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I'm remodeling a 60s cabin home with vertical and horizontal wood board siding.

While I have the walls exposed, I wonder about possible improvements I should consider while I have access to the open walls. For reference, the walls are standard 2x4, 16" apart. Fireblocks already exist in the walls.

Here's what I've done (or am doing/will do):

  • Refinish all the siding (it was in rough shape, many had woodpecker holes). I've already refinished the majority of the wood and replaced what wasn't salvageable.
  • Replace old insulation (R-13, not much room for more).
  • Replace the old/brittle weather barrier with Tyvek.
  • Add nail plates over holes in the stud where wires were run.
  • I've found buried junction boxes in the walls. I am figuring out if the runs are actually efficient and making these accessible.

I'm curious if there's anything else I should be thinking about. For example,

  • What if I want easy access to the wire runs later on?
  • Any other structural things I should consider?
  • What about other "convenience" improvements? Access panels, ...?
  • I noticed fireblock foam wasn't in any of the vertical wire holes, or any for that matter (i.e., in the horizontal fireblocks between the studs). I might not be calling it the right thing here. In any case, I don't know if this is required or not (as I can't seem to find it mentioned in the local electrical code).

I'm doing the work myself, but I'm open to hiring help if it makes sense.

Thanks in advance.

Matthew
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2 Answers2

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Did you removed the drywall on the inside as well or just the exterior walls? If just the exterior consider air sealing around everything with spray foam when you pull the fiberglass insulation. You could consider rigid foam instead of fiberglass since 2x4 walls are not that thick.

redlude97
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If you have the walls open, and are a tech-person, you'd be a fool to not put in cat-6 cable.

You could also put your cat-6 in plastic "smurf tube", for any future re-wiring. If you can find it, orange is the preferred color for low-voltage communication wire, though the color isn't all that critical.

I did this when I bought my house 12 years ago, and it's paid off enormously during the pandemic since I don't have to rely on unreliable wi-fi, and get extremely fast connections to my file-server from every room.

If I were planning it, I'd put in several cat-6 cables, since they can of course be used for a lot more than ethernet.

Beyond that, I'm not sure. Some people still like to put in Coax. I'm more of the opinion that technology is dead, and TV is now carried by ethernet.

Much of the rest of it depends on what you want to do with the space, now or in the future.

If you're ever considering putting in a bathroom somewhere along that same area you're tearing out the wall, you could put in waste and water lines, and then just cap them for later use.

If you wanted to put in electric heating, or floor heating or just higher amp outlets (some hobbies require 240 amp service lets say), you might consider putting wiring in for that.