Routing speaker cables though plasterboard walls

OCdude

OCdude

OCdude

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I'm going to have the fun(?) task of wiring up my 7.1 speakers in a couple of months... I'm lucky (I think!) because I have plasterboard walls, so i've got the option to route all the wiring neatly 'inside' the walls and bring them to a central plate on the wall... i've just got a few questions.

Would I be right in thinking that electricians usually use fish tape to do this kinda thing? I've never done it before and i'm assuming there has to be a really easy simple solution to do it :D

I've done some googling and found 2 fish tape / cable access kits i'm considering (hoping it's okay to post these links, seeing as they're not competitors)

This one from Screwfix

Or

This one from VDC Trading (site seems to be down atm, but I think that was the right link, if not, just search for fish tape on the main site) :P

Last question - I understand that there will be various beams and studs(?) behind the wall, but are there usually horizontal beams that cover the entire depth of the wall? (therefore, totally blocking the cable) ?

Thanks for any info/tips!
 
OCdude said:
I'm going to have the fun(?) task of wiring up my 7.1 speakers in a couple of months... I'm lucky (I think!) because I have plasterboard walls, so i've got the option to route all the wiring neatly 'inside' the walls and bring them to a central plate on the wall... i've just got a few questions.

Would I be right in thinking that electricians usually use fish tape to do this kinda thing? I've never done it before and i'm assuming there has to be a really easy simple solution to do it :D

I've done some googling and found 2 fish tape / cable access kits i'm considering (hoping it's okay to post these links, seeing as they're not competitors)

This one from Screwfix

Or

This one from VDC Trading (site seems to be down atm, but I think that was the right link, if not, just search for fish tape on the main site) :P

Last question - I understand that there will be various beams and studs(?) behind the wall, but are there usually horizontal beams that cover the entire depth of the wall? (therefore, totally blocking the cable) ?

Thanks for any info/tips!
Click to expand...

The inside of your wall should look something like the one in the following link, you will struggle to run cables with the plaster board on it is generally done before the boards go up.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/partition_wall.htm
 
expect the noggins to be 1200mm from the floor so if your plate is lower than that you should be able to fish the cable up.
There will also be a footplate along the bottom on the floor
Also you need to consider the weight of the new plate on the wall. If it is heavy you might want to fix it to one of the vertical timbers so your hole to fish the cables up has to be close to an upright
and watch out for electricity and water !
Tie a heavy lump of metal to a string and drop it down inside the wall and pull it out of the hole at the bottom.
Tape the cables to the string and pull it back up and save buying the kit
 
Those rods are exactly what myself and friends use for sending cables through gaps. Re the noggins, you will have to damage the wall slightly to get the cables through them. What we would do is cut a small section out of the plasterboard over the noggin to get the cable past it, notch into the noggin, then put the bit of plasterboard which we had just removed back in with the aid of some surface filler to make good.
 
Ahh, some good ideas there, thanks guys.

I guess I'll have to face facts and prepare to take a chunk of plaster out!

As for the plate itself, i'm actually going to be using a brushplate, so in theory the cables will literally just pass straight through it, no need for terminating them etc. Height-wise, i guess it'll be about 5-10cm above the skirting board.

I've got the option to go into the loft to look 'down' the wall cavities.. although they're stuffed with insulation so it's hard to see any possible blockages.. I might try shining a torch up from the plate hole and see if that shows anything up!
 
If your stud walls are full of insulation you are going to have problems fishing anything though them. Most stud walls i come across have at least two vertical studs which you will need to get past if you go up to the loft. As Jez says you will have to stich the cables across the stud's. As it is only speaker cable you might with some time b-able to get away with little damage.
 
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