How to Run Coax Cable Along a Wall

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THD Member Thread Starter

I need to run a coaxial cable, an RCA cable that is the roughly the same diameter (but more flexible), and two surround speaker wires (probably 16g is fine) along a stretch of wall and over a doorway framed by crown molding. I'm thinking some kind of sleeve will vastly improve the appearance but have no idea where to find what I need. Anyone here have experience with stuff like this? Unfortunately, going inside the wall or even inside the crown molding is not an option - I will need to attach to the outside with some kind of staple or bracket, and could use some help finding that too.
Thoughts or suggestions on what to get?
Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

All those wires sound pretty thick... is it possible to tie them up and then plaster (drywall compound?) over them? Then you can paint the new plaster the same colour as your walls.
Or you can try a wire wrap of some sort. You can try attaching the wire wrap to the wall..... somehow.....

I'm sure some expert advice will be along shortly.
buy some PVC tubing and corner fittings to cover the area you are trying to conceal. Cut the tubing along one side to make it not round but open along one whole edge. Run the cable-tubing assembly along the floor and around the door then to the various speakers etc hopfully concealed behind a couch or something and mount the tubing using small finish nails being careful to not pierce the wires. Then paint the tubing the same color as the walls or the crown molding whichever would camoflage it better...
hope that helps.
Check out this site. You can also do a search for "cable management"
http://cableorganizer.com/cable-raceway/
THD Member Thread Starter

Very cool site. Lots of ideas there. I especially like their braided sleeves. Has anyone used anything like this?
http://cableorganizer.com/f6-wrap-around/
If the cables aren't too thick then Lowes (and probably Home Depot) sell some plastic "raceways" that can route your wires. You can even get 'inside' and 'outside' corners. The raceways have a sticky tape edge and are split so you can add or remove wires later without removing them. They work great IF your wires will fit inside them.
Here is a link (see page 2):
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&No=12&Ne=4294967294&category=Raceway+Systems%2FCord+Management&N=0+4294948859

I used this system to run surround speaker wires past my sliding door and was actually able to keep the wires on the floor, without going over the door, since there was a 1" high threshold to attach the raceway to.

Good luck.
Yes, I've frequenty used braided sleeving for dressing wires. In fact, my speaker runs which are dual Monster M1 and very thick are in Cole Flex which appears to be pretty much the same thing. I use heat shrink on the ends to keep everything clean and this also keeps the braid from undoing. It's about the thickness of a garden hose.
I've used it in small and large sizes for a variety of applications.

In fact the laptop I'm currently using has a braided harness which has USB, power, ethernet, audio and phone lines run through it. It's much easier than having all the cables stragling.

Another option which I've used a lot is spiral wrap. I made my Squeezebox harness in my car out of spiral wrap which makes it handy if you want to add or remove a wire from your harness.
P2CH Well-Known Member

Can you run them under the floor? I have a basement and I have RCA cables and speaker wires running all over the place.
I also purchased these plastic runner things from a place here called Grainger. They are 1" plastic tracks that screw to the wall then there is a plastic cover that snaps onto it.
THD Member Thread Starter

Thanks for the cool tips everyone.
Cannot go under floor or inside walls - has to be run on the exterior. I'm probably going to go with braided sleeves. So now I just need to figure out how small a diameter I can get away with, and then find some kind of minimalist way to affix these to my wall/molding.
Well that braid is funny stuff. It can expand to many times it's normal width by compressing it, but the wider it gets, the shorter it gets.
It's a bit like those Chinese handcuffs that go over the fingers.
P2CH Well-Known Member
I've used Wiremold products over the years to hide cabling, the best I've seen to hide cable runs. You can purchase their products at Home Depot. It sticks to the wall using adhesive backing but I prefer to screw it to the wall.
http://www.wiremold.com/www/consumer/products/cablemate.asp
No, but I've been looking for something like this for 20+ years.
Why don't they make this kind of product in white, though? Or even in colors. I've never understood why most things with cords you plug into the wall are black. Who has black walls?
Here is the product I use. It blends in really well with baseboard and can be painted.
http://www.wiremold.com/www/consumer/products/cordmate_2.asp
Raceway looks like a great way to go. Thick, thin, wall, floor, snap-top, fixed-top, etc...
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/ww...ginalValue=Wire+Management&L1=Wire+Management