HANGING & WALL MOUNTING

Hide TV cables with surface trunking

Run tidy cable trunking from your TV to the socket, checking your wall type before drilling or sticking anything on.

TC-01Plan the route and choose your trunkingPick the shortest sensible path from the TV down to the nearest socket, keeping it straight where you can. Buy self-adhesive or screw-fix micro trunking sized for your cables — 22x10mm suits a power lead and one HDMI, 40x25mm if you're hiding more. Match the colour to your wall or skirting for a neater look.
2 each · PVC micro trunking, 2m length
1 pack · Trunking corner and end cap pack
TC-02Gather your toolsYou'll need a tape measure, pencil, spirit level, junior hacksaw, screwdriver, and a stud/cable detector. If you're fixing into masonry or a timber stud, add a drill with masonry and wood bits. Safety glasses are worth wearing when drilling.
1 each · Cable, pipe and stud detector
1 each · Spirit level, 300mm
1 each · Junior hacksaw
TC-03Check for hidden cables and pipes before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a wall, not just in straight lines from sockets. Sweep the route with your detector, but still assume something's there until you prove otherwise — detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, and anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut off water fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, turn off the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.
TC-04Work out your wall typeRun your detector along the route, or look for a line of screw heads under paint. Timber studs sit roughly 400-600mm apart; metal studs feel harder and give a repeating signal about every 600mm. If unsure, drill a small 2mm test hole somewhere hidden — fine timber dust means a wood stud, grey metal swarf means a steel stud, and no resistance at all means you're between studs on plasterboard only. Solid brick or block sounds dull and solid all over when you knock it; dot-and-dab sounds hollow with plasterboard, but firmer masonry sits 10-30mm behind; lath and plaster feels slightly springy and gives an uneven, ridged knock.
TC-05Mark and cut the trunking to lengthHold the trunking against the route and mark your cut lines in pencil. Cut with a junior hacksaw, then lightly sand any rough edges. Cut corner sections at 45° if you're not using pre-made corner pieces.
1 sheet · Sandpaper, fine grit
TC-06Fix the trunking base to the wallOn solid brick or block, drill 6mm holes and insert red plastic wall plugs, then screw the trunking on every 300-400mm with 30mm screws. On plasterboard over timber studs, find the stud centre with your detector and screw straight in with a 25mm woodscrew; between studs, rely on the trunking's self-adhesive backing, or a light-duty plasterboard fixing if you want a mechanical fix. On plasterboard over metal studs, never use a wood screw — it strips straight through 0.5mm steel — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing, or just the self-adhesive pads, since trunking is light and doesn't pull on the wall. On dot-and-dab, if you want a screw fix rather than adhesive, use a fixing long enough to pass through the board and adhesive dabs and bite into the masonry behind, typically 50-60mm; otherwise self-adhesive pads are fine for something this light. On lath and plaster, avoid heavy drilling — use fine screws into a lath if you can find one, or stick with adhesive pads to avoid cracking old plaster, testing an unseen patch first.
1 pack · Red plastic wall plugs, 6mm
1 pack · Woodscrews, 25-30mm
1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings
1 pack · Self-adhesive foam pads
TC-07Lay the cables in and close the lidPress your power lead, HDMI and any other cables into the trunking base, keeping them flat and untwisted. Leave a little slack at each end so plugs reach comfortably. Snap the lid on section by section, working from one end to the other.
TC-08Fit corners, end caps and tidy the joinsClip on any corner pieces and end caps over the raw cut ends. Trim any overlapping edges with the hacksaw so joins sit flush.
TC-09Test and clear upPlug the TV back in, turn everything on and check the picture and sound work properly. Vacuum up dust, screw swarf and offcuts, and put your tools away.

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