ᐅ Installing LAN Cabling in a Purchased Prefabricated House – Timber Frame Construction

Hello,
my wife and I have purchased a prefabricated house from 2013 – Danwood company. I have been planning for some time now how to install LAN cables throughout the entire house.
I believe I have found solutions for almost everything. However, there are still some open questions for which I have not yet found answers.

1. If I install recessed LAN sockets inside interior partition walls, will this significantly affect sound insulation? Does it affect anything else?

2. Is it possible to drill through entire interior walls without damaging the mineral wool insulation? I mean, is there a risk that the wool might tangle around the drill bit (400mm (16 inches) length) and get wrapped around it?

3. Is there a way to mount a TV on a wall with a vapor barrier? Would plugs/anchors and screws severely damage the vapor barrier? Are there special anchors for this? It’s probably not recommended, but what do you think?

For everything else, I have planned the following: On exterior walls (walls with a vapor barrier), I will run the cables on the surface. For interior walls, I will use a router to mill a groove into the walls (drywall/wood) to lay the cables inside. To install LAN sockets, I will drill holes similar to those in masonry walls (only interior walls).

If you find any mistakes in my plan, please let me know. If you have ideas on how to retrofit cables inside the walls, please share them as well. Unfortunately, the house does not have any conduit pipes. Everything was installed together within the insulation inside the walls.

Best regards

Häusigefunden schrieb:

1. If I install Inputz LAN sockets in the interior walls (the room dividers), will this significantly affect sound insulation? Does it influence anything else?

No, not worth mentioning. I can’t think of anything else either. It’s done in millions of other houses as well.

Häusigefunden schrieb:

2. Can I drill through entire interior walls without damaging the mineral wool insulation inside?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We always made the first hole a bit larger and then inserted a pipe through to the other wall. Let the pipe protrude by 1-2cm (about 0.5-1 inch) and then drilled through to the other wall using that as a guide.

Häusigefunden schrieb:

Is there a way to mount a TV on a wall with a vapor barrier? Would plugs/screws severely damage the vapor barrier? Are there special plugs for this? It’s probably not recommended, but what do you think?

Can you locate the supporting frame? You could use the corresponding studs. Otherwise, there’s usually some installation cavity behind it. I’ve also heard of people simply using 4.5 x 35mm (about 0.18 x 1.4 inch) screws, and if the screws are removed later, they fill the holes with silicone or acrylic sealant. Mounting a separate TV frame in front of the wall is probably the best solution here.

Häusigefunden schrieb:

For everything else, I have the following plan. On exterior walls (walls with a vapor barrier) I will lay the cables on the surface. For interior walls, I plan to rout grooves into the walls (drywall/wood) to lay the cables inside. To install LAN sockets, I will drill holes as if in solid walls (ONLY interior walls).

That sounds daring! How do you plan to close the grooves?
I would probably remove the baseboards and chisel out a little space at the bottom to tuck the cable behind. Then put the baseboards back on and you’re done. Put the LAN socket at about 30cm (12 inches) high. You can still pull a wire or something similar through that section if needed.

danixf schrieb:

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. We always made the first hole a bit larger and then pushed a pipe through to the opposite wall. Let the pipe protrude by 1-2cm (about 0.5-1 inch) and then drilled through to the other wall using that.

Brilliant idea! Thanks for that!

danixf schrieb:

Can you locate the substructure? You might be able to use the corresponding beams. Otherwise, there should still be some installation space there. I’ve also heard that people just use 4.5 x 35mm (about 3/16 x 1 3/8 inch) screws and if the screws come loose, simply inject silicone or acrylic into the hole. Installing a drywall frame in front of the TV wall would be the best solution here.

As far as I can tell, there is no installation space. Our wall is built from inside to outside like this: drywall (1.2cm (0.5 inch)) -> vapor barrier -> wood (1.2cm (0.5 inch)).
That’s why I’m having trouble doing it properly. The idea with the substructure is also brilliant. Hopefully I can find it with my scanner. Thanks!

danixf schrieb:

Adventurous! How do you plan to close the channels?
I would probably remove the baseboards and slightly break away a little at the bottom to push the cable behind. Then put the baseboards back on and done. The LAN outlet goes at 30cm (12 inches). You can still fish a wire or something through that section.

I planned to simply fill the channels again. I just need to find the right compound to allow for movement and avoid cracking, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Do you have any suggestions?
My baseboards are cut tiles. I had also thought about routing behind them. However, I’m not sure if I can remove the tiles without destroying them.
I need to mill the channels to reach the upper floor. We have an open gallery in the hallway. Unfortunately, there are no conduits going upward and we have underfloor heating everywhere. I really don’t want to drill through that 😀

I can only offer the advice to be careful when drilling at about 30cm (12 inches) height to ensure there are no other cables or pipes in that area. A few weeks ago, we renovated the facade. We took the opportunity to run LAN cables along the facade into the rooms:

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/welche-cat-kabel-an-der-fassade-verlegen-probleme-mit-feuchtigkeit.41115/page-5#post-525441

However, it seems your facade is not up for discussion?

Häusigefunden schrieb:

...
For everything else, I have planned the following. On exterior walls (walls with a vapor barrier), I will run the cables on the surface. For interior walls, I will use a router to cut a channel into the walls (drywall/wood) so I can install the cables inside. To install LAN sockets, I will drill holes just like in masonry walls (ONLY interior walls).
...

Or maybe you do? In that case, you would need an underground cable, as it would be protected against moisture.

Additionally, pay attention to the bending radius. I hope you are planning to install duplex cables? Which CAT cables are you using?

Thank you for the tips. We’re not touching the facade since it still looks like new. As long as my locator device doesn’t fail me, I should be able to identify the cables or pipes behind the walls and avoid damaging them.

We’re planning to install a CAT7 duplex cable because I don’t want to run two separate cables everywhere. I initially considered CAT8, but quickly dismissed that idea due to the price being over 200€ :p Also, I’m not sure if the maximum length of 30 meters (100 feet) would be sufficient for my runs.

With the duplex cable, I can directly connect one outlet with two LAN ports. If I ever need 10 Gbps in the future, I can still upgrade by just replacing the outlets.

Or do you think CAT8 would be more practical in today’s times?

Cat 7 is more than enough. It will still be a while before consumer devices reach 10 Gbit speeds. Will it be necessary then? I don’t think so.