The Home Crowd

While reading through Gizmodo earlier today, I came across this article regarding the installation of wall mounted flat screens and the improper installation of wiring (Not to code) may just void your home insurance.

The problem is caused by those mounting their televisions, yet tired of the eyesore of hanging cords down the wall, that might carelessly and impatiently feed the supplied power cable, and A/V cables within the inside cavities of the wall.  Not to mention the extension cords involved, and possibly power strip/surge protectors.

Well, turns out that the National Electrical Code is not okay with that at all.

From the Gizmodo article -

The National Electric Code (NEC) states:

NEC ARTICLE 400 Flexible Cords and Cables General 400.1 Scope.
This article covers general requirements, applications, and construction specifications for flexible cords and flexible cables.
400.8 Uses Not Permitted.
Flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors
(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings
(4) Where attached to building surfaces
Exception: Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.8.
(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings

In other words, running power cords through the walls is not a substitute for permanent wiring. You’re supposed to have a new electric socket installed directly behind the TV, where you can plug in the power cord and coil up the slack to tuck underneath. If you drilled some holes and ran cable yourself all willy nilly, in and back out to a power socket, chances are you are in violation of these codes. Should a fire result, your insurance may find reason to get out of covering your losses.

Personally I know quite a few people with wall mounted flat panel TV’s, but quite a few more who are quite content standing them atop a narrow piece of furniture.  Hopefully, for all their sakes, I hope everything is wired properly.

But for those who’ve been waiting patiently for the price of that nice flat screen HDTV to drop into the affordable range before the upcoming football season, please remember not to skimp on the mounting.

Plan it out, or find an appropriate television stand.

• Make certain you plan out your space, and the size the the television you’d like to place in it.  (No one wants an unsightly electrical outlet just above the fireplace)
• Contact a fully licensed and trustworthy electrician, and also possibly a contractor and low voltage consultant, depending on what type of overhaul you’re planning for your home and how A/V and data cables may be routed alongside the permanent electrical wiring.

Here’s a good example, from the entire process article at Digital Home Thoughts. (Really interesting read, and great custom shelves)

And here is also another guide from Crutchfield detailing the “How-to’s” of wall mounting. – Link

This is all great to the homeowners, but suppose you’re renting and don’t feel like losing your security deposit, but appreciate the picture frame-esque clean wall faced televion mount.  There are also various options of furniture that can re-create that look for your high tech, high class pad, such as Crate and Barrel’s “Loop” media center (below)

This, however, may be overkill…  – Link

Shelves that can be disassembled, and reassembled as….. your coffin?  Not sure I’m liking where this is going, but definitely for those who despise their next-of-kin enough to frustrate their mourning with a fun IKEA-ish coffin assembly (unsure if multi-tool allen wrench is included).  Yeah, I know it’s some artsy exposition or something, but geez.

Their synopsis:

Shelves for Life was a self-initiated project by the designer to further explore ideas of built-in sentimentality within our possessions. The aim is to make stronger emotional relationships with our belongings and encourage life-long use.
The shelves are CNC cut in oak veneered plywood to the customer’s measurements. They are intended to be used throughout life as storage for personal belongings. On death, the shelves are dismantled and rebuilt as a coffin. Shelves for Life was launched at the British Library during the Travelling Apothecary Show and simultaneously at Liberties as part of Design UK, during London Design Week, September 2006. The project was subsequently featured in the international press.
The project is currently in production.

Oh yeah, one other thing learned from the construction photo, if you’re gonna die, die thin…

Shelves for life – Link

Bassett Furniture begins a very lengthy giveaway promotion today.  Lasting from September 4th, 2008 to December 18th, 2008, they’ll be giving away one custom sofa each day in honor of their 106th anniversary. 

Kinda fun, it’s kinda like the “build you car” portion of any carmaker’s website.  Except here you may actually have the option of getting your sofa in “hunter’s orange” whereas Hummer can’t understand why outdoorsmen may actually find this useful.

Bassett Furniture is a leader in home furnishings, providing design solutions with custom designed furniture, stylish accessories and complimentary in-home design service. The company’s custom upholstery capabilities gives customers an unmatched variety of design options including 750+ fabrics, arms, backs, pillows and bases.  With a user-friendly website and a well-trained staff, custom designing Bassett upholstery is simple, enjoyable, a great value, and best of all, delivered within a remarkable 30 days.

The interactive custom upholstery tool online at BassettFurniture.com, allows the winner to get creative and build their dream sofa from scratch.  Choosing from small to extra large, the first choice is the scale of the sofa.  Custom design your selection with extensive choices, including 10 options for arms, five choices for the back and six choices for the leg.  Customers also choose from more than 750 fabrics, along with design features such as constrasting welting, pillow fringe, monogramming and wood leg finishes.

The custom design can be created both online and in-store, allowing you to see every step and design detail as you build your custom sofa.  Change the fabrics as many times as you like, change the arm shape or change the accent pillows to create your perfect look to fit your lifestyle.  Then, submit your design online for your chance to win.

Also, the room planner is a fun tool.  It’s flash based and let’s you lay out a room fairly quickly…

Bassett Room Planner

But tinker with it, and good luck to you… Hope ya win a nice new sofa!

Link to Bassett Furniture

This is going on the short list of “Things I want”. Quiet Solution’s soundproof drywall boasts that one 5/8″ sheet is acoustically equal to (8) layers of standard 5/8″ drywall. Not many of us have the square footage to spare by packing in an additional 5 inches of drywall to the interior of your homes. Also, don’t count on any of your doors functioning properly to account for that. That would never happen of course, as it would be simpler just to construct a masonry wall, than build up a mountain of gypsum.

photo credit: djweitzner

Seeing as how the average interior wall has an STC (Sound Transmission Class) value of about 34, good enough to separate your family but still hear their conversations through the wall. Partition common walls separating apartments, townhomes and condos are required to have and STC of 50. Which is good enough to keep your business your own, yet still allows your neighbors to share their musical tastes with you….like it or not. Most of Quiet Solutions’ QuietRock products sport an STC of at least 50. They have an interactive sound example page at their website which allows you to experience the contrasting STC values as if a garage band was playing in the next room.

The best possible soundproofing solution they currently have has an STC value of 80, which is meant for home theaters and can be reached by adding two layers of their 1 3/8″ to a stud wall. This assembly, I imagine, when used in master bedroom applications, will bring upon the end of the phrase “Stop it! You’ll wake the kids!”

HGTV’s “I want that!” showcases the QuietRock product in the video below

There are other uses of course. Making your home feel solid and quiet and every sound in it’s place can be appreciated by everyone in your household. Finally get that media room/home theater you’ve always wanted? Now keep it ramped up way beyond bedtime. Oh, and those neighbors you have? You know the ones, the ones who, at best buy, go straight for the stereo demos and their accompanying volume knobs until products drop from the shelves, and your sanity drops from sight? Yeah, treat your exterior walls.

The downside of course for this product is the price. Prices start at 40$ (volume purchase) for a 4′x8′ sheet, and only go up from there with higher rated products. Standard drywall is of course, considerably less, but to gain a comparable STC rating using a combination of standard drywall, resilient channels and other various products would bring the project budget closer to what you would have spent by just ordering soundproof drywall.

- Quiet Solutions’ Website

This week, with the devastation that was caused by the cyclone in Myanmar (Burma), we’re all reminded of Katrina and every destructive hurricane we’ve ever seen.  Looking at pictures though, and the reports of 120 mph winds, the wreckage is quite similar to U.S. tornadoes and hurricanes.  While many of this storms victims lived in poorly constructed shacks, many of us here in the states who reside in high-wind prone areas have grown to accept wind-proofing their homes.  Whether it be storm shutters, roll-up protective metal screens, or just a mad dash down to the hardware store to get enough plywood to cover your windows/doors.

I saw this Q&A article by Norman Becker P.E. from Popular Mechanics, Norman is asked about Fabric screens used for wind protection.  He points to Armor Screen, a company from Riviera Beach, FL as a vendor of these screens which are rated to withstand the stringent Florida wind load requirements, large missile impact as well as 276 mph winds.

(Image credit: flying-chilli.com)

They boast quick set up times, yet I imagine that after seeing some of Armor Screen’s photos ‘as-installed’, that the actual illustration above.  Could you imagine stepping on that eyehook bolt popping out of your hardscape in your bare feet?  Ouch!  Granted, given enough room between screen and window (22 inches they say), the screen could allow enough deflection that you could possibly save that window in a hurricane or tornado adjacent.  I say adjacent of course, because if a tornado is headed for your living room, you’ll find refuge in your basement, and be damn pleased if it doesn’t strip you of your soiled undergarments by the time it’s left.

And saving the windows is great, and can save you some repair bills.  But the true intention of this product is to keep projectiles and debris from breaching the interior of your home and keeping you and your family safe.

Take this home above for example.  That screen’s on tight.  Any projectiles that hit it WILL bust out the window behind.  But take into account that in winds that are slamming against your home at 120 mph WILL be able to launch some of those cobblestones from the planter like kid hurling eggs at their least favorite teacher’s house.  Oh, and those pavers in the driveway?  Yeah, they pop out too.  Not what you want coming through the window.  Not only will that red-dyed chunk of concrete come in, but so will the glass, and glass blown through a funnel-like orifice in your home at that speed is also quite dangerous.

Looks like a great product though.  If they only had this fireproof and able to tarp over an entire home for the fire areas here in California.

Oh, and if this isn’t in your budget, and you’re going the old route of placing plywood over your doors and windows, do as the romans do and place it on the exterior!

(Q&A Popular Mechanics article here, and Armor Screen site)

Now what kid growing up didn’t dream of having a hidden passageway in their house.  Damn near every episode of scooby doo had one, and just as many movies with spooky mansion were required to sport a hidden passageway.

I’d always thought it’d be great someday when I built a house that it would have a hidden passageway, but would probably be more of a do-it-yourself task than I was prepared to take on.

Fortunately, Creative Home Engineering of Tempe, Arizona has taken on the task of manufacturing different types of passageways, and thus saving ourselves from disastrous cabinets which would likely come off its hinges on the eighth use and landing squarely on our feet.  However, I believe it’s common knowledge that you can sustain acceptable balance with at least 7 toes.

Maybe you have that den/home office which has become so overgrown with clutter that it’s become an eyesore to all who walk past it.  Well, a hidden passageway would cover that up nicely.  More importantly, in these times where home invasion robberies are more and more frequent, the prospect of a more secure hiding space could be quite valuable.  Sure you’ve got that fire-proof safe, and it’s tucked in the closet somewhere, only to be quickly discovered.  But it’s so heavy!  Who could lift it?  Yeah, it’ll take a couple of people, they won’t press their ear against your safe and crack it right there.  They will lift it out, if not hook it up to the tow hook of the getaway car and drag it outside, load it up, and crack it open later.

From the pictures above, the quality of workmanship already looks better than the commercial door hinges I’d likely try to force onto my own passageway.  The picture below, I find very entertaining, as it reminds me of The Munsters, lacking of course, “spot”, the fire breathing dragon/monster/creature living under the stairs.  But instead, it’s a nice hiding spot in a split-level home.

From Creative Home Engineering (via BallerHouse)