Ceiling Speakers- New Construction
susha
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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coopdea
7 years agobry911
7 years agoRelated Discussions
New surround sound/ceiling speakers questions
Comments (7)Not an area of expertise for me, but with no replies I can fill you in a little. Wireless systems are making inroads, the technology and transfer rates are getting there...but "wireless" speakers, while they don't need speaker wire, still need line voltage, or household current, to work. If you can't get your specific system hammered out, at least try to anticipate the locations of your speakers, as well as the location of your theater/TV components. Then you can at least run speaker wire through the walls/ceilings. The drywall crew can do their thing, and then when your speakers do get installed the speaker wire will already be in place. Conduit for "future proofing" could be an option, but in your case, just running the speaker wire now would suffice. You could even run wire below the floor for seat rumblers. Subwoofers can be located most anywhere, but you'll usually need line voltage available so the subwoofer can be plugged into the wall, plus a cable running from the receiver to the subwoofer. If you have your screen location chosen, you'll typically want: 1) a center speaker, located centered and just below the screen. 2) front left and front right speakers, located...yup, to the left and right of the screen. 3) left and right rear surround speakers. if the room is open behind the seating area, then these are usually put in the ceiling. 4) subwoofer. As far as sales people giving you the ambiguous design vs budget run-around...yeah, that happens. It is good to have a ballpark estimate, as systems can run form a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. However, it seems like you're just doing surround "TV" versus a full-blown home theater, so they should winnow their offering to you based upon the practicality of what you are trying to accomplish. The best thing to do is to hear the speakers and decide what sounds good to your ears. In a basic setup, decent in-wall and in-ceiling speakers can be had for roughly $150 each, +/- $25. You can get a very good free-standing subwoofer for $250-$350. Mongo...See MoreCan any type wire (speaker or cable) be used in new construction?
Comments (4)Not sure on the exact equivalent of CSA (Canadian Standards Association) FT-4 but I believe it is CL2 or CL3 - riser rated. Basically, what it comes down to is that if a fire was to start at or near the in-wall cable, would the cable contribute to the fire spreading? With the correct insulation, as in in-wall rated, it would not substantially contribute. Between floors, in vertical walls, it should be riser rated. If the cable passes through air handling areas (very unlikely in residential) it must be plenum rated as well which means the fumes emitted are within specific toxic limits. The silver/gold zip-cord type of speaker wire is hardly ever in-wall rated... but the good thing is that the proper in-wall speaker cable (CL2/CL3) is usually cheaper. Coax, Video, Audio, Ethernet cables all must be in-wall rated as well....See Moreroof/ceiling insulation in south - new construction
Comments (18)Table 402.1.2 from IECC 2015 to current is best prescriptive guideline for cost effective energy efficiency. I doubt using weaker local amendments is good strategy. Some energy efficiency experts feel that R49 is good minimum for ceilings in ALL climates and would agree, if the ceiling is traditional vented attic where thick layers of insulation are easy to apply and affordable (loose fill). Some high performance projects in cold climates approach R100 for ceiling. These are international code minimum prescriptive numbers and it's easy to use other compliance paths to demonstrate equal total performance through other balancing improvements. Renovations of vaulted ceilings and insulative sheathing above the roof deck can make sense to go with weaker values. Spray foam applied to bottom of roof decks usually have substantial thermal bridging through rafters or truss chords, often more than the vented attics that prescriptions are based on so I don't think they deserve much leeway. Martin Holladay has the classic article on this common code violation. Efficient homes heating with mini-splits don't need heads in every room, but will need their doors open during hot or cold weather, a deal breaker for many. Then there is David's point about resale but I think good implementation could help tamp down this possible sentiment. Haven't built ductless yet but open to it if owners are. The efficiency one gets with Mitsubishi's smallest unit is unbelievable. One head replaced a whole house furnace in my personal small home, granted winter design temps are stretching it. Energy Star is for all homes. Homeowners or owner builders are eligible but may have a steeper learning curve to get the right details. Always involve a rater early, preferably with feedback during the design stage. Cpartist, sorry for your trouble. With everything you have had to put up with, it's not surprising they flubbed an important technical detail of your build. I think people who value efficiency have to do extra research to ensure they are getting the right feedback on their design and selections. The architect or builder should have the right knowledge and experience in your goals and I think the best projects are collaborative from the beginning. Most build teams valuing efficiency still include HERS raters (Energy Star) and mechanical engineers specializing in HVAC for services like Manual J, D, and S. Third party diagnostics, commissioning, and verification usually help ensure a good investment in home performance certifications like Energy Star....See MoreRepose Gray for walls & ceiling-new construction
Comments (24)Thank you everyone for responding! Update: We are going to go pay more to have the ceiling painted a different color. Thank you for providing the encouragement to make that upgrade. As long as we like the 3 colors we choose (walls, ceiling, and trim), we'll be able to relax in our new home without feeling like we need to start painting right away. We need a break from making house decisions. We were surprised by the heavy ceiling texture. I actually called my husband and the builder in a panic when I saw it but it was too late. We were asked if we were okay with orange peel texture and were told that is what most people get so we said ok without looking into it. Is there something we should keep in mind when choosing paint if we want to down-play the texture? We are getting more samples and I will post again, either once we are done (I can dream) or if I need your help again. The list so far has 16 new colors to consider. :-) Passive 7064 Worldly Gray 7043 Mindful Gray 7016 Modern Gray 7632 Snowbound 7004 City Loft 7631 Heron Plume 6070 Origami White 7636 Popular Gray 6071 Spare White 6203 Extra White 7006 High Reflective White 7757 Ceiling Bright White 7007 Eider White 7014 Incredible White 7028 Big Chill 7648 Thank you again! Sara...See Moresowen18
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRuss Barnard
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6 years ago
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