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How to Run A/V Wires Through Your Home
With a little planning and the right tools, running A/V cables in your walls is easier than you may think.
home wiring tips
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May 23, 2008 | by Jeff Winston

The Tools
You’ll need a tape measure, hammer, cable staples, power drill, and stud-finder. A fish tape is also a nice tool when running wires through walls. Use twist-ties to “bundle” your cable for easier handling. When drilling a hole between rooms, always measure so that you know where it will come out on the other side. Always drill a small (1/8”), shallow test hole first, and then poke inside to make sure there aren’t any obstructions. Drill only a small hole through to the other room, and then widen it from the other side. Also, it’s easier to pre-finish your L-molding before you install it.

Get Thin
Finally, if all else fails, consider putting some wires right on the wall. http://www.flatwireready.com/index.htm” target=“_blank” title=“Southwire”>Southwire of Carrollton, Georgia makes paper-thin FlatWire for audio, video, data, and even AC power. FlatWire is paintable, or you can wallpaper over it. 

If you have a 5000 sq. ft. pristine mansion, and need to wire every room, these methods may not work for you, but if you have a smaller, older home, and just need to make a few well-hidden connections without draining your pocketbook, looking hard at the opportunities already in your house may be a good place to start.


Jeff Winston - Contributing Writer
Jeff Winston has been writing about home electronics since 1998. An electrical engineer, Jeff has contributed to the development of products in the computer, consumer electronics, and wireless industries. He spends his spare time with his wife, kids, and many PCs, sometimes in that order.



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Comments (4) Most recent displayed first.
Posted by what?  on  05/29/08  at  02:47 PM

Tape measure,  CHECK
Hammer, CHECK
Cable staples, CHECK
Power drill, CHECK
Stud-finder, CHECK
Fish tape, CHECK

Ready for the big time!

“Use twist-ties to “bundle” your cable”....what? now my bread is going to get stale!

:-)

Posted by ct  on  05/29/08  at  08:34 AM

What a load of crap. I’d love to see the trim-out.

Posted by mike  on  05/23/08  at  12:50 PM

Let me try to fill in some gaps

somtimes you have to cut out right at the 90 where the wall and celing meet.

You are going to have to cut out some drywall.  Where the wall plates go, that’s easy, but where you have to replace the drywall, do the following:

1)  With a wallboard saw, cut into the wall at a 45 degree angle.  This is done so when you go to put it back together, you just re-use the piece you took out, and it fits nicely.

3)  Match the paint.  To match the paint, take the piece that you cut out in step one and take it to your local hardware store.  I think even the smaller ones like true value have this capability.  They have a machine that photoelectrically determines the correct paint mixture you need,  based on your sample.  Get a pint.

3)  Use wall board tape and spackle to seal the hole around the peice you are re-using to cover the hole, when it dries, sand it down with a fine grit sandpaper. 

4)  Repaint, or, if applicable, re-texture the ceiling.  You can get some of the re-texture stuff in a spray can, just enough for the job.  It doesn’t always match perfectly, but you usually have to look to find where the patch job was done.

Posted by Mark  on  05/23/08  at  11:19 AM

Great points - and in my case quite timely… I need to do this soon.



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