Run TV cables inside a stud wall

Hide TV cables inside the wall between two neat entry plates, working safely and checking what's behind the wall first.

RC-01Plan the route and sort the power questionDecide where the TV will sit and where the nearest existing socket or aerial point is. This job is for signal cables only — HDMI, aerial, ethernet. You cannot bury a flexible mains cable inside a wall; if there's no socket near the TV already, you need a proper fixed socket fitted by a qualified electrician. Measure the straight-line distance from TV point to skirting and add 1m for slack.

RULES

1 kit · TV cable entry plate kit (2 round plates)

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1 each · HDMI cable, 5m

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KNOW THE RULES

Adding a new mains socket is notifiable electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms under Part P of the Building Regulations. In other rooms it isn't usually notifiable, but the wiring must still meet BS 7671 — use a qualified electrician for any new socket.

RC-02Gather your toolsYou'll need a stud/cable detector, plasterboard saw, drill, cable rods or a fish tape, torch, and dust sheets. If your wall is solid masonry you'll also need a bolster chisel and club hammer, or a wall chaser if you have one.

1 set · Cable/fish rod set

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1 each · Dust sheet

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RC-03Find your stopcock and check the powerCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, even in places a detector won't pick up — behind metal-backed board, in metal conduit, or just deep. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can act fast if you hit a pipe. If you're at all unsure what's behind the wall, switch off the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you drill or cut.

RC-04Work out what your wall is made ofTap along the wall between your two marked points. A dull, solid knock is brick or block. A hollow knock with a regular pattern of screw heads under the plaster (find them with a magnet or detector) is a stud wall — drill a small pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: timber dust means timber studs, fine grey swarf means metal studs. A hollow sound with no stud pattern, in a wall built or re-boarded from the 1990s onward, is often dot-and-dab plasterboard fixed straight to masonry. In houses built before about 1930, a light, rattly hollow sound usually means lath and plaster — thin wood strips under old lime plaster, which is fragile.

1 each · Stud/cable detector

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RC-05Cut the two openingsMark the plate positions — one behind where the TV will sit, one near the skirting. On timber or metal stud walls, cut between two studs with a plasterboard saw, staying clear of the studs themselves. On dot-and-dab, cut through the plasterboard only and go gently — there's a cavity of 20-40mm behind it before you reach the masonry. On lath and plaster, cut a small opening carefully with a sharp knife or fine saw; the old laths crack easily, so support the edges as you cut. On solid brick or block, you'll need to chase a shallow channel between the two points with a bolster chisel and club hammer, or a wall chaser — never cut a chase deeper than about a third of the wall's thickness, or you risk weakening it.

1 each · Plasterboard saw

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1 set · Bolster chisel and club hammer

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RC-06Feed the cable through the wallOn timber studs, if you hit a noggin (a horizontal timber brace) blocking the route, drill a 16mm hole through its centre and thread the cable through — never notch the noggin's edge, as that weakens it. On metal studs, feed the cable through the pre-punched holes in the studs and fit a rubber grommet in each one first, or the sharp metal edge will cut through the cable over time. On dot-and-dab, work the fish rod down inside the cavity slowly, easing around the adhesive dabs rather than forcing through them. On lath and plaster, feed gently and stop if you feel resistance — forcing it can crack the laths. On solid masonry, lay the cable in the chased channel; use a length of conduit if you want the option to pull a different cable through later.

1 pack · Rubber cable grommets, pack of 10

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1 each · Plastic conduit, 20mm x 1m

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RC-07Fix the entry platesThese plates are light, so the fixing needs to match the wall, not be over-engineered. On timber studs, drive at least one screw from the plate into the stud edge where possible. On metal studs, use a self-tapping screw made for thin steel — an ordinary wood screw or plastic plug will strip straight through. On plain plasterboard between studs, or on dot-and-dab, a small self-drilling plasterboard fixing is enough for a plate this light. On solid masonry, drill a 6mm hole 25mm deep, insert a wall plug, and screw the plate on directly.

1 pack · Self-tapping metal stud screws, pack of 20

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1 pack · Self-drilling plasterboard fixings, pack of 10

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1 pack · Wall plugs and screws, pack

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RC-08Connect and test before you finishPlug the HDMI or aerial cable into the TV and into your source (box, amp, wall aerial point) and turn everything on to check the picture and sound before you tidy the cable away fully. It's much easier to pull the cable back out and fix a fault now than after the plates are screwed down for good.

RC-09Make good and clear upIf you chased a channel in masonry, fill it with plaster or filler flush with the wall and leave it to dry before decorating. Vacuum up all plaster and timber dust, and check the pilot hole from step RC-04 is patched. Bin off-cuts of board and lath carefully — old lath and plaster dust can be irritating, so wear a mask while clearing it.

1 tub · Multi-purpose filler

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