How to Conceal Wall Mounted Flat Screen TV Wires and Cables During Installation

A Flat screen TV mounted on the wall is a pleasing sight. Along with better picture and sound quality a flat screen LCD or plasma TV also adds to the aesthetic ambiance of any room. However, power cables and wires dangling and lying around spoil the picture of perfection that a Flat screen TV provides.

What are the different options?

There are several ways by which you can conceal the power cables. A simple option is to hide the wires behind furniture like wall cabinets and curtains, while a more permanent option is to conceal the wires in the walls behind the flat screen TV wall mount. The latter option needs pre-existing power outlets especially if the walls are solid. In case of dry or wooden partition walls, a bit of drilling and cutting will enable you to hide cables effectively while installing your flat screen TV wall mount.

Can I skip the drilling and cutting?

An increasingly popular option used today is to hide the wires in decorative moldings which look good while blending easily with the wall. This involves less of drilling and can be done quickly within an hour or so. The decorative moldings or raceways as they are also known can be painted to match the wall color.

What are the standard guidelines to be followed?

If you opt for concealing the wires in the wall there are a few things you would need to keep in mind. First of all it would be better not to run the wires through an exterior wall which involves difficulty in drilling due to extra bracing and insulation. You will also need to select heat and fire resistant HDMI Cables as per local standards.

Also do not run power cables through the walls, which is a violation of safety codes; only the TV AV cables can be passed through. You can also cut a hole in the wall and pass the TV cable to be connected to a power socket behind the wall at the other end.

How do I run the TV cables through the wall?

In most cases however the cables are connected to the DVD player, cable box and the like placed about 2-3 feet below the Flat screen TV. The devices are generally housed in a cabinet with the power socket located behind the cabinet panel. If there is no pre-existing socket you may have to get one installed.

You will need a knife, wall sockets, cables and of course nuts and bolts along with a turn screw. Use a marker to outline a square at the top behind the TV wall mounting bracket and another one just below it behind the cable box and DVD player cabinet. Then cut the outlined space using the knife or use a drill and run the TV cables downwards.

Connect them at both ends to the power sockets which you have affixed to the wall and you are good to go. The last part would be to connect all plugs in their socket, switch on the power and then sit back and relax watching your favorite show or movie.