy and it became super apparent after anchoring the straight 2x4 to the wall. Doing it solo was a motherfucker. I got through it but in the future I'll find a better alternative.



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Next came time to put the sink in. I don't know if any of you have ever lifted a cast iron sink before. I hadn't. It's cast iron. I knew it was going to be heavy but I wasn't prepared for 135 lbs heavy. I had to build a 4 post frame and deck inside the sink base to support it. Had to solicit the help of a neighbor to help lift it and put it in place. This turned out to be a hassle. We put the sink in once and I considered using construction adhesive to hold it but opted for caulk instead...just in case. Sure enough, when the guy came to template for the countertops he said it needed to come up an 1/8". It took two of us to break the seal and remove the sink. Put some common wood in there I had planed down, recaulked and replaced the sink, remeasured, too high. Removed it all again, inserted new wood, recaulked, replaced the sink, remeasured, perfect.

Next, I needed to install the disposal and plumb the sink. What should have been an hour project turned into 2 days. In order for water to properly drain you need to have a downward slope in your drain pipes, otherwise you get water collecting in the bottom of the disposal where it will start to stink and you will eventually have leaks as well. The guy who did all the major plumbing when our original pipe broke inside the wall put the drain inlet a tad too high and I wasn't able to get a downward slope.

Attempt 1: No downslope.


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Attempt 2: tried flipping the trap. This technically would work but it would also leave standing water in the low side of the trap and would eventually leak. Tomorrow, next year, who knows..


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Attempt 3: I eventually came across a "U" trap in the solvent pipe section and loved the idea. Works perfectly and everything is glued together. Shouldn't have a problem, ever.


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With plumbing completed I was able to get the dishwasher in and usable. Next, countertops are delivered and set in place. No problems. Next, faucet and soap dispenser install. No problems. Got the window framed as well. This was one of those odd old house things. The current window thats in place is actually set inside the old original window frame. I have no idea why. So I had to get creative in filling the ~3" gap of no drywall around the window. I actually just used adhesive and paint stirring sticks as they were the perfect thickness. Should leave some added mystery to that window some years down the road when the next guy goes to replace something.


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With the countertops in and a working sink, you can bet we were ready to make the first home cooked meal in a couple of months. Annnnnnd the stove is broken. No idea why it broke. It worked when we moved it out. All the electrical lights come on but the stove and oven will not heat up. Doing some reading it looks like it might be a thermal fuse. Fk it. The stove is the only old appliance we have in the house and I prefer gas anyway. out with the old and in with the new...when it gets delivered. Unfortunately, when shopping for new ranges I noticed that none of them can accommodate the 24" tall gas supply pipe in our kitchen. Yet another unexpected project.

I considered just shortening the current gas pipe but I don't have a pipe threader and they cost a few bucks for one that will thread iron pipe. So now my only option is to replace the current pipe with a new one. You wouldn't believe how scared people get or how they look at you when you say you're going to be replacing a gas pipe in your house. I think it's pretty safe if you take your time and use some common sense. I also needed to run the electrical through the wall for the new range. The old range required a 220 but the new only requires a 110. All in all both of these projects went smoothly and was done in a half day.


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Projects still to be completed:

Minor electrical (those over/under light switches next to the sink bother me. gonna put in a proper side by side switch box)
Tile
Range hood
Toe Kicks
Crown moulding

Can't do tile until I have a wet saw. My uncle has one in New Mexico. I plan to drive down and pick it up in a couple weeks.

[Skiz]

I'd forgotten about this thread. All done now, thanks to the help of a shitload of youtube videos. :)


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[megabyteme]

That looks fantastic, skiz! Really nice work.

[MacGyverSG1]

Nice work. :)

I guess the ceiling was an ocean wave, so you chose not to install the crown tight up.