I Rewired My Entire House and Only Cried Three Times
My girlfriend asked me to hang a picture. One picture. A simple task that any reasonable person would complete in approximately 11 minutes.
Three hours later I had ripped out all the coax cable from the attic, drilled 14 holes in the floor joists, and run CAT6A to every room in the house including the bathroom.
The picture is still leaning against the wall. I’ll get to it.
The Rationalization
“While I’m up here” is the most dangerous phrase in a homeowner’s vocabulary. It ranks right up there with “that should hold” and “I’ll fix it later.”
My logic was flawless:
- I’m already in the attic
- Wireless is for people who hate themselves
- What if I need to transfer a 4K movie to the guest bedroom?
- You never know when you’ll need a hardline in the half-bath
Number 4 is the weakest argument and I stand by it.
The Execution
I bought a box of CAT6A, a punch-down tool, and a dream. Three weeks later I had a patch panel in the closet that looks like the dashboard of the Starship Enterprise. Every port is labeled. Some of them are labeled wrong. I know which ones are wrong. I refuse to fix them because it builds character.
The total cost was about $400 and my entire weekend. The same result could have been achieved with a $30 mesh WiFi system. But then I wouldn’t get to look at my beautiful punch-down block every time I grab a coat.
The Aftermath
The picture frame is still on the floor. Sometimes I move it to vacuum. Then I put it back.
Last week I added a keystone jack behind the TV in the living room. There were already three jacks there. I just wanted to punch something down.
I think I have a problem.
Moral of the story: If a job is worth doing, it’s worth overdoing to the point of financial irresponsibility.