I'm currently working on a prewire for a new home. There will be a rack in a storage area, but I would also like to have a can for coax and modules too. The only minor issue is there will be no framing in the storage area.

What is the favorite way to do this?

I was thinking plywood with tapcons, then the can on the plywood.

TIA

Tom

Nothing wrong with a surface mounted panel in a mechanical or storage room.

Yep, painted plywood on the concrete and conduit coming into the panel.

I also like to use those extra plastic spacers that come with tv mounts to space the can off of the board. The modules usually have plastic pegs that snap in and protrude through the back and will hit the board and not seat well.

Why plywood?
Are you going to have any 66 blocks or the likes?

In my opinion, plywood would be fine. If this is a basement area, I'd like some space for air circulation behind the plywood as a hedge against dampnes.

If the concrete is painted, you won't have as much problem with moisture.

I dont use structured enclosures anymore if its in a mechanical room. Put up plywood and screw the coax splitters, frame for keystones, phone, ect. directly to the plywood. It cuts out lots of time fighting with the limited space in the enclosure and looks just as neat

Treat the wall and anything you mount on it against moisture if it's likely to be a problem. There are vertical basement walls that are dry as a bone and concrete-floored warehouses where so much moisture comes up through the floor that everything inside slowly rusts.

An air space behind the plywood is a great idea but I've bever seen it done.

I usually specify that the GC provide the plywood. This makes scheduling the construction sequence much easier and tends to "reserve" my space and defend me against other trades cluttering the walls with stuff that makes my job harder since I'm usually the last guy on site.

About half of the GC's will space the plywood if it's not mounted on a studded wall.

Thanks for all the pointers, Guys!

I'll probably go the plywood route then. I have a 20" can coming today. It will house a phone module, a swim switch, and a Carlon tube from the attic. Cat6 and DA will go directly to the rack.

Thanks again,
Tom

No, it doesn't.

No, it doesn't. Only you getting there first or marking out space on the backboard (which I've never seen anyone do) will tend to reserve anything.

You have to get together with the GC early on and tell him what space you need on that board, probably even go back once it's up and tape it off.

I say that from an experience where a remodeled 6000 square foot retail space had no backboard. It was so new that the General Tel facilities department had to plan out and install new cabling from their switch! This was 1990 or so. I was in charge of the space but our GC had keys. He let the alarm guys come in first and they placed their equipment at about 60" off the floor, smack in the middle of 8 feet of plywood width. It was about the stupidest, rudest wiring thing I've ever seen.

This^^^ plus i like to go a step further and space the plywood off the wall also. I use strips of the plywood on the ends and in the center. This lets me drill a hole in the plywood and route cables behind it from one can to another or one device to another.

I like to use furniture gradeish plywood so that it looks a little nicer.