How to develop a wiring plan

[F4vrYoung]

I'm building the Willow and am at a point where I will have to start wiring. I know where I want my lights (approximately), but I don't know how to get the tape wire from one place to another without being all over the place or in the way. I was hoping to leave the floor stained without covering in the living room and the 2nd floor hallway... so I can't run tape wire there.

I think I get the jist of "how to wire", but I don't know how to make the plan.

Here is a PhotoShop pix of where I want the lighting (*) and the outlets (x). (Don't mind the colors they are just a rough guess of a color scheme... hehe). Any help would be appreciated.

Jill

[frillyfroofroo]

Hi Jill,

I think some of the people here hide it under the baseboards and it seems some install it on the ceiling above for fixture and hide it with flooring or carpeting set on top and left it unglued in case you have to get back there for repairs. It seems someone said they use just a little double-sided tape so the floor above can be lifted.

There is also a wiring tutorial at the top section of the forum list page.

Virginia

[frillyfroofroo]

PS - there's a guy on Ebay that sells a video on how to wire the dollhouse and how to build it pretty much in it's entirety. I bought one and found it helpful.

Virginia

[heidiiiii]

You want to do your wiring in stages.

Step 1: Start a main wiring line from where you want the plug (say on the side of the house) and run that across of the floor and up thru the 2nd floor stair hole and 3rd floor stair hole (if no hole for 3rd floor you can squeeze it thru a crack in the wall.

Step 2: Then you want to make connections from the main line out to the different rooms. Use brads for the connections. Check check double check along the way. Most of these will run across the floors so that will cover the hanging fixtures in the rooms below. You can also run some of these connections about a 1" above the floor on the wall for your outlets.

Step 3: Then you want to make connections to the different areas of your room that you want lighting. In some rooms you wont have to do that because the wires to the lights will be long enough to reach.

You can do a fold in alot of the tapewire instead of cutting. It saves on having to use brads. Say the tape is going ---> this way and you want it to go /\ that way. You fold the tape towards \/ and then a second fold /\. And then it will run in the other direction.

I hope that wasnt too confusing.

[heidiiiii]

P.S.

I am just in the beginning stages of wiring my Kozbro house now. I will take step pics so you can see what I am talking about. I will have all the pics done and posted tomorrow morning.

[KathieB]

Follow Heidi's steps to success.

You may want to do a tape mock-up of the tape runs. Use painters or masking tape where you think you want the tape to run. It's easy to adjust until you get it just the way you want it, the most efficient pattern.

[prariegurl]

some install it on the ceiling above for fixture and hide it with flooring or carpeting set on top and left it unglued in case you have to get back there for repairs. It seems someone said they use just a little double-sided tape so the floor above can be lifted.

Virginia

That's how I do my ceiling fixtures! I drill a small hole through the floor so I can rin the wires through. I would rather paint my ceilings rather than use paper to hide the wires.

Jill, I like the way you PhotoShopped your color scheme on your house. What a nifty way to try out your decorating scheme before committing to anything!

Jeri

[heidiiiii]

I finished wiring the 1st and 2nd string of tapewire on the Kozbro house.

Here is a pic on how I that folding thing I was talking about. It saves of having to use brads and extra connections to deal with.

I hope that helps some.

[beccas1963]

Heidi,

Thank you for showing a pic was trying to sort it out in my mind. so with it folded like that what do you hold it down with?

Bec

[heidiiiii]

When you fold one way and then the other, the tape side holds it down.You just have to push it down a lil with your finger.