Fishing speaker wire under Carpet

EndersShadow

I'm going to try and mount my surrounds over the next two days so I can really enjoy the system while my wife works on Saturday :cheesygrin:.

I plan to re-use the old 14 gauge monoprice speaker wire I have to mount my surrounds. I will lop off a bit of it since I have TONS of extra and redo the Monster Quick Connect connections on the wires to remove any oxidation that may have taken place at the old ends.

The Right Surround is an easy wire job, its all around baseboards on a exterior walls, and I have cable runways to mask it up the wall which is also behind a chair.

Here is where I need help.

The Left Surround needs to pass a doorway, which is the number one traffic area of the house as its the main entrance into the living room from the entryway door. Once through that space, its under the baseboards and then a hollow wall under the staircase so I plan to pull the wire straight through the wall. Their is no way I can go around the doorway as there are no bulkheads or anything to use cable runways on without being very obvious and not meeting with WAF acceptance.

I have purchased a 8ft kit of fiberglass fish rods to go under the carpet (which is new as of about 3 months ago), but wanted to know if it will potentially cause a bulge since the carpet will get worn in that area since it sees traffic quite often. Also if there is a different speaker wire I should be looking at for that run, etc.

Also should I terminate the LS at a jack, and then use a really short run of cable to the speaker, or just go straight into the speaker (with some sort of box like this to make it more than "just" a hole) since its mounted in its more than likely forever home.

Thoughts appreciated.

ROHfan

I saw this recently but I don't have a need for it. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-Ghost-Adhesive-Speaker-Conductor/dp/B005SUM1PO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395327456&sr=8-2&keywords=flat+speaker+cable

EndersShadow

ROHfan wrote: »

I saw this recently but I don't have a need for it. Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-Ghost-Adhesive-Speaker-Conductor/dp/B005SUM1PO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395327456&sr=8-2&keywords=flat+speaker+cable

Yeah... its 16 gauge though... This run is long enough (~25 feet or more) that I would really want to use 14 gauge. Plus its just weird to think about hooking up a set of honkin LSi F/X's with 16 gauge speaker wire.

rpf65

It has been my experience that anytime you run wire under a carpet, it will get walked on, leaving a visible mark as well as prematurely wearing the carpet. If you have some type of molding on the ceiling/wall, you may try running it over the door. About the only other suggestion would be to somehow attach it to the door threshold base after running it under the carpet, providing it's possible.

EndersShadow

rpf65 wrote: »

It has been my experience that anytime you run wire under a carpet, it will get walked on, leaving a visible mark as well as prematurely wearing the carpet. If you have some type of molding on the ceiling/wall, you may try running it over the door. About the only other suggestion would be to somehow attach it to the door threshold base after running it under the carpet, providing it's possible.

Well it may be my only option. My brother in law (who installs carpet for a living) is telling me its not that big a deal..... but I am still trying to just overall avoid it.

Here is a pic of what I am working with. There is no good way as I see it, but hoping someone can provide me a light at the end of the tunnel.

Speaker would be mounted somwhere above the lamp in this pic:

Hermitism

Would your room look better with crown molding? You could hide it behind that and get brownie point from the wife!

Hermitism

Oh, never mind, you posted the pic as I was typing.

ken brydson

If this room is downstairs do you have a crawlspace where you could run it under the house? If it's upstairs, is running through the attic an option?

monepolk

It's a long trip but maybe follow the path of the right surround all the way to the left?

ROHfan

EndersShadow wrote: »

Yeah... its 16 gauge though... This run is long enough (~25 feet or more) that I would really want to use 14 gauge. Plus its just weird to think about hooking up a set of honkin LSi F/X's with 16 gauge speaker wire.

I hear ya, but this is a tricky one. You could always run two sets of ribbons for each rear to thicken up the gauge. You could also consider a wireless transmitter/receiver thing but then you introduce other issues. Unless there's a basement or crawlspace underneath I'm at a loss. You could always lift the carpeting, use a router to cut a trench in the flooring for the wire and reinstall the carpeting. A good carpet guy could make quick work of that.

EndersShadow

Hermitism wrote: »

Would your room look better with crown molding? You could hide it behind that and get brownie point from the wife!

Yeah, as you see, just not possible. I had also though of that idea.

ken brydson wrote: »

If this room is downstairs do you have a crawlspace where you could run it under the house? If it's upstairs, is running through the attic an option?

Downstairs, but its on a slab so no access to anything that would make this easy :sad:

monepolk wrote: »

It's a long trip but maybe follow the path of the right surround all the way to the left?

Yeah, but then how do I deal with the doorway to the kitchen, and same with the dining room doorway....

ROHfan wrote: »

I hear ya, but this is a tricky one. You could always run two sets of ribbons for each rear to thicken up the gauge.

That is a decent thought, if I used 2 16 gauge runs per that would give me what gauge? 14? That may be my most viable option, but requires ordering stuff I dont have on hand.

Hmm....

ROHfan wrote: »

You could always lift the carpeting, use a router to cut a trench in the flooring for the wire and reinstall the carpeting.

On a slab so that wouldn't work too well without a TON of mess.

ROHfan wrote: »

You could also consider a wireless transmitter/receiver thing but then you introduce other issues.

Yeah just not even considering that an option.

eclypse

10 years ago in our condo i routed large 10 gauge monster wire under the carpet fir a 7.1 setup in a large room. Every wire went undet.the.carpet since it was so huge i could not fit them under the moldings. What.i was tild from my uncle who also did catpet for a living is to nail rhe carpet every.foot.around the edge where i was to lift the carpet up to run the wire so it wont loosen. Now i had 2 of these fat wires routed near the sides of the wall going all the way to the back wall. We ended up cutting the padding so u could not see.a.buldge where the wire was. Worjwd great actually. Carpet did not loosen at all.

About 4 months ago i removed all that wire after we moves out.. used tge nail trick again and all was just fine after. Can tell i did anything.

Now the only part u can see that i ran carpey under the carpet is where i could not remove the padding. The main entrence way way into the living room. Thats.where i coyld not lift the carpet.. too this day u can see marks.left in the carpet even though theres nothing there anymore. I should of cut a seem after tacking.nails before on both sides of where i would cut.. remove the padding wide enough to fit the wire and added carpet bounding tape and pressed and seem back together..

I also ended up tearing the padding with the snake and pulling the wire threw.

If u know someone that installs carpet for a living and hes telling u it will be fine.. then tell him u'll try it and if it dont look right he can come over and cut a seem and fit it! Hehe.. might be fine with 14 gage wire.

chumlie

No need to router the floor. Pull the carpet off the tack strip and cut away a quarter inch of the pad. Drop the wire there.

eclypse

Thats a large post done on my phone.. sorry for the mistakes! Hehe..

Also the pathway where i did not lift the carpet was about 15'.

eclypse

chumlie wrote: »

No need to router the floor. Pull the carpet off the tack strip and cut away a quarter inch of the pad. Drop the wire there.

Not without securing the stretched carpet with nails every foot before lifting or you'll end up hoping u can fine a pro carpet stretcher to rent! I could not find one to rent after buying a used house. The living room carpet was not done right so there was a long huge bulge/bubble in the middle of it rhat was 12 feet long.. took a while of stretching to get it out! Had to also fix the upstairs hallway.

That pro carpet stretcher costs around $500. I got lucky my uncle ( old carpet installer now carpet inspector) had one sitting around collecting dust for the past 15 years.. sucked as it was the older model.. all heavy rusted steel poles.. new ones are made out of aluminum and light weight.

rpf65

Is the problem area the stairway or the opening to the area that looks like a dining area?

pitdogg2

wait a minute a little thing called "Tornado Alley" and you bought a house on a slab?
Palm face smack.....


Under carpet BAD BAD BAD it may not be a big deal but from EXPERIENCE bad stuff WILL happen. 1. you will see it 2. it will break down faster AKA shorts static etc. 3. Monoprice under anything will break down the insulation faster than ever from friction. I see one option cut out a strip on the ceiling and wall run PVC conduit repair easy peasy. At anytime in the future you will be able to pull new wire no sweat.

EndersShadow

rpf65 wrote: »

Is the problem area the stairway or the opening to the area that looks like a dining area?

The empty space to the left of the LSi 15 in the picture. The dining area is just in the pic but doesnt have anything to do with this.

The right surround will be mounted close toward that chair in the picture so its all baseboards to it, no problem.

eclypse

Id just put it under the carpet.. its a short distance. I never experianced static problems with my monster speaker wire and we had quite a few very dry winters.

Wood molding is an option. Add thick nice wood molding around the opening and cut a channel behind it to hide the wire.. but again, stop thinking and get to working! Heh.

pitdogg2

eclypse wrote: »

Id just put it under the carpet.. its a short distance. I never experianced static problems with my monster speaker wire and we had quite a few very dry winters.

When I mentioned static it was from broken wire from being walked on not dry air. Guess you can use "shorts" instead of static...You're right though in the long run it's only monoprice cable...

eclypse

Maybe he should over night some flat speaker wire? Rated for in wall use of course and route that under the capret.

leftwinger57

Better than the rods which mainly are used for drop ceilings, use a given length of electricians fish tape snake w/ a small open hook at the end. Ideally you want the kind that comes without the holder like 25' or so. Pick up a corner of carpet w/ a needle nose pliers and using the tack strip as a guide slide it along that until it comes out where you want it or to the other side. Insert your wire in said hook tape it and pull back. If your going to snake walls the interior walls are usually not insulated and much easier to snake by using gravity with a window chain or a pull wire w/ a weight like a small fishing weight dropping the weight down to the floor stud. The opposite method is used to snake insulated walls by making a very small hole at the bottom of your speaker position push in what's called a rats nest of bundled wire as your pull wire and then shove the snake in from your top hole and try to grasp the pull wire at the bottom. To pull moldings the best set of tools would be a stiff putty knife, a slender cat's paw, razor knife, and a hammer then clean out crumbled sheet rock and you should have a big enough channel. Observe where wire is and when putting the mouldings back stay clear w/ finishing nails. This is the cleanest way of doing it if you have a continuous run.

seabeerob213

go under the floor at the doorway

rpf65

You probably have about 10 inches of space between the ceiling of the 1st floor, and floor of the second floor. They use that area to run wire, piping, and duct work. You may be able to fish wire through that area. They sell sheet rock patches in 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 sizes to repair the holes you would have yo cut.

I have also cut a channel in sheet rock, ran wire in the channel, taped and floated over the channel, use the mesh type tape. Sheet rock guys, customers homes, loved that one. Really easy repair for them. Of course both ideas are bad if you don't know how to do this type of work. It would also be time consuming.

EndersShadow

rpf65 wrote: »

You probably have about 10 inches of space between the ceiling of the 1st floor, and floor of the second floor. They use that area to run wire, piping, and duct work. You may be able to fish wire through that area. They sell sheet rock patches in 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 sizes to repair the holes you would have yo cut.

I have also cut a channel in sheet rock, ran wire in the channel, taped and floated over the channel, use the mesh type tape. Sheet rock guys, customers homes, loved that one. Really easy repair for them. Of course both ideas are bad if you don't know how to do this type of work. It would also be time consuming.

Yup, dont know how to do it, but my Father in law might. I will ask him about it when I see him next. I am by no means opposed to doing it provided the materials are decently cheap and its a one and done type deal.

I think my wife would be OK with buying some CL2 or CL3 14 gauge monoprice wire to run it like you've suggested. However if I am going to do that much work, I may as well also use some PVC as suggested by Ivan, so if in the future I have to do something, I can just pull a new section of wire through it.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I got some thinking to do now.

I guess while my wife is gone on Saturday I will just put the left surround on the table till she gets home :cheesygrin:

EndersShadow

Anyone know if using PEX would be a better option that PVC? I could almost get a single continuous run with no junctions for the speaker cable to get stuck in. I just dont know how much more expensive PEX is than PVC...

pitdogg2

EndersShadow wrote: »

Anyone know if using PEX would be a better option that PVC? I could almost get a single continuous run with no junctions for the speaker cable to get stuck in. I just dont know how much more expensive PEX is than PVC...

Now you're thinking but I've not seen how big that goes in diameter. I've seen 1/2" and 3/4" in rolls it may be a wash with price though get way more than you need in a PEX roll as the same in PVC for what you need. I have fished a lot of wire through PVC never a problem unless the PVC was too small for the wire to make the turn.

Nice option

EndersShadow

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Now you're thinking but I've not seen how big that goes in diameter. I've seen 1/2" and 3/4" in rolls it may be a wash with price though get way more than you need in a PEX roll as the same in PVC for what you need. I have fished a lot of wire through PVC never a problem unless the PVC was too small for the wire to make the turn.

Nice option

100 foot 1/2" for 30 bucks a roll. Inner diameter is 1.2cm (more than enough for just about any speaker cable I can think of). Max bend radius of 6.75"
100 foot of 3/8" is 20 bucks. Inner diameter is .88cm. Max bend radius is 3"... worth the extra to up the inner diameter and bend radius IMHO.

pitdogg2

winner winner chicken dinner right there

seabeerob213

EndersShadow wrote: »

Anyone know if using PEX would be a better option that PVC? I could almost get a single continuous run with no junctions for the speaker cable to get stuck in. I just dont know how much more expensive PEX is than PVC...

i was literally just typing that in and managed to refresh the page to see this posted

EndersShadow

So as I like to wrap up threads with the final outcome, for now I just fished the wire underneath. I found a small break in the tack strips on the walls and used that. For now you cant tell its there, largely because when they replaced the carpet they used REALLY GOOD padding and carpet so its got enough spring that you cant tell the cable is there.

My long term goal is to find a way to route the cable so its in the ceiling, but that wont happen for a few years, and when I do that I will likely use some better cable like some Audioquest FLX 14/2.

For now the speakers are both mounted and working, still have to tidy up the wiring a little bit, but got other projects more important to do for now.