Need Opinions on running Cat5 into house

[Syberdog]

My Solaredge 5000H has a RJ45 connection. Since I'm not going wireless at this time out at the inverter, I decided to run Cat5e to a router in the spare bedroom and then create a wireless bridge from that router into my local network, I split off the main trench with my 1/2" conduit for the Cat5 cable and when I got up next to the house, where the closet is, I found the builder did something strange... there is a thick concrete ledge about a foot out from my foundation.(leveled flat- like a floor...oops too low...) It makes it so the conduit 90 elbow is right up next to the stucco stop when laid in place- no room for a riser.

I drilled out from the bedroom closet and the hole came out just above the stucco stop (there is an air gap between the stucco stop and the house wall)

Any suggestions on how to finish this off?
Once the cable is inside, I planned on filling the hole with silicone caulk, but what about the end of the conduit?
Fill it good with big stretch or silicone caulk too? Tuck some extra cable up behind the stucco and fill the area ?
is ther a product made for this or other ideas?

[AzRoute66]

Can you shoot the conduit photo again in the evening with flash? The surroundings are so bright it is kind of difficult to tell exactly what it is doing.

[Syberdog]

Sure I'll see if I can get one when the sun goes down-

These are a little better....

[GRickard]

Run the conduit up the wall to an "LB" and run the conduit into the wall sealing around it with silicone. This will give you some physical protection for the cable and keep the sunlight from making the jacket brittle.

[AzRoute66]

I agree with GRickard to push the conduit up as high to the crack as possible. But I MIGHT seal around it with a pre-mixed stucco mix I found at Ace Hardware. They have gallons, but I have found it in a size much closer to a pint. It hardens very well, and the color is such that you might not even have to paint to match. See if you have other stucco areas to touch up soon - it doesn't store well once opened.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...ductId=1381708

On the interior I would definitely find a stud and put a wall plate the standard distance above the floor. Once the cable is fished up, spackle the current hole before replacing the baseboard. Put your connector on before you fish it up, while you still have a good sized pigtail to work with, then attach the connector to the wall plate.

At least from what I see, that's roughly the way I would go.

[Mike90250]

I go to a boatyard, and get Brass Wool. It does not rust out like steel wool, and critters dont like to chew it. fill gaps with it. The colored stucco is a good idea too.

[Syberdog]

IAh Ha -are you saying forget going under the stucco stop... instead bring the conduit up the outside stucco a couple feet the into a LB box then straight through to a wall box to plug my cable to?
This would be cleaner and i could probably locate it closer to an existing outlet instead of running the patch cable out of the closet. One problem I have run into before is that this builder was really cheap and didn't put any OSB behind a lot of the stucco - just building paper, foam & wire. He only reinforced corners or where he had to so I might find I have a "Hollow Wall" with just wallboard, paper and stucco in which case I epoxy anchors in for fastening things. This would be light enough.
I have 100' cable already terminated but can cut one end off and wire it directly - I have about 30' extra and can makeup another long cable with the drop..

[AzRoute66]

Actually if you can attach it to stucco, I like that a lot. I've never been happy about puncturing stucco but I am not experienced with it. I was going to attach the conduit to the cement with a strap/concrete screw as high as possible and mud it up. Go with the stucco attachment if you can. I get away with the stuff I do because I live 13 miles from the Mexican border and my 'style' sorta blends right in.

[Syberdog]

Stucco can be a PITA to work with. I much prefer it with OSB behind as that gives you some support to attach to. When I hung my Meter and Disco I found a stud for the top center screws and then used plastic expanding anchors (concrete rated) with epoxy They feel solid..
We must be neighbors... I'm 3 miles from the border near Sierra Vista

[AzRoute66]

Then we are neighbors. I live near Buffalo Soldier and St. Andrews. Let me know if you need a hand with any part of it (except the digging). I generally have more spare time than is good for me, although this week I am kinda ramping up with projects in preparation for an elk hunt starting in the middle of the month.

[Syberdog]

Thanks, I Definitely could use some help - this is my first solar and the end of the year deadline is coming fast...all the digging is done- hw do I send you a PM with contact info?

Al

[AzRoute66]

Just email AzRoute66biz@yahoo.com

[foo1bar]

I'd put the conduit right up to the bottom of the ledge.
I probably would form up the PVC myself rather than use a pre-formed 90 like it looks like you're doing.
Boiling water gets PVC warm enough to bend. And you can bend a 90 into a PVC conduit and leave plenty of extra length on the end so that you can trim it to be exactly where you want.

I'd probably use a little caulk to seal things up. (both top of the conduit and the hole into the house.)

And then paint it to match the adjoining area.

I'm mostly just looking at it from an aesthetic view.

[Syberdog]

It's good to have that alternative method to chew on, your right about the aesthetics of a blob hanging on the front wall- I have a LB in the workshop so I can look at em both before deciding. I might even be able to flatten the conduit to fit up in the gap space a little.

[Syberdog]

Since I had the hole already drilled I decided to try the method suggested by Foo1bar but couldn't find a pot big enough to put the conduit in.... so I used a hair dryer instead. I figured at most it would cost me 1.50 to try it. I was surprised how easily the conduit deformed and I got a pretty decent 90 bend and flattened the end to fit snug up under the stucco. Getting the wire in thru the hole was not so easy but it finally popped thru. Even though cat5 is pretty tin cable, I'd recommend using 3/4" instead of 1/2" if it has a RJ45 connector on it and there are any bends- I had it hang up on a 45 angle so I can imaging what adding a 90 or two would be like. Here is the result of bending and mashing. Since I got it thru I decided to keep it and will fill the end of the conduit and wall when I have it 95% done.



Relieve the down-line trench and it will snug up to the foundation. Gotta drill a hole and maybe get a full strap.



Thanks for the idea Foo1Bar...