This house I have been working on is going weill and is approaching the halfway point. Two things I could use a bit of input on is the electrical. The electrician will be starting soon doing the rough in. It will be pretty simple and basic. Just looking for things I might miss that would be nice to have.
The will be a transfer switch at the outdoor service panel so we can run a generator in case a prolonged outage. This will not be a whole house deal. Simply plug a gas generator in until power can get restored hopefully.

The living room, kitchen, dining room is open concept so there will be some floor plugs. The oversize garage will have plenty of plugs.


There will be some outside outlets. Not sure what we are doing for exterior lighting just yet.


It will be wired for cable and satellite.

I am sure you guys can come up with a few things I have not thought of.


The other thing that has been challenging is the siding. A true Board and batten look is desired on the exterior. The builder wants to use an LP product and paint it.

The family member has a real dislike for the LP product for a thirty year old issue they had when LP had all their lawsuit issues and I get it.

But it has been a struggle to come up with an affordable option. True cedar would look fantastic but not sure is in the budget. Any suggestions on this part.

I appreciate you guys.

https://www.everlastsiding.com/products

I have redone my home with Everlast siding and have been very pleased with it. It's an extruded "plastic" composite that is much thicker than vinyl siding. The color is applied using an acrylic cap during the extrusion process. The colors have a good reputation for remaining stable, and because it's acrylic it can be repainted.

Lifetime warranty to original homeowner, and prorated 50 year warranty to new owners if home is sold.

quote:

It will be wired for cable and satellite.

I'd add CAT-5e or better in places that you may not have even thought of yet.

Like above the front door and other places that you might want security cameras. also places where a TV might go, or where you might want to put a wireless access point (WiFi)

I had all my Cat-5e go to what is now my media closet. 100% worth the effort.

Oh, figure out where your "media closet" will be --- where all the network stuff comes together and put a few outlets in that closet. My media closet even houses my printer

if you plan to wall mount TV's now is the time to put outlets, ethernet and a cable feed about 5 feet off the ground, so you don't have cables dangling down.

Garage freezer??? Dedicated circuit just for that.

FIL put outlets under the eaves for xmas lights. Switched with switches in garage, which he converted to timers.

I hope at least some of your garage outlets are 220V. FOr future proofing.

Could add a box on the exterior near garage door for Electric Car charging. You may not be interested in this, but may be a selling point later.

220 service in garage for a welder…

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
220 service in garage for a welder…

Make that a minimum 50A to 60A 220VAC circuit in the garage, because, EV, unfortunately.

Also, a whole house SPD:
EATON CHSPT2ULTRA Ultimate Surge Protection 3rd Edition

A couple of electrical outlets with USB port located near convenient locations to charge phones, tablets, and such.

I used Celect siding when I replaced my siding and am very happy with it. I can send you pictures of the house if you want to see it.

Wish I had thought of an outlet near the garage doors for when I vacuum the cars in the driveway after washing them.

Exterior Flood Lights ?

If you do install a "media closet" as radioman suggests, make sure you ensure adequate cooling in that space. Equipment can generate a surprising amount of of heat.

I'm with those above who suggest a widespread twisted pair (Cat5e or Cat6) distribution, homed to a patch panel in said media closet. Don't forget to label these drops at both ends of each run. If you are desirous of being able to watch media at random locations, you might want to run HDMI to appropriate spots where you might want to locate a monitor or TV.

And talk to your wife about a whole house vacuum cleaner system. I lived in a house that had one of these at one time, and you wouldn't believe how much it eased the vacuuming chores.

Outlets in the corner soffits for Christmas lights, right next to spotlights at each corner of the house. That way you’ll have power for the outlets and for any cameras you install.

There is ONE outlet in my MBR closet. It was there for the security system. Guess where I have to iron clothes? Not the MBR closet.

Mom n dad built their dream house when we move to NC from Fla. there was an outlet every eight feet in every room. Mom said she got sick of hunting outlets that were hidden behind beds or furniture.

A few outlets under the eves for Christmas lights or whatever else you may need to plug in . Soffit lighting is nice too . Floodlights on the corners and driveway .

Great minds ...

At least 2 outlets minimum per wall. You'll thank me later.

Pre-wire Cat6 to ideal camera locations if you'd like to do POE cameras. Have them all route back to a central spot.

At least two circuits in each room. Basically, make it so you can run a space heater or coffee maker and not worry about something else triggering the circuit breaker.

Motion detector switches are handy in certain areas . Garage , laundry room , kids bathrooms .
Don't forget receptacles on the patio or deck .

I would recommend plastic conduit between floors/major rooms. Easier to fish thru conduit than update Cat 6 or R58. Too expensive to put fiber in now.
Generator plug can double as an EV plug- may get a tax credit .
I just resided with Hardie Board. Color is baked in. Vertical board/batten is available. Fire resistant, insect resistant but difficult to work with = cement type composite board. Expensive- needs professional install to comply with warranty.

When I stripped off my 100-year-old cedar shingles, I went with Hardie board that looks like shingles. It is actually made of concrete.

Unless you get real close you can't tell the difference.

Most people think I just re-shingled.
I was at the lumber yard today and they wanted $500 a box for cedar shingles.

I did it not to save money but so I will not have to paint.

They have lots of colors to choose from.

https://www.jameshardie.com/pr...e-siding?loc=refresh


I will not live long enough to have to paint it unless my wife wants to change the color.

I would put at least one network cable drop to each wall in each room.

I was way off when I decided where to do the drops before I had furniture in the rooms.

If you just bring them all back to the media closet you only have to plug in the ones you are using. If you rearrange the furniture you can just change what is plugged in.

I also ran coax to all the rooms.
I would not do that today or telephone wires.
That is so 20th century.

Add an outlet near the toilets for a heated toilet seat or bidet seat.

Any plans for a workshop?
220v outlet in garage for a welder?
220v outlet for tablesaw?
Air compressor?

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
A couple of electrical outlets with USB port located near convenient locations to charge phones, tablets, and such.

Preferably with USB-C ports as well as the older USB-A ports.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
Motion detector switches are handy in certain areas . Garage , laundry room , kids bathrooms .

which reminds me, this may be the time to add alarm wiring on all doors / windows.

I hate battery operated alarm sensors. they Look like crap, and you gotta change batteries now and again.