Ask HN: What is the best way to future proof a new home your about to build? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What is the best way to future proof a new home your about to build?

13 pointssecfirstmd8 comments

So I've recently purchased a new home and am doing a complete renovation. As a techie I'm thinking about how best I want to do things like:

-ensure it is environmentally efficient

-ensure it is physically secure

-build a useful home entertainment system throughout the house

-that noise is kept to a minimum - e.g no overly noisy server

-manage services like electricity effectively

-ensure any home environment has a decent level of privacy and digital security (I recognise nice that these things often are contradictory)

I think mostly importantly, I want to make sure that I have done as much as I to meet my techie needs in future. I have heard of people laying CAT5/CAT6 cabling, plenty of electrical sockets with USB charging, electric car charging, cabling for solar etc.

What other things should I be thinking about for future proofing?

View on HN

Run lots of Conduit and instead of floor joists uses floor trusses. It makes changing plumbing and wiring much easier.

Here's a picture of floor trusses. You will see what I mean by easier to change things. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52246eb0e4b0329755b576...

Different kind of future proofing:

- is there a chance your family will get larger (new kids, marriage, maybe live with your parents when they start needing care) or smaller (if you have kids, do you plan to stay in this house when they leave house? If so, what will you do with their bedrooms?)? If so, how will you handle that?

- Make sure everything (in particular hallways, bathrooms and toilets) is comfortably weelchair accessible or can be made so, while not making distances too large for people who have difficulty with walking.

- Don’t overdo it with electronics; keep them relatively simple, with controls that you will still be able to use when your sight is bad, your hands are rheumatic, your brain isn’t what it used to be, or if you fall and break your wrist next week.

- If you have stairs, think of how you will live if you can’t use them anymore (temporarily or permanently)

Run conduit to all the main rooms, on multiple walls if possible. That way you can run any amount of Cat5 or whatever future cable you want.

Failing that, as much Cat5e/Cat6 as you can afford. There are boxes to convert between every imaginable cable type to Cat5e so you can use them for more than networking if needed.

Look into passive housing http://www.passivehouse.com/

For energy efficiency it seems to be the industry standard these days. Most builders I work with hold it in high regard.

Keep it simple. Make sure someone can easily service it without you around. Failing automation while I am on business trip is the last thing to leave my family with.

Also tech changes quickly so better keep some conduits or spare shafts for cables and pipes.

Vacuum insulated panels for optimal thermal insulation efficiency. They will help with acoustic insulation too.

- consider running some of the appliances off direct current?

- adding geothermal

- battery pack(s) since you mentioned cabling for solar

Almost everyone else has mentioned the most basic stuff (conduit, etc) so I'll add some of the less-thought of stuff.

Also run conduit to a gang box (with a blank faceplace) in the ceiling of every room (tucked into a corner). It'll be useful if you ever want to put in cameras, sensors, wireless access points, etc. A well supported electrical box in every ceiling is also good, even if unused for now, for future lighting or ceiling fan purposes.

Install weatherproof outlets (possibly with conduit nearby) under the roof eaves on the outside. It makes it much easier to install security cameras or plug in christmas lights.

If you're building your house with standard framing techniques, consider getting pest control tubing installed. It allows a company to come by every year or two and quickly spray insecticide within the walls using high-pressure air.

If you're not stuck on standard framing, consider using better building materials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_insulated_panel

Spend the extra money to not just get a wired fire alarm system but a fire suppression system like commercial buildings or apartments are now required to have.

You might not have solar panels now, but it doesn't hurt to have the conduit running to the part of the roof that you might want them. It would make things much easier later.

If you're going to have a basement, get a sump pump set up even if you have excellent drainage. If there is ever some kind of crazy storm or bust pipe, it'll help pump the water out before it collects or gets too deep.

Install twice as many plugs as you think you might need. Consider quad plugs instead of dual plugs in some areas so you can avoid ever having to use power strips. In every room, have one plug that's wired separately than the others so if you ever want to set up a centralized UPS or have the cutoff switches for a generator, you can wire it to those plugs.

Some people rave about how awesome it is to have a central vacuum system with tubing throughout the house. I've never had it so I don't know, but I can see how it would be awesome for vacuuming staircases.

Install wired "water alarms" underneath your sinks, water heating system, under tubs, showers, etc. Water kills houses and you want early alerts. It's also not a bad idea to have floor drains in the bathrooms so if there is ever a major water leak incident, the water will drain right away rather than leave that room.

Speaking of water heaters, get an on-demand tankless gas water heater. It's more energy efficient than a water heater with a tank and it lasts a lot longer.

Consider climate change and design your house for extremes in your region plus a bunch more. Highest temp is 100? Plan for 120. Lowest temp is -10F? Plan for -30F. Strongest storms have 50mph winds? Plan for 75mph.

It doesn't matter if you're not at the coast, use hurricane straps to secure the roof rafters to the walls. It doesn't matter if you're in a forest, plan for wildfires by not having brush right against the house and installing a few piped sprinkler heads on the roof to wet it down in case of flying embers.

It doesn't matter if you're not in the desert or in Canada. Get a well-insulated roof that can handle 120F+ heat or the coldest winters. Use roofing material that'll hold up against major hail or flying debris.

Don't skimp on windows. You'll have them for 50+ years so get the best ones you can. They can cost a fortune, but the difference in price will be paid for 10x over in energy savings. Double/Triple panes, infrared blocking coatings, etc.

Also get emergency storm shutters built to size and the mounts/latches so you can securely attach a shutter in a minute or two by yourself. They don't have to be fancy or look good, just have good handles on them so you can maneuver them, hook them to something over the window, and latch them in place.

For solar panels, if you have the room, consider keeping your array on the ground level so you can easily clean them off or cover them. If you do put them on the roof, consider having a roof type where you have a small flat walkway built into the roof shape (or low slopes in some areas) so you can walk around them easily for maintenance. Too many home owners fall off their roofs.

Make sure that one or two rooms have exterior entrances and private bathrooms so you can rent them out or give the family member some extra privacy.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com