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Ask Handyman

By Travis Larson

From The Family Handyman

Cable and telephone wiring for the 21st century

Q I’m putting an addition on my house. How can I set up communication lines to be ready for anything that comes along this century?

Dave Folsom, Santa Fe, NM

A What you need is a system that will allow you to integrate, connect, route and modernize telephone, TV, Internet and all future data lines. We can’t guarantee that our system will take care of everything (no one knows what’s coming), but if you install the stuff we show here, you should be set for the next 25 years or so.

You can install the system yourself using tools and materials found at a well-supplied home center. The key to this system is to feed two telephone and two coaxial cables from each wall jack to the central communication center so you can easily link any electronic components in the future. That means buying a lot of cable, but don’t worry—cable is relatively cheap. Phone connections are made by linking different phone ports with “patch cords.” Video cable links are made by connecting cables with cable splitters.

There’s room in the telecommunication distribution box for other electronic enhancements too. At some point, you may want to add computer networking components, hardware to boost video signals and more cable splitters for connecting different components.

The basic hardware

1. Telecom distribution box ($50): This box contains the telecommunication module and the connecting hardware that are the wiring hub of the home.

2. Telecommunication module ($85): This module snaps into the panel and contains the phone terminals and the main cable splitter block. The phone and coaxial cable lines from the street connect to these terminals, as do the lines from the individual jacks in your home. You can add patch cords and splitters to network lines inside your house.

3. CAT-5e telephone cable ($60 per 1,000-ft. spool): This high-quality cable eliminates interference from internal and external electronic traffic for clear, unobstructed signals. It’s capable of carrying high-speed Internet service as well as up to four telephone numbers.

4. CAT-5e modular jacks ($3.50 each): These are the actual wall terminals that your phones and computers plug into. They come with a special “punch-down” tool for hooking the eight CAT-5 wires into the jack.

5. RG-6 coaxial cable ($70 per 500-ft. roll): This cable is similar to conventional TV cable but made to higher standards for clearer signal transmission. A must when TV goes completely digital by 2010.

6. Crimp-on F-connectors (50¢ each): These are the female plugs that crimp onto both ends of the RG-6 cable to connect into the panel box at one end and into the wall plates at the other. Use a special “Coax Strip and Crimp Tool” ($30) to connect the cable to the F-connectors.

Cable-running tips:

• Avoid tight bends of less than 2-in. radius; smooth, gradual ones are best to protect the wire.

• Clamp cables to framing with nylon cable straps, lightly secured around the cables and screwed to the framing. Never compress, crush or deform the wire.

• Pull gently on cables when feeding them through holes and tight spaces. Pulling with more than 20 lbs. of force (as if you were really pulling your bootstraps tight) will distort the delicate twists and compromise the quality of signals.

What are those little diamonds on tape measures for?

Q At work we’ve been kicking around the subject of the diamond marks found on tape measures at 19-3/16 in. and every 19-3/16 thereafter. These marks must be for some easy layout feat—but what’s the feat?

G.R. Craig, via E-mail

A Maybe you already know that carpenters usually lay out framing members on stud walls, floors and roofs on either 16- or 24-in. centers (the distance from the center of one framing member to the next). The spacing chosen depends on the strength and span of the framing as well as the strength of the sheathing being used. Weaker materials and longer spans call for closer spacing.

It’s no coincidence that seven framing members spaced at 16 in. and five framing members spaced at 24 in. both span 8 ft., the length of a sheet good. Well, it just so happens that six framing members spaced at 19-3/16 in. equals 8 ft. as well. Sometimes a framing/sheathing assembly is too weak for 24-in. spacing but not weak enough to merit 16-in. spacing, and that’s where 19-3/16 in. spacing may be appropriate. Using fewer framing members saves money, so some builders will use the “in-between” 19-3/16 spacing whenever they can.

Which drywall should I use?

Q I’m building an addition on my house. Should I use 5/8- or 1/2- in. thick drywall when I get to the finishing part?

Todd Davies, Buffalo, NY

A You’ll probably want to use a combination of both, depending on your framing spacing. Most homes are drywalled with a combination of 1/2-in. and 5/8-in. material.

Typically, wall framing is spaced on 16-in. centers and roof and some ceiling framing on 24-in. centers. Conventional 1/2-in. drywall will be fine for the walls or 16-in. spaced ceilings. However, ceilings with 24-in. spacing call for beefier 5/8-in. drywall because 1/2-in. drywall will sag over time between the framing members.

Here are some other places to use 5/8-in. drywall:

• Any ceiling that will be spray textured.

• Ceilings in humid areas like bathrooms, damp basements and garages, even if they’re framed on 16-in. centers.

• Wherever a fire-resistant surface is called for, such as a common wall between a garage and the house.

If you need 5/8-in. drywall, be sure to add that 1/8-in. extra to the stud depth so that you order the correct jamb widths on windows and doors. To make this easier, most plastic boxes are stamped on the side with 1/2-in. and 5/8-in. gauge marks.

Is lacquera good finish?

Q I’m just getting started in woodworking and would like to know a little about using lacquer as a clear finish. What exactly is it and how is it applied?

Herbert Langley, Elgin, IL

A Lacquer has been the preferred finish of furniture and cabinet manufacturers since its invention in the 1920s. It’s good looking, easy to spray, fast-drying and quickly repaired with subsequent coats. Lacquer is made from cellulose derived from cotton or wood fibers that’s combined with resins and plasticizers to help improve durability and flexibility. Furniture manufacturers like its incredibly fast drying time. They can put on several coats in a short time, which is important for reducing costs.

But lacquer has its disadvantages, too:

• It scratches easily and doesn’t stand up particularly well to solvents, heat or water, so it’s not well suited for high-wear surfaces like table or dresser tops.

• It’s not a food-safe finish—it can’t be used on cutting boards, fruit bowls and the like.

• Lacquer and its solvent, lacquer thinner, are extremely flammable and emit toxic fumes.

For these reasons, and because it’s best applied by spraying, lacquer is not a good choice for home woodworkers to use on big projects. Spraying large projects with lacquer requires sophisticated spraying equipment, a power-ventilated spray booth and expensive protective gear.

Whew! With all that said, lacquer in aerosol spray form can be the perfect choice for small projects, if you work in a well-ventilated area. I like to use it for ornate pieces that are hard to finish with brushes and that get little wear. And I also like being able to spray on five or six coats in a day. Another benefit? Because each fresh layer of finish dissolves and binds to the previous one, you don’t have to sand between coats unless you find flaws to repair.

Art Direction • GREGG WEIGAND

Photography • BILL ZUEHLKE

From The Family Handyman - September 2001