How to Run Speaker Wires under Carpet?

[SAP12690]

Does anybody know how i can run the speaker wires under the carpet? They are too short to run on the edge, so i'm going to have to run them straight through my living room. I also don't want to rip the whole carpet off. The less work i have to do the better. Any Ideas?

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by SAP12690

Does anybody know how i can run the speaker wires under the carpet? They are too short to run on the edge, so i'm going to have to run them straight through my living room. I also don't want to rip the whole carpet off. The less work i have to do the better. Any Ideas?

You can do what I have done if you don't want to fish them thew under the carpet ! I bought an area rug & A long narrow hallway rug . My 4 surround speaker wires go back under the area rug & the hallway rug covers the center , L-front , & subwoofer cables !

[slaizer2000]

you can also get longer wires or if they are ones with rca connectors you can get rca connectors and add a rca cable to it to make them longer. Or you can get a longer RCA cable that has the connector built in to connect to another cable. I did this years ago with my old system to allow me to run the cables along the walls.

[dolphinc]

You can pickup a 50' fish tape from Lowes for around $35 which is very handy in running cables under carpets, in wall, through attics, Etc.

EDIT: Also grab a roll of string, it's easier to pull cable than push it.

[slaizer2000]

If you have to run them under the carpet you will have to get some pice of long thin pole or wire that you can attach the speaker cables to and then run it under the carpet. It gets harder to do the longer the distance under the carpet you have to go. It also does require you to lift the carpet of the tack board along the edge of the walls. I have in the past tpaed several metal hangers that were straightened out together. Only issue with this though is you run into more change of snagging it on the carpet or the padding.

[lokir1]

Originally Posted by SAP12690

Does anybody know how i can run the speaker wires under the carpet? They are too short to run on the edge, so i'm going to have to run them straight through my living room. I also don't want to rip the whole carpet off. The less work i have to do the better. Any Ideas?

SAP
Try this itll cost ya but it'll save u so much time and headache
http://www.magnepull.com/

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by dolphinc

You can pickup a 50' fish tape from Lowes for around $35 which is very handy in running cables under carpets, in wall, through attics, Etc.

EDIT: Also grab a roll of string, it's easier to pull cable than push it.

+1 Fish tape is your best bet. If you could get longer wires I would reccomend running them along the edge of the wall and tucking the wires under the base board. Either way will work

[SAP12690]

I have another question, will it be bad for the wires to be stepped on all the time, will it ruin them?

[DIY_HD]

Since it is cheaper to buy more wire or longer wires than a fish tape, poles, etc, I suggest you get the wire. There is another consideration. Even though speaker wires are low-voltage, if there was ever a fire, the insurance may not pay. Although I do like CrazyBlue's suggestion about the area rugs if you are in an apartment and don't want to be tearing up the place.

As for your second question, walking on the wires will weaken them and may eventually cause the strands to break. This will have the effect of making the wire smaller and smaller, causing signal loss. Speaker wires are not made to be walked on.

[Maswov]

Or it sounds like a good time to get a new carpet.

[SAP12690]

Originally Posted by Maswov

Or it sounds like a good time to get a new carpet.

we are going to be changing it to hard wood floors in the near future, maybe before the year ends.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by SAP12690

we are going to be changing it to hard wood floors in the near future, maybe before the year ends.

Is the carpeting on concrete or wood sub-floor?

If i is concrete, it may make the most sense to rip the carpet up, saw a groove in it for the wire and then put a skim coat of concrete patching compound over the wires.

If it is a wood sub-floor, you can do the same. or you can try to run the wires under the floor if you have access.

[mtbkr]

is running all new wire and wall fishing an option? sounds like you will need to do this eventually since your getting new flooring and will be having to deal with the wires again soon. otherwise i would go with the rug idea and hell if you destroy the wire by walking on it would be easy to replace