Advice-Decorating!

[clivvy]

hey chaps!

we are re decorating the living room, and we want to set some cables into the walls. The walls are just the usual plaster over brick, and the cables are just standard coaxial. Question is, whats the best way to cut the cables into the walls? I have a dremel and a grinder....!

we may also need to cut some cables into the flooring, any tips?

anyone near me that can fit gas fires?!

cheers chaps, hope you can help!

 

[SPARKIEDOO]

i would pop the skirting boards off.....there should be a gap behind them :augie

PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY CABLE IN THE WALL THAT HAS MAINS RUNNING THROUGH IT...........230V WITHOUT AN RCD PROTECTING IT :thumbs


or get a sparkie in to help and advise you :clap

good luck !

 

[christof30]

One thing to bear in mind is that when chasing the walls the dust will get everywhere and i mean everywhere so seal off the rest of your house completely, even access it via a different door if possible.

By coaxial you mean tv aerial type cable?

Generally if you have concrete floors you would run the cables above the ceiling and chase down the wall.

 

[clivvy]

Its just the broadband cable we want to hide in the wall, no electrical. Plan is to run from point near the front window, past fireplace, up the back wall into the room above. I figure I need to cut some sort of recess into the floorboards.

 

[kitchenman]

lift the floorboards, run cables either under joists or drill joists, if you drill joists make sure the holes are at least 50mm down, else murphy will ensure you put a nail through the cable.

If the floorboards run the wrong way you can buy a flexy kit to fish it through, just lift a board at each end of the room

If the floors are carpeted the gripper will be away from the wall a bit, put the cable into the gap & put the carpet back.

If the floor is laminated leave it alone.

The skirting idea is best unless a door or fireplace gets in the way.

Consider all things that can go wrong FIRST, spend a bit of time planning save a few days putting it right.

When I was fitting kitchens I worked on the principle, 'if you save a second or two you could well lose a fortnight sorting it out':doh:doh

 

[zippy656]

can you go wireless..

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/powerline-home-networking/727_7090_70097_xx_xx/xx-criteria.html

some thing like this might be just what you need, save ALL the mess!

 

[jims-terrano]

Hi clivvy, if I'm around I don't mind helping mate so just give me a shout.

Angle grinder the wall? I got diamond tipped blade but they do create a lot of dust but it's quick. How about a router to cut a channel in the floor boards. Another way of getting cables up the wall is to make your channel in the corner of two walls, this way the filled hole wont show through decorating as easily. How about running cable up the outside?

Jim

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

I agree with Jim take the cable outside if you can. Also make sue you try it all out before you comit youirself - connect up the cable you need ad run it out the window or up the stairs - where ever you can but make sure the idea works before you start making big changes!

 

[christof30]

Why not go up the front wall to joist height, drill through the wall and then just lift a few boards upstairs and feed it where needed. That should keep it a nice tidy job.

 

[4wheel]

Cable

Give it serious thought.I used to do that sort of thing for a living and you have no idea just how much dust that grinder is going to make.That, plus the fact that you will always see the mark on the wall unless you replaster the whole wall or paint with a thick covercoat.The guys are right,outside is best or use the skirting.Best is to superglue a white cable in the wall corner and then throught the ceiling - avoiding all pipes and cables.(always interesting).You can always paint the corner and cable to match.Good luck.:thumbs

 

[makeitfit]

I'm with Zippy, if all this is just for the b/b cable WIRELESS is the way forward :thumbs

 

[BIGSEAN]

Yup wireless or an outside wall dust from a grinder will stay with you for years

 

[clivvy]

cheers guys, cant go wireless!

I like the idea Jim has-cut recess into corner of two walls, that works well for our situation. Will try fish cable through floor boards but thats going to be tricky, so may cut a slight recess into the boards-the fireplace will cover this anyway!

 

[zippy656]

why not wireless??

 

[supergnome]

WIRELESS<WIRELESS Do in minutes, no dust, no bother, no electrical interference.

 

[supergnome]

What cable are you trying to lay, Cat 5e or a phone extension??

 

[rustic]

My cables head for the curtains when they need to go vertical, then hide only the bit you can see.


Plaster Coving is another option for horizontal runs, easy to fit and you can hide cables in it, and it gets rid of that crack between the ceiling and the wall.

Quicker to cove a whole room, than try to get the dust up from an angle grinder.

Over the years I have fitted alarm cables, TV co-axial, CCT and satellite and phone cables around the house.

What I did with Chip board floors, I drilled a small shallow hole first, then bent a wire coat hanger, and checked there was nothing for a radius of 2 " then, I got a 3-4 inch dia hole saw, to give access.
You can get your hand in, a torch, a mirror and fish wires through very easily.

To fill the hole place a battern across and under the hole, glue and screw, then replace the circle you cut out, a bit of poly filler.... job done.

NOT suitable for wooden floor boards though....

 

[clivvy]

What cable are you trying to lay, Cat 5e or a phone extension??

its just a coaxial broadband cable from the Virgin box on the wall to the router. so its about twice the size of a 5e. needs to be cut into the floor somehow (floroboards) then up the wall as the router is in the next room up. I have been scared off using the grinder, so was thinking I might chisel it in perhaps....or try my dremel...?

 

[supergnome]

Could you move the router to next to the virgin box and run wireless from there. most routers are wall moutable.

 

[christof30]

Even chiseling the walls is very messy, especially if breeze block. If your floorboards are standard 5 / 6" boards its easy to just lift a few and run the cable through the floor void.
Its would defiantly consider running the cable up the wall outside though, the only real mess is the drilling and thats either outside or under the floor:thumbs.
Ive been moving some cables myself lately and found that in the outside broadband box the cable was only plugged in not wired, so easy to move.