OTHER TECH

TRIMMING & TERMINATING Next up is the trim out, which involves terminating the cabling and installing the speakers and audio controls. In new construction, this usually happens after the final coat of paint. Doing the work now keeps wall plates, audio controllers, and speakers from being painted on. (Speakers that need to match the ceiling or wall are painted first, then installed.)

We use compression-fit ends to terminate coax cabling. These cost a bit more (about 50¢ to 75¢ each) and require a special tool, but they make a high-quality, waterproof connection that won't pull off. Terminating RJ-45 (computer/Ethernet) or RJ-11 (phone) ends onto Cat-5 cable requires another tool.

Structured wiring in each room is trimmed into a wall plate that handles multiple phone lines, the computer local area network (LAN), cable TV, and in-home video distribution. At the "home run" panel where all the wires come together, they're terminated into cable-TV amplifiers, phone-distribution hubs, and network routers and switches.

Volume controls, keypads, and in-wall and ceiling speakers are also installed now. After they're in place, a signal is sent from the home run through the volume control to the speakers to ensure that everything is working properly.