Cabling advice?

[nath]

I'm getting started on my new flat tomorrow and trying to work out how to sort my hifi/projector cabling. The problem is that the living room has two doors, one at either end, so running a cable around one way to avoid the door is out.

I've considered running under the carpet but I've got quite a thick HDMI cable (and I'd rather not buy a new one as I spent over 100 quid on this particular 10meter one). I'm hoping to avoid running over the door frame but does anyone have any other ideas? I may well be able to take a bit of the carpet up and run under the floorboards but I don't know how practical that is, and I don't fancy drilling the joists.

I have a feeling I'll be stuck with visible cables so any ideas appreciated.

 

[old.user4556]

I can't picture this correctly Nath, can you drag a diagram roughly ? I'll have a better idea then

 

[nath]

Bed + The Wire now but my dad actually put together the room in SolidWorks so I'll upload a jpg of that tomorrow and show what I'm trying to do. Essentially I need to get cables from the front (my amp) to the back (my projector and rear speakers) and there's no way to avoid a door if I'm sticking to the wall as there are two doors in the living room so regardless of what direction I go I have to cross one.

 

[Trem]

You won't always have to drill joists, the cable can just sit on the floor under the floor boards. I have all my cabling under the floor boards and not once did I drill a joist, you don't have to for A/V cables only for cables carrying electric (although I just laid them on the floor as well). If you do have to drill joists it isn't a biggie.

Are you sure you have floor boards? Unusual for in a flat, if you do then thats a winner, absolute doddle to do and it hides everything. You don't want cables and or trunking visible, it will catch your eye everytime you pass them. A bit of work now will be better in the long run.

 

[Trem]

Oh yeah, do you have skirting? Thats the only time you will have to drill to make some space to shove the cable straight down. Drill flat against the wall, long drill bit and drill straight down behind skirting and behind joist but obviously if its a proper wall you won't be drilling through the joist just behind it.

I would go the whole hog and chisel out the walls for the wires but thats just me and I was having the room plastered anyway.

I would do it for you if you were up here, I love doing cabling

 

[Ch3tan]

You hear that nath? Trem is coming to your house with tools.










And this time I did not tell him to do the cabling, so when he loses and eye, left nipple, 3rd toe on each foot and part of his scrotum doing it, he won't be able to blame me.

 

[Trem]

You hear that nath? Trem is coming to your house with tools.

And this time I did not tell him to do the cabling, so when he loses and eye, left nipple, 3rd toe on each foot and part of his scrotum doing it, he won't be able to blame me.

I often go Naths house to do some "cabling".

When you almost blinded me in 1 eye that wasn't cabling like this, that was your fault and every time I have hurt myself it has been your fault

 

[nath]

I believe "lay some cable" is the more appropriate term for innuendo. Gah, such a noob.

Anyway, I've just got the keys from the fucking **** of an estate agent so I'm popping over there now to have a look at the situation. I really would prefer to go under the floorboards as it's muuuch nicer and I think now is the time as it's completely empty and I'm not in a rush to move in.

 

[Trem]

A long stick and duck tape will also be your friend when doing this job, tape the cable to the end of the stick and feed it over to where you want it then just take the tape off and there you go.

 

[nath]

A long stick and duck tape will also be your friend

Much though that creeps me out, that's not a bad idea at all.

 

[Trem]

I called mine Marvin, he sleeps beside me.

 

[Chilly]

do you tape him to yourself?

 

[old.user4556]

Nath, any schematics forthcoming?

Also, have you considered a flat HDMI cable to aid in this?

 

[nath]

Ah shit, sorry forgot.

Actually think I've got it sorted - I'm getting an electrician to put in a few more power sockets and I'll get him to sort cabling under the floorboards when he does that. In case you're interested, here's a shot - the black cable is basically running under the floor and popping out the other end.

 

[old.user4556]

Hmmm will think about it - I think you're only options are to run trunking in the corner of the ceiling/wall, or to run it under the carpet/floorboard.

You could also consider having the amp at the back of the room and run longer speaker wires which might be easier to work with?

 

[nath]

It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other - I'd need speaker wires to the front, but also an HDMI to the front for the LCD.

Nah, I think under the floors is the most suitable and I'll get it sorted when the electrician pops in the extra power sockets. Hopefully won't be much of a detour, and all I need then is that one HDMI and the two rear speaker cables. Shouldn't be too much of a ballache.

 

[Trem]

Do the sockets yourself as well you big girl!!

 

[nath]

I really should but it looks like I'm going to have to drill joists 'n shit and that makes me a little paranoid.