My Cunning Plan

[KevMoffatt]

Knowing my luck this will turn out like one of Baldrick's cunning plans, but it's worth a shot!

I have been trying to work out a way to hide my wiring in my main wall, which is solid concrete, in such a way that it's future-proofed, i.e. if any of the cables need changing I won't have to rip the wall apart to do so.

So my plan is to hire a wall-chaser, cut the appropriate channels, put in some larger-than-necessary conduit (just in case), like so:

The theory is that only running vertically puts gravity on my side, so I can just pull any cables that might need changing up and drop the new ones down through the conduit.

Where the plasma is now on the floor will be a flat TV bench much like this one, which will hide where the cables from the plasma and the Sky cables will exit, and obviously the speakers will obscure where the speaker cables exit. I'm thinking about using those brush faceplates where the plasma and Sky cables exit because the furniture will hide them, but I wonder what I could do where the speaker cable exits?

The adjoining wall you can just see on the far right is where the amp will go, that wall is plasterboard (as is every other wall in the room) so I will just drop the speaker cables from the loft to that. I know it seems strange having it so far away, but from a changing cables point of view it's actually easier - it means I don't have to run any cables horizontally in the wall.

Do you think this is a good plan? I have tried to be logical and cover all the bases but I would welcome any suggestions or comments you might have. I have never done this kind of thing before and I want to get it right.

[Trollslayer]

It might help when putting in the channels to have a spare wire you can use to draw others through - it just need to be strong enough to not snap.

[Jiff Lemon]

I'm guessing the loft is above you?

I'd be more inclined to run a single horizontal channel between the speakers, have a single junction box behind the TV for the cables to exit from.

Threading new cables wouldn't be an issue; If it was replacing a damaged cable, you could cable tie the new to the old and pull through. Or as Trollslayer suggested, just leave some spare wire/string in the conduit to pull through new cable.

[KevMoffatt]

Sorry yes this is a bedroom and the loft is above me. Forgot to mention that!

You know, I just had another idea. I wonder if it would be easier to put a stud wall up on top of the concrete wall while still following the routes I planned. It would be a hell of a lot less messy and give me more room to manoeuvre. I wanted an extra plug socket put in roughly where the TV is now on the floor and it would make that an easier job.

Argh. Curse my overactive brain!

[MitsiTurbo]

How about a floating wall like so?

Cheap, easy to do, makes a feature, hides the cables, provides ambient lighting, gives something to mount the screen to and when you come to move, its just a few screws to undo, a bit of filler and paint!

[MrSkipsey]

Reading this post I was thinking of the above.....Looks great too!
I would use a draw-wire as stated. One thing I find while running cables at work is its a sod if you 'poke' the cable along and then it gets jammed up or bends up on itself. You could even get some cable rods from an electrical store, their quite cheap or if you know a sparky they may have a small 'cobra' or 'rat' you could use to run down your chase and then tape your cables to it........Make sure if you use this idea then use plenty of tape!!!!

Gotta say, Im impressed with the floating wall pic^^^^^!

[KevMoffatt]

Originally Posted by MitsiTurbo

How about a floating wall like so?

I really like floating walls in general (yours is great by the way), but I think if you're going to build one then it needs to be dead centre of the wall it's going on to and my setup will be going left of centre and it would look odd.

I will definitely think about it some more, but I am really getting into the idea of putting a stud wall up.

[wese007]

KevMoffatt when i first built my flaoting wall it was off centre to the left,only 10 inches though,basicly down to the size of my tele at the time and seating postion,and to tell the truth imho does not look that odd,as the overall effect of a floating wall looks pretty impressive in its self imho again,food for thought

[tankrs]

I think the best way is a stud wall. This what I have done for one good reason, I've got 8 double sockets in the wall with 4 behind tv unit. On top of this is a floating wall. All cables are hidden in channels behind one or the other.
Studs can be placed to make channels for speakers, tv and amp etc

Tankrs