Cables, cables everywhere. There are several ways to hide those ugly audio cables that deliver the great sound you're enjoying from your home theater system. And, depending on which process you choose, it can be a fairly simple task.
Instructions
The Basics
1. Make sure you have enough wire to run along the route you've planned between your amplifier and your TV. A bit of extra wire is preferable. Pulling the cables too tightly could damage them.
2. Try to avoid stringing the wires close to power cables. This can result in interference and diminished sound quality.
3. Avoid pinching the cables or doing anything that changes their shape. Bending or cinching a cable too tightly can result in poor performance.
4. Plan your route and consider the options. There are several ways to hide those cables including running them along the edge of carpeting, running them on a wall or baseboard, or running them under carpeting, behind baseboards or through cabinetry.
Ties, Tacks and Raceways
5. Find sturdy, plastic wire ties. Avoid flimsier ties that come with garbage bags.
6. Bundle your cables, after connecting them, and cinch them with the ties at either end and down the line every three or four feet.
7. Snip the excess plastic off the ties.
8. Purchase tacks that match the shape and size of the cable and be careful not to pierce the cable with the tacks.
9. Purchase raceways that are paintable to match the decor of your room, and make sure they are wide enough to accommodate all of your cables.
10. Insert your cables into the channels of the raceways, and attach them to your walls or baseboards.
Carpeting
11. Check to see if there is enough space between the carpet and the baseboard to run the cables to give your wires enough room so they won't get pinched.
12. Allow wires to surface briefly when going around corners and run them on a curve instead or sharp right angles, which can pinch the wires.
13. Exit the baseboard or carpeting behind furniture or directly below speakers to hide cables.
14. Paint the visible portion of your cable the color of your walls, etc. to make them less visible when they're attached to your TV, speakers or other devices.
15. Run wires under carpet being careful they're in areas where they won't be pinched or compressed. Also make sure your carpet is "plush" or thick enough where the wires won't show through. Good thick padding can also help you hide wires under thinner carpet.
16. Use flat or narrow cables, which are harder to detect when run under carpets.
17.Run your wires between the carpet and the pad, which is used as a cushion for the wires.
18. Use fish tape to hold the cables or wires in place under carpets. Make sure it's long enough to run the entire route.
Baseboards, Molding and Door Jambs
19. Use CL2 or CL3 UL-rated cables, and check to make sure the cables meet local fire and building codes.
20. Carefully pry off the baseboard, molding or door jamb with a chisel, crowbar or putty knife.
21. Chisel out a channel that's wide enough to run the cables through, and run your wire along the channel.
22. Running cables behind a baseboard or molding also requires that you install nail plates on each stud to protect the wire.
23. Reattach your baseboard, molding or door jamb.
Cabinetry or Closet
24. Drill holes that are large enough to comfortably accommodate your cables.
25. Protect your cables from rough edges by using grommets.
26
Run cables through multiple holes in a bundle by taping one behind the other.
27
Use wire ties or tacks to bundle and anchor cables to the sides of the closet or cabinet, making sure you're not pinching the wires.
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