4 Tips for Hiding Cables in Your Family Room

Hiding cables in the family room is not always a simple process. However, with all of the electrical equipment that we have in family rooms now, it is becoming necessary to come up with a solution. The last thing that you want is to see unsightly electrical cables running all over the room. With that in mind, here are a few tips for hiding cables in your family room.

1 - Through the Wall

One of the best solutions that not many consider is running the cables through the wall. This creates a more permanent solution and will ultimately look the best. This is great for those that have flat screen televisions hanging up on the wall and have their DVD player or gaming station below it on a table. Many people just run the cords up the wall, however that does not look very good. The better solution is to cut a small hole down below the entertainment center, run the cables up through the wall and through another hole behind the television.

Before you go through this process, make sure that you know where you are cutting. Make sure that there are no electrical cables or anything else in the area that you are cutting into. You may want to hire an electrician to do this process for you. They can make it look very professional and help you avoid any problems.

2 - Under the Flooring

Another option that you have to hide the cables in your family room is to run them underneath the flooring. If you have several thick cables, this may not work. However, if the cables are smaller, you should be able to pull it off. This strategy will require you to take up the flooring in the room or do it before the flooring is installed. You could run it under carpet by cutting a small area in the pad for it to sit in. Then install the carpet over the top and you should never notice it. This strategy can also work with laminate if you have a thick pad. You would not be able to do this with hardwood, tile or vinyl.

3 - Behind the Furniture

While it may not look quite as professional, you could also run the cables behind the furniture. This will work best if you are just running a cable behind the couch so that it can be completely hidden.

4 - Baseboards

Another great option that you have is to run the cable along the baseboard on the floor. The baseboards present a fantastic option for hiding small cables because they are easy to take on and off. This is a lot easier than cutting holes in the wall or taking up flooring. You simply take the baseboards off with a flat bar, put the cables in place and then nail the baseboards back into place. It is also easy to move the cables later if you need to.