MEP

MEP stands for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing.

Electrical wiring for outlets in bedrooms

 Now that the building's frame is complete, the roof is on, and the windows and doors are beginning to successfully isolate the interior space from the great outdoors, the mechanical and electrical contractors can install their materials.

The electrician did a walk-through with the clients to verify all light/outlet/switch locations and styles. Then he cab run many linear feet of wire through holes drilled in the framing. This is called the "rough in" for the electrical.

The plumber will install the pipes for the HRV in the attic space and duct it to the back gable wall. This will actively vent each of the bathrooms out and supply fresh air in at the second floor hall. Mechanical ventilation like this is required when construction is air sealed and well insulated. (ie. There is not enough passive air exchange with the outdoors through leaky walls, roofs and windows, like in my 1890s constructed home.) He also piped into each room with supply lines for baseboard radiators and installed drains for the bathrooms and kitchen.

Drains for bathrooms & supplies for baseboard heat

MEP is vital in a modern home for comfort and to be responsible and economical with natural resources. MEP can sometimes be ugly, especially if not thought through; it pays to plan early in the design process where vents, ducts, and mechanicals will go so they can integrate more seamlessly with the overall design. We want these amazing technological inventions to help make our lives better, but we don't necessarily want to see them.