More resent these days than in the past, we have found us having to rescue customers from the night-mere of the office wiring corrections. It came to the surface about two weeks ago when Joshua came out of the communications closet and said he has just seen the worst wire install he has ever seen. For 30 years now I have had to work in and manage many a closet that was undersized for the equipment that was inside of it. Off I go to view this "worst wire install" that he had seen. He was right.
Hanging from the ceiling were over 100 plenum Cat6 cables in the best twisted arrangement that I have ever seen. I had to stop to ponder why any customer was allowing the installation to look like spaghetti and yet I am sure they are paying dearly for those wire runs. There were two explanations that I could come up with. One is that they did not realize that there were professionals that install office wiring and cable that specialize in this type of wiring only. Another reason may have been based on a relationship with someone that they thought might know what they are doing in this field.
Many things have changed in the years since 1979 when I started. Compliance standards, best practices and most states now have guidelines that help protect customers from having a wiring night-mere. Most electricians, computer geeks and builders do not have the time or credentials that revolve around the office wiring industry nor have attended any class on the proper installation of the cable that they are contracted to install. Yes, there are classes for this. Knowing were a wire is to come from and go to is not any indication that they hold certifications for the work they will bill someone for, so consider wisely when you are making a decision like this. Some things to remember;
- Before you award a wire or cable contract, ask for a state license for the type of work you are requiring.
- Ask the contractor to provide proof of insurance for both liability and workers comp. If they are not insured and they fall off the ladder, guess who will pay? You guessed it right, you.
- Ask for pictures of completed work and references. This should be a baseline of what you can expect from a quality contractor.
The project costs usually are about the same when it comes to the professional verses the part timer. Hire the pro it certainly will be worth it.
