Hiding Speaker Wires

If you’re anything like me, then one of the first things that jump out at you when you see a house is how they hide their speaker wire. I always wonder if it’s as easy to do as it looks and whether or not there are any tricks to make it look better.

To find out, I talked to some experts and did some research on my own, and put together these 15 tips for hiding speaker wire in your home.

How to Hide Speaker Wires – Top 15 Ways

1) Take advantage of natural barriers

If possible, try routing cables behind walls by drilling small holes through drywall with a hole saw (make sure power outlets aren’t nearby). You can also route them under carpets (try using an old vacuum cleaner hose).

2) Choose an appropriate cable

For home theaters, pick a cable that has thicker insulation and is more difficult to pull through the walls. Some speaker manufacturers will include these cables for no extra charge or they sell them separately themselves. Keep in mind this will make it slightly harder to fit the connectors through wall-mounted faceplates.

3) Make use of false ceilings

Instead of routing cables across walls, drill holes in the center of the ceiling and route them through there.

4) Use wire molding or fishing tape

This is a product that’s available at most hardware stores. It consists of some string-type material on one side with a sticky backing for adhering it to certain surfaces. Then you just wrap the speaker wire around it before peeling off the adhesive back and sticking it to the wall (be sure not to cover any electrical outlets).

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5) Install custom moldings

Home improvement stores carry moldings for all different applications such as hiding wires behind radiators, installing baseboards that also hide wires, etc. You can also do this yourself if you’re into DIY projects.

6) Make use of your furniture

You don’t want to drill through any walls unless you have to, so sometimes it’s best just to tuck them away behind the couch or other large pieces of furniture.

7) Hide speaker wires in boxes on the floor or wall

Even if you route cables under carpets, some installers opt to conceal additional cables with shallow plastic boxes mounted on walls. However, many homeowners just ignore this step and leave the cable box exposed which isn’t aesthetically pleasing at all. If that’s the case for you, then be sure to put on a cover plate on top of the box (this will also prevent accidents from happening).

8) Secure loose cables

If someone accidentally pulls on a loose cable, the whole system could come crashing down. Head back to step 1 and use some of those natural barriers or false ceilings to prevent this from happening.

9) Use small drops

If you’re having large speaker wires routed across your walls in between rooms, then consider using smaller drops that go only partway up the wall and let them hang with just enough slack so they can connect with any devices in that room (another reason why many people don’t bother with wire moldings).

10) Make good use of corner pads

If you’re worried about making holes in your walls for cables, then use corner pads which are available at most hardware stores. These are out of strong adhesive material that you stick to the corner of walls before drilling and they hold up cables as you drill carefully through those spots.

11) Match paint

If you accidentally cut a small hole in a wall, your best bet for minimizing the damage is to match the color of the paint as closely as possible. You can use paint pens or even some types of masking tape that come with little color swatches on them which will work perfectly fine. Then just make sure you put a piece of furniture over it later so no one notices it!

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12) Don’t use wire staples

These things are sold at most hardware stores and they look like oversized thumbtacks except they have razor-sharp points on them instead of ball heads. The idea is that you can staple wires to a wall and then drill through the staples with a special tool that has a diamond tip on it. This will cut right through them and allow you to route wires wherever you want, but there’s also a pretty good chance of accidentally poking yourself since they’re so sharp.

13) Use wire clips

These are plastic pieces available at most hardware stores that have little adhesive backs for sticking them to surfaces. Then all you do is stick your speaker cable into one end before folding it over onto itself to secure the cable in place. While not as permanent as some other methods, they still work quite well for their intended purpose.

14) Create an outlet box if needed

If you’re using small drops or doing something where there’s not enough wire to work with, then you may need an outlet box. This is a plastic piece that has screw holes on the bottom and you can attach it directly to your wall and use screws to pull the cable through the back of it so you don’t have any wires showing in front. Then just simply connect your speaker at either end using lugs (these are sold right next to staples at most hardware stores).

15) Don’t forget about protection

The last thing you want is for your speaker wires to get run over by someone’s foot or tracked into other areas which could cause damage to them or cut off the sound in certain rooms. Use carpet runners and doormats where appropriate and consider putting something heavy like bricks over cables crossing your walkway.

Conclusion

The key to hiding speaker wire is preparation. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to create a cable-free home theater system that looks and sounds great!