electronics

Last week we realized that we would like some of our electronic wires hidden in the wall, preferably before the sheet-rock. So I went to the library and found a few books that mentioned 'smart wiring' your home. They really did not cover what we wanted. Luckily our electrician has a brother that came over Saturday and told the boys what to do.

• we are wired for surround sound; thanks Jeffrey. (I think Jeffrey now expects us to buy some great new speakers to attach to those wires.)
• wires to the computer from command center (internet connection) inside the closet and to 2 other places in the living room.
  
• tubes that will make it EASY to snake whatever wires needed from the TV to the dvd/Wii stuff AND to the computer. (The gray tubes seen in the picture)
  

These tubes bend pretty easily as long as you have a torch of some kind to heat the side that has to stretch.
Here you can see the position of both tubes; their connection is to be installed behind the TV or family portrait that will hang above the mantle...
Which meant we had to decide exactly where the mantle would be. Not an easy decision since there are very few guidelines. We tried to use the magic rectangle formulation and it was not going to work; we worked an hour and a half trying to make it work. Finally Roger put a ladder on either side of the fireplace and then we propped up a 2x8 on 2x4's until we got a height we could live with.
I sure hope it doesn't look dumb.

This week they will continue the dry walling now that the electrical is finished....Well, not exactly finished but 'stubbed' in; ready for the contractor attach the plugs, switches, covers, lights etc. Some of which will not be attached until after the cabinets are put up, so that they will be in exactly the right place.