How to Hide Unsightly Wiring in Your Home

Having wires and cables exposed in your home can make it look cluttered and messy. Here are some tips for hiding unsightly wiring to give your rooms a clean, polished look.

Evaluate Where Your Wires Are Located

The first step is taking stock of where your visible wires and cables are located.

• Make a list of problem areas. Common places include:
  • Along baseboards or near floor trim
  • Behind furniture like TV stands and media centers
  • Around entertainment components like TVs, speakers, and game consoles
  • Along walls where cables run down from the ceiling or up from the floor
• Walk through each room and thoroughly look for any exposed wires. Sometimes they lurk in corners or behind décor.

Thoroughly evaluating where wires are exposed will help you come up with targeted solutions for each area.

Clean Up and Consolidate Existing Wires

Before hiding wires, it's a good idea to tidy them up. Here are some tips:

• Untangle wires and cables so they lay flat and smooth.
• Use cable ties or velcro straps to bundle together wires that are in the same area.
• Label wires with their purpose using tags or tape so you can easily identify them later.
• Coil excess cable to reduce slack and prevent bulky loops.
• Remove any abandoned cables that are no longer in use.

Consolidating your cables into organized groups makes them easier to hide. It also minimizes the risk of overheating.

Choose Approaches for Hiding Wires in Key Areas

There are a variety of solutions you can use to conceal wires in specific spots:

Along Baseboards and Floor Trim

• Cable raceways: Snap-on plastic covers hide cables against baseboards. Look for raceways that match your trim color.

• Wireless doorbells: For wires running to doorbells, install a wireless doorbell to eliminate the need for wires.

Behind Furniture

• Cable covers: Adhesive covers blend into the back of desks, entertainment centers, etc. to mask wires.

• Power outlet kits: Kits allow you to mount outlets and power strips inside furniture cavities.

Near Entertainment Components

• Concealer strips: Plastic strips mount discreetly on the wall to contain cables. Paint them to match.

• Cable boxes: Boxes mounted behind your TV stash excess cables out of sight.

Along Walls

• Cable channels: Snap-on channels mount onto walls vertically to run cables neatly from ceiling to floor.

• Wall cord covers: Paintable covers fit over cables where they run along walls horizontally.

Through Ceilings and Walls

For a seamless look, you may want to run cables through hollow spaces in your home. This may require drilling holes through walls and ceilings. Consult an electrician to ensure safety and code compliance.

Maintain Access for Future Changes

Even with wires hidden, you'll still need access for occasional changes like replacing a TV or adding a smart speaker. Here are some tips:

• Leave an extra loop of cable coiled behind furniture so you can pull some out later if needed.
• Choose raceways with snap-on covers that can easily be removed.
• For in-wall wiring, install low-profile outlet or junction boxes you can access.

Planning for access will prevent having to redo your wire concealment work down the road.

With some strategic planning and the right products, you can banish messy wires from sight. A few weekends of dedication can give your home a crisp, professional feel that improves your décor. The order and clean look will be worth the effort.