Install a Flat Panel TV on a Wall With No Wires Showing

A Flat screen TV mounted on the wall is a pleasing sight. Along with better picture and sound quality a flat screen LCD or plasma TV also adds to the aesthetic ambiance of any room. However, power cables and wires dangling and lying around spoil the picture of perfection that a Flat screen TV provides. Installing a flat panel TV and hiding wires inside of a wall can be easy or very frustrating depending on your level of expertise and patience.

Steps

  1. Review your options. A simple option is to hide the wires behind furniture like wall cabinets and curtains, while a more permanent option is to conceal the wires in the walls behind the flat screen TV wall mount. The latter option needs pre-existing power outlets especially if the walls are solid. In case of dry or wooden partition walls, a bit of drilling and cutting will enable you to hide cables effectively while installing your flat screen TV wall mount.
    • An increasingly popular option used today is to hide the wires in decorative moldings which look good while blending easily with the wall. This involves less of drilling and can be done quickly within an hour or so. The decorative moldings or raceways as they are also known can be painted to match the wall color.
    • If you wish to run the cables through the walls, then a few things need to be kept in mind.
      • Firstly, a hollow drywall is the best option for this method rather than solid concrete and brick walls.
      • Secondly, a drywall within the house is more suitable instead of an exterior wall. This way you won't have to deal with insulation blocks and other wires embedded in exterior walls.
      • Thirdly, a visit to the hardware store will be necessary for a cutter, drill, cable sockets, extensions as well as bolts and a screwdriver.
  2. Determine where and how high on the wall you want the tv. There is no set advice on this; just what is most comfortable for you and the distance where you sit to view TV. If you do mount higher than 5' off the floor, plan on a TILT mount.
  3. Use BLUE Painters tape to layout the size of your TV on the wall. Better than marking it up with pen or pencil.
  4. Use a stud finder to determine where your stud framing is located within the wall and use tape to mark those locations. Most homes are built with wood studs 16" centered from another. NOT ALWAYS, but it is a rule of thumb to use.
    • If you have metal stud framing, brick, or any other masonry materials on or inside your wall, other than regular drywall, contact a professional from this point forward as there are special methods to secure safely.
  5. Determine the "true" distance between the back of your TV, down the wall to your AV equipment and purchase the correct AV cables. Always purchase cables longer than you think you'll need.
  6. Consider which AC power outlet to plug your new HDTV into. DO NOT RUN THE TV POWER CORD OR AN EXTENSION CORD INSIDE YOUR WALL. Really, it's against all building and the National Electric Code (NEC) if you do. Either hire an electrician to install an outlet up on the wall, or if you're handy, you can install a special designed outlet yourself.
  7. All wall mounts come with very good instructions as to how to mount the wall mount to the wall and the brackets to the TV, follow those.
  8. Hide the wires.
    1. Using your stud finder, make sure you know exactly where your stud framing is. Use your stud finder vertically between the marked studs, up and down the wall to determine there are no obstructions in the wall between the studs, expect fire blocks at approximately 8' off the floor if you mounting that high. Some areas of the country have them lower, so make sure. Insulation inside the wall is usually no problem just that it can make it more challenging to route the wires.
    2. When you have determined no obstructions, drill or cut a 1-1/2 hole below or next to your wall mount, about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} away from the nearest stud. Use a bent coat hanger and insert in the hole and feel around for any obstructions around the hole, if all is good, proceed to drilling/cutting a second hole in line with the hole above.
    3. Use your new fish tape or glow rod and insert in the top hole and run it down the wall to the lower hole, you'll have to use needle nose pliers to grab it through.
    4. Use black electrical tape to tape the ends of you cables, staggered, to the glow rod/fish tape. Pull back the cables from the top CAREFULLY. If all went well then you have your cables.
    5. Use a wall plate with a hole drilled out of the middle or just leave the hole open and secure the cables so they don't fall back.
    6. If you are running cables through stud framing: Determine where you need to run through the stud and cut away an area of drywall directly over the stud. Save that piece to use to re-patch later. After you have removed drywall over the stud, use a 1-1/2" bore bit to cut into the stud about an inch an a half deep in. Run your cables in that new cut out in the stud to the next "bay". Replace the saved drywall you cut out and use drywall screws above the stud cutout and re-patch with drywall putty and repaint.

Tips

  • If you are planning to install the flat screen TV over the fireplace then the outlet could be adjacent to the mantel near the floor. A rack or cabinet comes in handy to house the cable box, DVD player, video game console and speaker. The cables could also be run by way of an opening to the other side of the wall or to the basement where they can be connected.
  • If you opt for concealing the wires in the wall there are a few things you would need to keep in mind. First of all it would be better not to run the wires through an exterior wall which involves difficulty in drilling due to extra bracing and insulation. You will also need to select heat and fire resistant HDMI Cables as per local standards.
  • For drywall, the cable sockets will be affixed at two places; one where the inlet wires attached to the TV are run through the walls and the other preferably a couple of feet below the TV set where the outlet wires will be connected to devices like cable box and DVD player. The power outlet could be located behind the TV screen which would effectively conceal the socket and wire by the screen.

Warnings

  • Do not run power cables through the walls, which is a violation of safety codes; only the TV cables can be passed through. You can also cut a hole in the wall and pass the TV cable to be connected to a power socket behind the wall at the other end.
  • For brick walls it would be advisable to get professional help to install your flat screen TV and conceal the cables. The task would require extensive drilling as well as knowledge of the electrical system in your house to locate the wire conduits within the wall. Also you may need to install a new power outlet a task that calls for a qualified technician to perform.

Things You'll Need

  • TOOLS
  • Stud finder
  • Drill with assortment of bits
  • Drywall knife
  • Level
  • Screw Drivers
  • Socket set
  • Fish tape or glow rod (Home Depot/Lowes carry these in the electrical dept.)
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Black electrical tape
  • ITEMS:
  • HDTV
  • Wall Mount
  • AV cables long enough to run down the wall and out to connect
  • PowerBridge (US)[1]inwall power outlet relocation kit
  • Surge protector

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