Concealing a Speaker Wire

[space_cowboy]

I need to run a wire from my rack to the rear of my room for a surround speaker. The left side of my listening area borders the breakfast nook, so there is about an 11’ section that the wire will have to be on the floor between the two areas.

I’ve done this before for a short time before selling my previous surrounds and never concealed the wire, and it drove me crazy always seeing it on the floor. So now I’m looking for some way to sort of hide the wire. I’ve looked at those vinyl/plastic cord covers, and those would certainly work, and are cheap enough, but look a little too industrial or office-like.

I found these: http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/chordsavers.php and one of the colors would closely match my listening area flooring, but they are kinda pricey. Any other thoughts?

[Coytee]

Any way you could fish a wire through the wall? How about through the ceiling? Any attic above? Perhaps a crawl space below?

As oppoed to the walls...could you take the wire TO the wall and remove the molding along the floor (presuming you have some), remove the molding around any doorway and run said wire along floor/doorway behind the molding?

Only so many ways you can get from point 'a' to point 'b' []

[Coytee]

Oh... here's another.

You don't state what kind of floor you have and personally, I don't think I would (could) ever do this. I'd rather rip some drywall out and replace it after the wire was installed.

That said.... if you perhaps have hardwood floor AND the hardwood flooring is lined up exactly in the direction you need to go then...

Don't some floor restoration people have the ability to cut a single plank out of the floor and replace it with a new one?

Meaning... cut the single plank out. You'd probalby have to fool around with the tongue on the new board (meaning cut it off) lay the wire under the plank, route a gap in the plank so it would encase the wire and then reinstall said plank WITHOUT driving any nails through your wire.

I'd much rather fix drywall!

Just thinking outloud for you. Good luck

[WMcD]

The computer gods have not been cooperative tonight. I can't paste in the links.

So let me suggest you go to Parts Express and search for "flat wire". There is a braided wire and a foil wire. These might give you some ideas.

Let me suggest that you consider just hiding the stuff with a reasonably priced rug, or even runner from HD. Make it look like the rug or runner is a fashion accessory to the room.

Wm McD

[willland]

If the area you need to cross consists of a tile floor, may I suggest you dig up the grout and run your wire in the grooves between the tile and regrout over it. I have seen this with good results.

Bill

[space_cowboy]

Yeah Coytee, thought of those, actually it's kinda silly my situation. Haven't even had my TV turned on since late April, so the new surrounds are not too urgent. If my LaScalas leave this weekend (please), I hope to move things around.

[space_cowboy]

Some great ideas I never thought of, thanks. The rug runner has it, Thanks Gil………..what an easy solution. Sometimes our thoughts just need more thoughts.

[space_cowboy]

Coytee, I did think about routing the underside of the flooring for a wire channel; that would really look clean in a new install.

[Coytee]

When I added my DVR I didn't have the second RG6 line setup to feed it. Wife did not want me drilling holes in the wall ("her" wall). I knew this was a temporary setup (3-4 years now).

I ran a RG6 line up from the basment. This wire is in my future HT closet, routed along the garage wall, UP the stairwell and under the rug.

You step on this, it puts a lump in the rug and frankly, it drives me nuts.

Is it better than not having it? easy: Yes! Do I wish my wife would have been ok with me simply drilling a hole and running this through the ceiling of the garage to the far end of this room? easy, yes!

Perhaps if you find that flat wire it won't be so obvious. This is why I avoided suggesting this (it drives me nuts)

Pardon the quality of the picture...the flash on my digital isn't working. I DID put the camera on incandesent so I don't know why it looks so colored (at least to me)

[Coytee]

Also makes for a nice tripping hazzard for me!

This room has ZERO RG6 lines on this back wall. I had to run my OTHER RG6 line around the room, behind the couch. You can see it in the background coming in from the right.

[WMcD]

I'm a bit surprised that the runner idea was so well received. I looked a bit closer at HD. Here is a remarkable bargain. Runners are usually used on staircases but we all have long runs on halls or, in the present case, across a doorway.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xmi/R-202071783/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

There are more intricate designs which are more expensive by the linear foot. The above at $3.00 per linear foot makes me think it is worth experimenting with, if only for experimentation with WAF. There are pre-cut lengths which are not as long as you need - - but perhaps you can use two, end to end.

I would think that the foil wire will not make a bump, but thicker wire might. This could be like the princess who could feel a pea under 10 mattresses. Smile.

There should be padding material you can put under the runner. If so you could split it lengthwise to make a channel in the center and attach the padding to the underside of the runner with double sided tape. That way any experimenter might be able to use any of the thin co-axial cables or even CAT type wire.

Wm McD

[dtel]

Good idea Mr McDermott and the rubs would also help with the sound in most cases.

Also I have seen the flat wire your talking about, I think it's the one you just stick on and paint over to match the wall, good idea.

[dtel]

Also makes for a nice tripping hazzard for me!

Now Coytee it's no wonder your wife stays on your butt, [:-*] look at those wires, I may have to join her side, [] I have always taken up for you with all the flowery decorating stuff but I can't believe she put up with that. [:^)]

Ok I have to admit I thought you gave in to her with everything she wanted and now I see wires running across the floor, [:'(] I am proud of you, you were able to pull that off, what else have you got away with that we don't know ? I probably don't want to know. [:#]

[Coytee]

what else have you got away with that we don't know ? I probably don't want to know.

My secrets are to be sealed upon my death. They will be handed over only to the US Govt Dept of Archives with permission to be released in the 200'th year after my demise.

This is how precious they are.

[bs]

[Islander]

I found these: http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/chordsavers.php and one of the colors would closely match my listening area flooring, but they are kinda pricey. Any other thoughts?

Spending $78 for five 3-foot lengths of those chordsavers sounds like a lot less fuss and trouble than some of the other suggestions and might be better-looking and safer, too. You'd even have one length left over, and still pay less than four lengths would cost. Cable that's under carpet and getting walked on will only last so long. Lucky that's not power cable. Sorry, Coytee.

[Coytee]

Cable that's under carpet and getting walked on will only last so long. Lucky that's not power cable. Sorry, Coytee.

I'm in full agreement with you. The irony here is, my wife is SO predisposed to asthetics, she will almost seem to prefer to have something that doesn't work as long as it's pretty, contrasted to a lesser asthetic item that works fine. I've said I can (should) run the wires through the garage ceiling and put an outlet box on the other side of room.... since that would put a hole in her floor molding, she vetoed it.

I just shrug my shoulders sometimes as I don't get it.

Once we can find a qualified plumber/gas installer to run my gas pipe in the basement, I'll be ready for some drywall. Once that is complete I might be ready to start moving some of my stuff downstairs where the room is fully wired.

Regarding the plumber/gas line installer guy.... I've called about 8 different locations and either had a brief conversation or left message.... not a one of them has ever called me back. Not one. Unfortunately, that is part of the price I pay living 15 miles out of town.....no one really wants to come out my way for what is in fact, a small job.

[mbr311]

I am confronted with the same issue, and I think I am going to go down under the floor in the crawlspace, drill a hole in the floor and then fish it up through the drywall and patch where it goes in and out. I don't see any other way to do it other than to leave the wires exposed and on one side it wouldn't be a big deal but on the other side it would go past my dining room and that would drive me insane seeing white speaker wire...I have thought about running it above everything and that would work but I would still be able to see the white wire as it ran across the tops of my walls. So I'm gonna give it a shot to go under into the crawlspace and fish it through the drywall I have a friend that is pretty handy with that stuff and I think we can make it work. And when it does work its gonna be so clean I'm gonna be so freakin' happy that we went that route. I might do it the nasty way just to get everything set up while I wait for him to come over and help out but I'm definitely doing it the clean way once he comes by. Reminds me I need to go buy some beer to bribe him lol. Or a bottle of Crown Royal might do better. He's probably come over tonight if I told him I bought him a 1/5 of that.

[Islander]

I am confronted with the same issue, and I think I am going to go down under the floor in the crawlspace, drill a hole in the floor and then fish it up through the drywall and patch where it goes in and out.

You can buy a wall plate with connections that will accept banana plugs, which would give a nice properly-finished look, rather than having a patch on the wall. BTW, if you're running cable through the wall, you should use in-wall CL3 type.

[mbr311]

Oh yea I forgot to add we will be using that wall plate like Islander pointed out that will make it look clean, and I also bought wire from Monoprice that is specifically meant for in-wall installation. I got 14AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable - 100ft (For In-Wall Installation). It was this stuff:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10239

[mbr311]

Oh yea I forgot to add we will be using that wall plate like Islander pointed out that will make it look clean, and I also bought wire from Monoprice that is specifically meant for in-wall installation. I got 14AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable - 100ft (For In-Wall Installation). It was this stuff:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10239

Can someone confirm that this speaker wire is okay to use for in wall usage. It says its specifcally meant for in-wall installation but someone said to get CL3 rated and I got CL2 rated. Thanks!