Running cables behind dot and dab plasterboard?

[sploo]

I'd like to run some (audio - so low voltage) cables from one side of a room to another, but, barring tearing walls apart, the only decent solution appears to be trying to run cables behind plasterboard that's been fixed using dot and dab.

I assume it might be possible; maybe using a magnetic guide from the outside, and possibly an inspection endoscope, but as the run would be around 10m (just over 2m up, 5m across, 2m down) it doesn't feel like a trivial exercise. Is this a job for an electrician, or are they specialists that do this sort of thing?

 

[Torx]

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare, I’d probably be inclined to just chase it out I think, and make good afterwards. Could it go behind a skirting board?

 

[Nail]

Do you have coving in the room? Or skirting boards?

 

[Pedronicus]

I think the o/p is hoping that the dot & dabs have been placed symmetrically. Good luck with that!

 

[sploo]

Unfortunately no skirting board. One side of the room is effectively a large archway (well, likely an RSJ hidden under the plasterboard), the other has a long bifold patio type door. In front of the doors there is a bit of wood moulding covering the gap between the frame and the wood floor, but there's not a lot of space underneath, and I'd have to run cables behind several short sections of skirting board that wrap around corners in the wall (i.e. I could do it, but it'd be a faff).

 

[sploo]

I think the o/p is hoping that the dot & dabs have been placed symmetrically. Good luck with that!

I'm specifically assuming it'll be all over the place; hence the likely need to have an endoscope to try to see where the "blobs" are and route a cable through the maze. A lot easier said than done I suspect.

 

[Nail]

Unfortunately no skirting board. One side of the room is effectively a large archway (well, likely an RSJ hidden under the plasterboard), the other has a long bifold patio type door. In front of the doors there is a bit of wood moulding covering the gap between the frame and the wood floor, but there's not a lot of space underneath, and I'd have to run cables behind several short sections of skirting board that wrap around corners in the wall (i.e. I could do it, but it'd be a faff).

I bet it would be easier than what you’re hoping to do.

 

[sploo]

I bet it would be easier than what you’re hoping to do.

You may be right I guess. I was just hoping to make two holes in the wall for mounting connector plates and run cable in between; rather than tearing out a load of skirting and moulding and having to make it all good afterwards.

Surely I'm not asking too much for a 10m long remotely controlled endoscope with lights and a camera

 

[John Brown]

Trained snake?

 

[SLM]

Do you know anyone with a ferret? They used to be used to wire aeroplanes…

 

[Nail]

You may be right I guess. I was just hoping to make two holes in the wall for mounting connector plates and run cable in between; rather than tearing out a load of skirting and moulding and having to make it all good afterwards.

Surely I'm not asking too much for a 10m long remotely controlled endoscope with lights and a camera

I have run a bit of cable behind plasterboard and each time I’ve ended up with multiple holes along the route that needed repairing. You can’t tell now as it’s fairly easy to patch but it is still a hassle.

 

[porker]

I'd use something like SuperRod which are flexible fibreglass rods for pulling cables through awkward spaces. As above though you will probably end up making holes in a few areas to get the whole run. Patching dot and dab is a bit of a pain but is easy enough to do if you are patient

 

[sploo]

I absolutely suck at plasterwork, so I don't fancy my chances of clean/invisible repairs

Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and hack off a load of skirting board. SHMBO has given approval for cabling to be done, so that means she can't complain if there's bits of skirting board lying around the living room for six months, right?

 

[flying haggis]

depending on the size of the cables, ie if its just small speaker cables I have hidden them in the gap between skirting board and carpet gripper rod

 

[Geoff_S]

Would quadrant conduit around the skirting do it?

 

[niall Y]

I once saw an electrician, on-site, expertly thread a cable along the length of a hallway ceiling - as there was no access from above. He passed it under each joist. into the ceiling up to the next joist and back out again. In effect sewing it along the length of the ceiling. Slots were made beneath the joists to hide the visible sections of cable, which was then pulled tight, before being plastered over.

You can buy a kit of cable routing tools to help with your task, but it is by no means easy . It might be more expedient - if the cables are small enough - for at least the horizontal run to be behind something like a scotia moulding, at the base of the skirting.

 

[Spectric]

Could it go behind a skirting board?

Could you not just fit some and then either space it out from the wall or route a slot along it .

I'm specifically assuming it'll be all over the place; hence the likely need to have an endoscope to try to see where the "blobs" are and route a cable through the maze. A lot easier said than done I suspect.

Yes totally random and I would say you would have little to no hope with your plan, plus you would probably end up with the endscope stuck as well. The rods we use are called super rods and come in various colors that denote flexability and there is an assortment of ends / attachments but never designed for your task as we would just chase out the board having first used a sharp blade to score the board. Another option might be to cut off some of the bottom of the board near the floor as that is not so obvious afterwards.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

This may be a heresy and something about which I know little to nothing - but I believe you can buy bluetooth audio transmitters and receivers.

As a solution it would avoid a lot of disruption although I am not clear how hi the fi is.

 

[sploo]

Would quadrant conduit around the skirting do it?

I have done that at a previous place - looks a bit ugly, but fairly easy. The problem is that there's no skirting running across the "gap"; one side is open (as it joins onto an open plan kitchen) and the other is the frame of the bifold patio doors.

 

[sploo]

This may be a heresy and something about which I know little to nothing - but I believe you can buy bluetooth audio transmitters and receivers.

As a solution it would avoid a lot of disruption although I am not clear how hi the fi is.

The main purpose is actually to power a couple of large subwoofers (boxes with drivers only, no internal amps). I suppose it would be possible to move the sub amp to that side of the room, then use a transmitter/receiver to send the audio signal across the room to the amp. No real practical place to put the amp on that side of the room; but it is a solution worth considering.