How can I tidy cables to TV on wall?

dr_bogenbroom

Hi,

Excuse the mess of current wires - there is a black plug and white aerial cable going into the back of the TV, can I use some trunking to make this look more neat? If so which would you recommend?

I can’t move the sockets easily as this wall is concrete block. 



Thanks

ThisIsWeird

The very obvious solution is using a similar trunking to that supplying that wall socket. Run it up tight in the corner. You can get ones with self-adhesive tape attached - just press into position. Throw the cables in to it, and snap over the lid.

You can even emulsion them the wall colour.

You only need one metre of the stuff. Not sure of the best way to run it past the existing trunking, tho'! Either go for square profile, so it's twice the thickness of that trunking, and then cut a chunk out of it to fit neatly over, or just start it from above that trunking. Do you have a low table you can place there to hide the wires before they go in to the trunking??

DullGreyGuy

Theres a faceplate hanging off the wall? Looks like it's bigger than the back box? What's the other cable coming out from the skirting board? 

Measure the existing trunking and buy something the same size. Plenty of options at https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/cable-trunking/cat1910006 

dr_bogenbroom

DullGreyGuy said:

Theres a faceplate hanging off the wall? Looks like it's bigger than the back box? What's the other cable coming out from the skirting board? 

Measure the existing trunking and buy something the same size. Plenty of options at https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/cable-trunking/cat1910006 

I had a look at the Screwfix trunking and most got pretty poor reviews. I could try my local CEF store.

The previous owner had a sky dish cable and a phone line coming out of where you see the loose faceplate but these will be removed.

ThisIsWeird

How about quarter-round? https://www.screwfix.com/p/d-line-pvc-white-1-4-round-floor-trunking-22mm-x-22mm-x-2m/8169f

Will probably look the neatest. And it can be painted.

noitsnotme

Trunking will look almost as bad.  Get a nice corner unit that fits under the TV.  That will hide everything and look much better than a load of trunking all over the walls.

casper_gutman

I suspect trunking gets poor reviews because people expect miracles it can't deliver. It will always look like a cheap attempt to solve a problem that would have been better addressed in a different way. It's really only fit for retaining and providing a minimal level of protection to cables in locations where appearance doesn't matter - inside cupboards, in garages and store rooms, etc. I can see the idea behind using quarter round trunking in the corner, but in reality plastered walls never have a sharp 90° internal corner so I suspect it wouldn't look as good as you'd hope.

To my mind there is no easy short cut solution to this. The best way could well be to pay out for someone to move the sockets properly - and if you want this done really well, you might need an electrician as well as a plasterer to skim over afterwards, as some electricians' attempts to make good after chasing cables into the wall can look worse than trunking! 

As an alternative I'd agree that a strategically placed piece of furniture could be a good solution, though if you have to buy something it might end up costing as much as getting the wires sorted properly!

moneysaver1978

You say it is a concrete wall - but is there cavity? I wonder if there's a way to thread the cables through.

Keep_pedalling

I have used this in the past. Looks quite neat, comes in a number of colours an can handle a couple of chunky HDMI cables in addition to power and aerial cables.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/d-line-pvc-white-tv-trunking-50mm-x-25mm-x-1-5m/58754?tc=ED6&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD8IdPwtiD94zs4A263b1y-aGONbS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6LXy1ZapiQMVtppQBh2zmAN4EAQYASABEgLK7_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Silvertabby

noitsnotme said:

Trunking will look almost as bad.  Get a nice corner unit that fits under the TV.  That will hide everything and look much better than a load of trunking all over the walls.

I'd go one further than this.  Remove the tv from the wall and stand it ON the nice unit.  

Wall mounted tvs always remind me of a Dr's surgery.  

dr_bogenbroom

moneysaver1978 said:

You say it is a concrete wall - but is there cavity? I wonder if there's a way to thread the cables through.

It’s an internal wall so don’t think there’s a cavity