Speaker wire in the concrete?

[Mike T]

Has any one ever cut a grove in their concrete slap and layed the speaker cable for the rear surounds, and the side speakers in it and covered it up with expandable patch? I am trying to find an easy way out from fishing the walls, and climing in the attic here in Vegas to get the speaker cables to where I need them. Had a minor flood in the house, and the carpet and pad is all up and out. Just seemed like a easier way. If anyone has done this,, that did you use to cut the grove in the concrete, and how did it work?

Thanks,

MT

[Guest " "]

had a simular challenge but I used a different approach.

I drilled a hole through the wall to the outside.

from the outside I ran wire along the house to the rear of the room wall.

drilled holes from the outside of the house into the rear of the room.

ran the wires thru, connected to nice plates and mounted speaker mounts to the plates.

something about putting wire on floors that have a history of flooding concerns me.

[oldtimer]

Agree about the history of flooding concerns, even so, if you do it this way run the wire through conduit and seal the ends as best you can. It is easiest to run the wire up through the wall and across the attic and back down to where you want it. Do it in the winter when attic temps are coolest.

[Fish]

I don't know if flooding is an issue(maybe)but cuttin' a groove in the crete is extreme,and extremely dusty.All you would need is a concrete saw(rental).If it were me I'd just put down the pad,run my wires a few inches from the walls(you could cut a slit in the pad,lay wire in)and cover with duct tape and then carpet.

[Joe Shmoe]

I concur... I wouldn't do it if there were already problems with moisture or flooding. You couldn't do what was said before about flat wire behind the trim? What about some type of crown molding around the celing? What Fish said about the padding near the wall might be your only option, if you really cannot go through the attic.

[oldbuckster]

Cutting a groove in cement is a dusty mess like Fish said. The only way to chip cement is with a hammer, chisel, and armstrong, if you have alot of time, but aren't you in the same boat if it floods again. That idea of running your wire outside then back in sounds good, or the ceiling route, the padding near the wall, again like Fish said; OR what about wireless rears?

[Guest " "]

wireless rears....great idea...especially if you have not bought the rear speakers yet.

[Mike T]

Thanks for all your replys. Flooding is NOT normaly a problem here, I just had a water pipe break, and took out the Kitchen and Livingroom, and down a hallway. And it's a DRY Heat here in Vegas..... The carpet is all up, and haveing new put down in about 2 weeks, so trying to come up with something before the last minute. I do have a way out side, and then up into the attic in a piece of conduit and run my wires around that way. Just NOT looking forward to getting up there as hot as it's been the past couple of weeks. Gets hot in the attic in a hurry here in the summer. There's just two inside walls I'd have to fish down for the side and the rear surround. If you haven't read my post in another section, I got a good deal on 2 sets of Heresy II's to go with my original Heresy I's. Already talked to someone about replacing the crossover in the old speakers. Any way, that's the plan...... Always looks good on paper.

Thanks for all the help and sugestions.

Mike

[Joe Shmoe]

Well then, go rent yourself a cement saw. I have rented them before... pretty easy to operate, Dust will be aplenty but make sure you get the self standing model, that you hook up to your garden hose, that will help quite a bit. You could then even just lay a piece of conduit in it, then smooth back over the top with cement, or some type of mortar, that way you could (if desired) pull the wire out??

[ygmn]

remove baseboard.. and cut groove in sheetrock...much cleaner and easier..

also if you cut groove in concrete slab you are inviting to have a crack in the slab someday in the groove...

[Tom Adams]

remove baseboard.. and cut groove in sheetrock...much cleaner and easier..

also if you cut groove in concrete slab you are inviting to have a crack in the slab someday in the groove...

This would be my greatest fear in cutting a groove in concrete. It's possible that it wouldn't be an issue, however, the surface tension of a finished concrete slab has quite a bit to do with the integrity of the monolithic slab. Cutting a groove in it could have the same effect as scoring a piece of glass. The structural loading of your house might be such that the groove weakens the slab thereby inducing unwanted settlement cracks or in the worst case, a major crack resulting in issues with walls and/or floors. Personally, from a structural perspective, I wouldn't do it.

I'd either do the baseboard trim or crown molding hiding methods or run the wires in the attic at night (hell, it's dark in the attic anyway).

Tom

[Gilbert]

You can rent a concrete saw, similar to what they use to cut control joints with in slabs. once your wires are directed to where they need to go, you seal it up with joint sealer. There are tons of products that you can use to fill in the void. I'd recommend buying a self-leveling joint sealer by Sonoborn, Chemrex, or Master Builders.