Cable underneath the skirting board

[James Peach]

OK

for the snaking wires use THIS https://www.amazon.co.uk/MOSOTECH-M...s=cable+sleeve+braided&qid=1629119957&sr=8-46

then you have one wire that likes nicer instead of 3 unwieldy wires. Trust me.

you can use this almost anywhere you have loose wires. It's like large scale cable management in a PC.


The other problem you have is 2 fold :

1. don't notch out the FRONT of the conduit of course that will look pap.

I'm an idiot.

The snaking thing looks really good too.

 

[James Peach]

I used 16x38mm trunking above my 18mm skirting, seems to blend in very well, I screwed in a few small screws every few feet just to hold it. Yeah you can notch out in a few places hare and there to have a wire come in go out, but dunno what you mean about the tops coming off ? Was very secure. You then run the bradied cable stuff and it looks very neat in deed.

Perhaps I have too many wires in there but the top comes off because they're trying to escape so they pop it off.

 

[James Peach]

Thanks . It took a while but was very satisying to get it finished and finally rid myself of cables running round the room.



I can definitely see why that's annoying you! I think your biggest problem is the unit. Devices will always have cables and you're leaving nowhere to hide the cabling by having a unit with legs and no back. You also seem to have far too many things there, do you really need all those things that are plugged in?

Whilst it's not the prettiest solution you could run something like this just below the height of the unit:
https://www.legrand.co.uk/products/cable-management/floor-and-perimeter-systems/

In terms of charging things on the table in the middle I'd be tempted to find a way to install a USB power socket into the unit. You could install a floor box under the unit that a USB charger plugs into. Something like this:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Produc...iDcYs8N-AoYGQRIJtp6coee_oL9xJZRRoCtF0QAvD_BwE

Yes. I suspect I'll do this. (the floor box)

In the meantime I definitely want to find a way to have the USB C and lightning and cables I'm using on the sofa, snap back under the sofa when I'm not using them.

This might be overkill but I can't find an alternative.

 

[James Peach]

You're cable mad!

The absolute best piece of advice is to first consider whether a) do you need those devices plugged in all the time, and b) do they actually need to be somewhere visible/accessible. If they don't, then move them to a cupboard or buy some sort of standing unit that the device can be hidden in, and various cables can be terminated at.

You're never going to be able to eliminate wiring, your smart speaker for example has to be plugged in somewhere. So either move it somewhere closer to a plug socket, or pin the cabling to the wall. You're lucky having a white wall and white cabling that it's not going to be noticeable.

Chargers that you use in the middle of the room are always going to cause a problem. If you're going to the lengths of replacing the skirting and removing some of the flooring for laying wires then i would look at putting in (or having put in) floor sockets that can be hidden under your sofa. You said in your video you don't always like the look of them, but you've gotta weigh up which looks worse, trailing cables from the wall, or a flap on a floor socket that can hide away your cables when not in use.

I'm planning on mounting the television on the wall and then moving the consoles somewhere else where they can't be seen.

I'll also put power sockets under the sofas but the problem I have is that I'll leave the USB C cables out when I'm not using them and I want them to get hidden automatically.

A la vacuum cleaner power cable.

 

[Semple]

but the problem I have is that I'll leave the USB C cables out when I'm not using them and I want them to get hidden automatically.

TBH i can't say i've ever seen something like that for USB C cables. You typically find those are for short uses (connecting phone to laptop etc). I think you'll have to resort to reeling them up and sticking them in a drawer when not in use.

 

[James Peach]

TBH i can't say i've ever seen something like that for USB C cables. You typically find those are for short uses (connecting phone to laptop etc). I think you'll have to resort to reeling them up and sticking them in a drawer when not in use.

I know. But I never do. They just get left out.

 

[topgun06]

A video explaining;
https://www.dropbox.com/s/brt8xhx072o8c17/IMG_4963.MOV?dl=0
or at least trying to

Absolutely love this video!

 

[PurplePhoenix]

I did this and as soon as it done the virgin cable broke and had get them to fit a new one and I have it across the floor again.

 

[SimonR]

I'm planning on mounting the television on the wall and then moving the consoles somewhere else where they can't be seen.

I'll also put power sockets under the sofas but the problem I have is that I'll leave the USB C cables out when I'm not using them and I want them to get hidden automatically.

A la vacuum cleaner power cable.

Why not Mod the sofa so that it has a USBC charging port built-in? Then put a power socket beneath the sofa, and plug the sofa into that socket.

 

[whitecrook]

Perhaps I have too many wires in there but the top comes off because they're trying to escape so they pop it off.

if your trunking clips down together as it should its almost nigh on impossible for the top to pop off. It’s difficult to pull the top off yourself. So either the top isnt clicked down in first place or the trunking is bad quality or its just worn. Judging by the attempt to ‘glue’ it shut im suggesting probably the latter.

id suggest just getting new minintrunking, firtting it properly, using connectors and blanking where required and you can achieve a no visible cable solution.

 

[Molep]

https://olsondirect.co.uk/100mm-deep-3-compartment-cavity-floor-box.html

just run power adaptors under the floor boards to it. And fill the top lid of it with the floorboard cut out to fit the box in.


Fit a cable tray under the table top

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cable-trays-baskets/1251625/
or
https://ergobrands.com/accessories/desk-accessories/under-desk-cable-tray-wire-management/

 

[jaybee]

Your table with the google nest thing on is the type of table/unit that obviously does not have a back. A lot of people go for sideboards in that kind of situation with under storage cupboards/drawers so that they have a physical place to drop all the wires down behind it to hide them.

Seems you have the following agenda:

1: Loads of power cables
2: You want to be able to charge a laptop and use it on the sofa plugged in, then the cable disappear when not in use
3: You want to hide all cables

2 is unsolvable. Literally everyone just has a cable dangling from somewhere and then just puts it away in a drawer. Obviously the closer you are to a socket the better, so yes you could get some floor sockets put in under the sofa. Hire an electrician to do this properly. It's an easy job for them. Again though, you have a sofa that has high legs and doesn't lend itself well to hiding things.

With number 1 and 3 I think you firstly need to get some proper additional sockets put in at more convenient locations to minimize having to run power extension sockets and leads all along the wall and skirting. You ideally don't want to have to run power like that at all as they can interfere with other cables signals in worst cases and are obviously very chunky being power. So I would approach it first by again getting an electrician to put in a couple of socket spurs for you to have the power sockets in better places for your equipment. After that things will become simplified so you can focus on just running ethernet and speaker wires.

The skirting you are looking into... you first have to decide do you really need flexibility to keep changing things? Most people fit once and forget...at least for the next decade. So instead of 1 x Ethernet cable, they will put 2 x high quality cat6, or possibly even more to future proof in case they run HDMI over ethernet etc. Speaker wire can be really very thin now and still high quality. Just put a length in that is much longer than you need and at the end it comes out, bundle it up and stash it neatly somewhere. You can always make a join anyway.
I think overall with some good planning, and speccing of high quality cables in the first place, you should be able to fit and forget rather than have to keep changing cables. The only specific cable I can think of in my whole setup (because it is fixed into the appliance and not easily moddable/replaceable) is an old Nintendo Wii sensor bar thing. Everything else is standard stuff like power/HDMI/Speaker wire/RCA cable/USB power cables etc.

 

[mushtafa]

I haven't read all the replies, but thought I'd comment anyway.
I have 25mm trunking sat on top of the skirting and it's hardly noticeable, cheap and easy to fit, and easily unclicks to change wiring.

 

[Klunt Bumskrint]

Buy the skirting you want then with a router cut a rebate into the back of it. Maybe a friendly woodshop/joinery would bang your skirting through a spindle moulder for a few quid or maybe even knock you some up.

 

[James Peach]

Buy the skirting you want then with a router cut a rebate into the back of it. Maybe a friendly woodshop/joinery would bang your skirting through a spindle moulder for a few quid or maybe even knock you some up.

Good shout

I'm mounting the TV and so I'm going to need all sorts of HDMI, ethernet, power cables to get there too so that's a good shout.
Is it easy to remove skirting without damaging it?

 

[whitecrook]

Good shout

I'm mounting the TV and so I'm going to need all sorts of HDMI, ethernet, power cables to get there too so that's a good shout.
Is it easy to remove skirting without damaging it?

the idea here is that you don't remove the skirting... if you want 'removeable' you install trunnking/conduit etc. Someone already posted the link above.. https://www.legrand.co.uk/products/cable-management/floor-and-perimeter-systems/ it's like totally configurable that they use in industry and schools etc.

if you did remove he skirting you would damage the finish.

 

[jaybee]

Good shout

I'm mounting the TV and so I'm going to need all sorts of HDMI, ethernet, power cables to get there too so that's a good shout.
Is it easy to remove skirting without damaging it?

Damaging "it" is the least of your worries. Usually removing skirting pulls half the wall away with it lol. Depends on your walls and how they were decorated though to be fair.

Most skirting is nailed or stuck on but it obviously overlaps a significant portion of the plaster and then tends to have a sealant bead of caulk along the top to make it look pretty and even making any gap disappear. No matter how careful and cleanly you try to remove skirting, you have to allow for the inevitable breakage of a significant amount of plaster as you remove it.

This usually means you have to fill and refinish the wall all along the top of the skirting before you put it back on, which means you end up redecorating that whole wall as you notice the lack of paint match etc etc. Skirting is not something you remove and pop back on willy nilly generally, unless you fit it with minimal nails/pins and can lever it off cleanly. This would still mean recaulking every time and there is still risk of ruining the plaster.

 

[SimonR]

There are cable managed skirting systems on the market, such as this https://www.rockwellbuildingplastics.co.uk/products/mdf-skirting-trunking-75mm-x-24m-white.html

 

[Klunt Bumskrint]

Good shout

I'm mounting the TV and so I'm going to need all sorts of HDMI, ethernet, power cables to get there too so that's a good shout.
Is it easy to remove skirting without damaging it?

It depends how it's fixed, some use adhesive and pins/nails, some screw (savages). If it's caulked then all that will come away too maybe taking paper or paint with it.

 

[Delvis]

I'm planning on mounting the television on the wall and then moving the consoles somewhere else where they can't be seen.

I'll also put power sockets under the sofas but the problem I have is that I'll leave the USB C cables out when I'm not using them and I want them to get hidden automatically.

A la vacuum cleaner power cable.

A friend of mine had a fire surround on his wall with the tv mounted. The surround then tilted forward and everything was in there.