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Thin Wires under carpet when taking out


Nour

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Hello you guys 

we are taking out our carpet and installing floors in our two story home 

when we took out the carpet we found some thin wires and we are not sure what they are can anyone tell me what they are ? And also if we can install the hard wood flooring on top of them. 

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45 minutes ago, Mallette said:

Pictures and a bit more info would help. Given the snarkiness (good natured, but snarky) here, someone is likely to answer "good chance it's copper."

Dave

I posted a pic on the comment 

sorry first time using this site 


 

 
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53 minutes ago, Nour said:

when we took out the carpet we found some thin wires and we are not sure what they are

My guess would be telephone wires.  Usually they are 4-strand and very thin.

 

Edit:  I saw where Dean suggested a doorbell wire.  That's a solid guess.  If it is a doorbell wire you might take it out and go wireless.

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2 minutes ago, Nour said:

@wvu80 we have Vivint door bell anyways it’s Wires do you think it’s okah if we cut them out ? 

 

I think you are safe taking them out.  I've taken out all the phone wires in my house and I've never had a doorbell.  Everything is wireless these days.

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Last pic above ... seems like it is a phone line plugged into an outlet.  Probably was used as an extension for a land-line phone. 

Do not leave it there when installing hardwood. Even with a "mat," it will give you an uneven surface ... and problems laying the hardwood.

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I was going to ask ... it looks like 2 runs of wire?  Was there 2 locations for phone extension or is there any chance these were low gauge speaker wire?  Where did they run from / to ... common point to two different locations and why not just tuck them in the gap between floor board and carpet/wall board?  Definitely don't leave them under hardwood!

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Rather common method for a lazy person running signal wires in a slab-floor home, or finished basement.  Maybe they did it while they had the tile up to go carpet, and maybe they went to carpet so they could do it.  You wouldn't have to take up the tile to go carpet, so it seems like a remodel, but if they were doing that, why didn't they go thru the attic or ceiling with the wires?

 

Is it a basement or main floor (ground level)?  Is the wall they disappear into in the second pic an outside wall with maybe a box mounted there, and if so, what does the box look like?

 

I wouldn't have suspected doorbell; phone or speakers would be first guesses for me.  Obviously you're not going to need them if it was speaker wire (or perhaps intercom), and most likely unnecessary to you for phone.

 

I've done floor covering professionally and have "laid rug" over wires like that when found under what was being replaced (wasn't getting paid to do it correctly).

 

You could rent a concrete saw and cut some shallow channels for the wires (either a lot of dust and/or water to contend with) or you could put down thin underlayment with the necessary runway gaps if moisture won't be a problem.  Either way more expense/effort for something you don't need, if you don't.  What are the wires for?  :^)

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