The Mix of Home and Electronics Wiring Is Becoming an Unsightly and Unmanageable Mess. One Solution for Builders Is to Install a Technology Closet.

For over 50 years homes have been wired in whatever manner was the easiest at the time. As new technologies have been brought to market, service providers have brought a variety of new wiring and access needs. This has generally evolved into a complex mess of "traditional" wiring, with each sub-system located in a different place.

Consider some examples: telephone jacks being wired to the side of the house; cable TV splitters being wired to the attic; and security systems being wired to the master bedroom closet. Audio/video contractors then entered the picture and started wiring all the speakers to the great room TV outlet. This is how the "traditional" concept of having all the equipment next to the big screen TV started. It didn't happen because it was a good idea, it just evolved that way over time because of the lack of standardization.

Now it's time to set a standard for all wiring that works for all parties—especially the current homeowner and future buyers of that property.

In recent years a standard has developed that just misses the mark of excellence—the structured wiring panel. While this gets all the service providers and home wallplates wired to the same location, the location of that wiring panel is too often all wrong. It's usually placed in a garage, or a laundry room, behind a door or even in the attic. This might be a great location for distributing CATV or raw satellite RF. But the typical home AV equipment is usually in the great room or family room. From there that gear cannot be shared with other rooms or video displays without the use of outdated modulators. That disconnect should be fixed, and electronics gear should be where the wires are.

Tao of the Toilet

We can take a lesson from 100 years ago, when indoor plumbing represented a technological revolution. Architects, designers and builders had to come up with a way to incorporate this new technology into their floorplans. The problem of housing all the piping was solved with a "water closet."

We are now facing a similar dilemma: we need a room for our technology. So why not a "technology closet"?

A technology closet provides a standard floorplan change that is implemented at the basic design level, and creates a small, ventilated space where all wiring and networking lines, and the gear they serve, are bundled into one location. This closet (or equipment room for larger homes) should be centrally located where it can be easily accessed by the residents (for loading CDs and DVDs and/or checking the status of their network or Internet connection). This central location will also aid in shorter wire runs to each room and in easy servicing. One example is to locate the technology closet near the kitchen.

Just like its predecessor, the water closet, today's technology closet can provide the necessary space, ventilation and access to your smart home systems. In addition, the sharing of sources such as DVDs, VCRs, Internet access, etc. can now be done to any room in the most convenient way possible. The closet simply takes the idea of a structured wiring panel and gives it a standard location. Use of structured wiring panels is common, but they vary in location and are often placed in an area that prevents typical AV and Internet appliances from being connected to these wires. The technology closet resolves this by providing a standard place for all wires and equipment, and the ability to connect to each other.

For most homes, a technology closet can be accomplished with a 3-foot-by-3-foot space and a standard door. The builder should install a passive ventilation grill above the door, trim the bottom of the door for a 1-inch air gap, and install the structured wiring panel—along with all speaker wires, HDTV cables, etc. and a typical 20amp 120VAC electrical outlet—in the back wall of the closet. All the connections should be made inside the closet, and the door can be kept closed—nobody has to see the equipment. In larger homes, builders may want to incorporate a technology room or equipment room to house more equipment racks.

Homebuilders and home technology installers have great influence on consumers who look for advice on the proper wiring for their homes and offices. Implementing a technology closet into the floorplan can eliminate complex multi-wiring headaches, and effectively allow the current and future homeowner the ability to buy, install and integrate the latest technology products.

Michael Stram is the president of Stram Electronics' Home Theater Gallery, and has applied for a trademark for "Technology Closet." Contact him at Mike@HomeTheaterGallery.com, or visit www.HomeTheaterGallery.com.