Raceways for communications & audio between floors

[paullmullen]

I'm doing a design for a new home. I want to provide a wire raceway between the ground floor and basement that can be opened frequently for maintenance and upgrades. (Changes to home network, or AV or whatever is invented next.) I am concerned to firestop the raceway, but also make it easy to re-open for changes, and then re-fire-stop it after updates are made.

What are some best practices?

 

[LarryFine]

What do you plan to have at each end of said raceway?

One 2" or two 1.5" PVC conduits should suffice.

 

[tom baker]

Use duct seal on ends. Or fire stop putty

 

[Frank DuVal]

I'm with Larry. I run 2" PVC and ductseal at the ends. I have run 1" EMT into wall cavities where a TV would mount for future use of someone opening the wall, ductseal the ends for now.

 

[tank728]

If EMT is used, a cap bushing works well

 

[paullmullen]

I'm trying to make sure that occasional (let's say annually, but probably much less often) we will want to run new cable through or pull out unused circuits. Ductseal seems like it can get messy. I would think that cap seals would have to be refitted as the number of conductors changes. It's infrequent so some hassle is acceptable.

 

[cadpoint]

I'd run the raceway in a common wall like a stairwell and spec a good 8x 8x 4 metal box to be flush
with opposite side of wall, low and tucked in a closet or even attic space of stair framing.

You could even spec a nice hinged flush cover, I'm thinking of the plumber access doors.