Electrical cables, laces, cables from various household appliances to power outlets can significantly damage the appearance of a room, become an easy target for small children, toothed pets. When there are many electrical devices, the question arises: how to hide the wires so that they are not visible or they are minimally noticeable. There are many ways, most of them are easy to translate into reality with their own hands.
The need to disguise the wires
Why it is necessary to hide electrical wires, why they should not be within reach:
- it is ugly - plexuses of cords on the most prominent places spoil the look of the room, disrupting the integrity of most interiors, especially "historical" ones. The only exceptions are spaces designed in the style of techno, industrial, loft, art-believe;
- it is unsafe - for the cable, stretched across the room, it is easy to catch, fall, get injured. Children who have teething, many pets, are able out of curiosity to nibble on electrical wires, which often leads to electric shock of varying severity.
In addition to the cords themselves, it is advisable to hide the "boxes" of extenders, along with a lot of gadgets sticking out of them.
Hide the wires in the wall
The most popular option is when the cable is hidden directly in the wall - the so-called "hidden wiring". To do this, cut out the corresponding grooves in it, where they put the electric wires, cover the grooves. It turns out dusty, long enough, but if the work is done qualitatively, the dangerous parts are safely hidden — it will not be possible to see, much less damage them, without violating the integrity of the wall.
To concrete / brick wall
It is desirable to lay the electrical wiring at the repair stage, it is better to plan the room. As long as the walls are bare, there is no decor on them, the destruction will be minimal. It is important to know that "pull" the cable diagonally, which is sometimes done in order to save, is unacceptable - hidden electrical wiring is placed only vertically-horizontal. This will allow you to quickly repair it in the event of an accident, minimizing the risk of electrical damage. The minimum distance from the ceiling to the hidden wires is 15-18 cm.
To begin with, the layout of the wiring is drawn up, the marking is done by construction or laser method. To do the grooves, take a hammer drill, a grinder or wall chaser. Dowel-clamps are fastened to the brick, concrete wall of the part. After the cable is laid, the grooves are primed, plastered, the wall is leveled.
In plasterboard wall
Installation of electrical wiring under drywall is much easier than in concrete. Here you should also lay the cable along a clear route so that multiple screws will not damage it. To begin with, a framework of aluminum profiles and drywall is “assembled”. Lay the cord is required in a special corrugated pipe, which has a certificate of fire safety.
When a plasterboard wall is already present and it is necessary to lay a cable in it, the layout of the electrical equipment is drawn up. The cords are stretched here horizontally, vertically, including through the holes in the metal profiles supporting the drywall.
Installation in the floor, ceiling
Placing wiring on the ceiling is convenient if the latter is partially or completely made of plasterboard, stretched films, hollow wooden, plastic false beams. Such coatings perfectly mask all cables, corrugated pipes, and other communications. This is convenient in cases where the floor, walls are almost ready, for them a unique, highly artistic coating - to change anything is problematic.
Cables are allowed on the floor if it is impossible to do this on the ceiling and walls. Then the screed becomes four to seven centimeters thick — under this layer it is easy to hide any number of electrical wires. Another factor of convenience is the placement of sockets, switches as close to the floor as possible (30-90 cm.). Shaving a wall to install podrozetnikov here will have quite a bit, the cable savings will also be significant.
It is important to choose the most durable, heavy corrugation under each cord, and install most of the wiring at a distance of 20-30 cm from the wall. Fastening to the floor is carried out using flexible punched tape, textile material or on the grid.
Skirting with cable channels
Collapsible plastic baseboards are equipped with holes in which the cord is inserted, several wires simultaneously. Advantages of baseboards with cable channels:
- it is not necessary to make walls, violating their integrity, wasting time on filling up irregularities;
- the ability to beautifully hide all the wires, almost anywhere in the apartment;
- the element is flexible enough - it can be used even if the wall is crooked;
- the plinth easily washes away from various pollution, does not fade under the direct rays of the sun;
- the detail is produced in various colors, it is selected for the existing floor covering.
The cable channel is located inside the structure in the center or in a removable upper half. The first option is suitable when you need to hide three or four wires, the second - for several thick cords. The baseboard is important to choose the color, width, mount it from the inner corners of the room. All corners are closed with special decorative linings, purchased together with baseboards.
For timber, concrete, plasterboard walls, appropriate fasteners are used here - the plinth should fit snugly to both the wall and the floor.
Cable channels, their types for masking wires
Plastic channels, where they put in, stick in the cord, are called cable channels. This is one of the most convenient options for hiding electrical wires, used after the completion of finishing works. They are often used in the kitchen - it is convenient when repairs are made, but later additional equipment such as air conditioning, a washing machine, and lighting fixtures were purchased.
Cable channels differ in color, they are easy to replace, add new branches. The design is made of fireproof materials, the cords in it are maximally protected from damage from outside, ultraviolet radiation. The downside is that it is difficult to choose colors for some interior styles (baroque, ecological, empire, rustic, etc.), although the design looks much better than the wires hanging from everywhere. When the cable channel is located on the corner, any ledge, it is easy to hook.
The element is made of plastic, metal (galvanized steel, anodized aluminum), it is U-shaped, W-shaped, triangular, semicircular cross section. Fastening to the wall, floor, made with screws, dowels, nails, iron brackets, anchors. There are also flexible rubber, wire, transparent options.
Camouflage covers
A cover for one, several cords at the same time can be made by hand from plastic bags cut into narrow long strips. Of them knitting or crocheting knits a kind of "sleeve", which pushes all the necessary wiring. In order to hide an extension cord with recharges, a handbag that fits in size is knitted or sewn.
Some stores offer decorative collapsible plastic covers in the form of tree branches, colored tubes, and shiny snakes. This design has no protective properties, like cable channels, but it is permissible to cover ugly wires with it. If desired, a special spiral braid is purchased - it is flexible, has an aesthetic appearance, allows you to hide both one element and many wiring.
Decor stickers, stickers, improvised means
Decorative items that help to hide or gently fasten numerous cords, are sold almost everywhere, are quite inexpensive. In this way, you can decorate the cord coming from the sconce above the bed in the bedroom. To decorate the cable from the TV, the cord from the heater going along the floor will be obtained with the help of a “toy” mini fence glued to the baseboard. If a lot of elements are planned to be carefully hidden behind the fence, tie clamps are used.
Decorative clamps are now sold in all electrical goods stores. They are an adjustable flexible clip, decorated with leaves, flowers, butterflies, birds, houses. In romantic interiors, laces are decorated with sparkles and feathers, in the children's room - with stickers depicting heroes of fairy tales, favorite cartoons.
Wires as an art object
From the long cord, contrasting with the wall, near which it is located, it is easy to create an original contour image. When the cords are long enough, which can be arranged intentionally, geometric patterns, whole narrative paintings - panoramas of cities, silhouettes of animals, profiles of people, trees, legs and backs of furniture, framing mirrors are laid out of them.
The loft-style interiors are also easy to decorate with wires, laying bricks out of them, making a deliberately huge corrugated tube coated with bronze paint. The latter also fit in the form conceived.
Colored electrical cords can become a continuation of wall painting, duplicating the pattern on curtains, floor, imitating the “missing” parts of various designs.
Cable as an interior detail, style
Loft is one of the few interior styles in which it is possible not to hide, but on the contrary, to emphasize in every possible way the presence of wires in various places. The original wiring in the style of "retro", which not so long ago was found only in truly old houses, is now offered by many companies specializing in electrical wiring.
In this interior is easy to meet:
- twisted electrical wires "ivory", "copper", "brass";
- bulging retro "ivory" switches;
- rosettes "antique";
- cords imitating aged silver.
In the loft, the wires do not hide at all, but security has not been canceled here - when there is a risk of accidental damage, the element is better hidden in massive cable channels stylized as copper, steel, corrugated pipes, wooden boxes, etc.
Ideas on how to hide the cable from the TV, home theater
Cables, cords from TV, consoles, speakers neatly hidden behind the shelf on which the TV is placed. If the screen is decided to hang on the wall - the wire is hidden in the box, matched to the color of the wallpaper, and under it put a climbing plant, the antennae and twigs of which are allowed to curl along the box.
Many designers suggest not to hide the wires, but simply decorate them with colored ribbons, for decorating an apartment in the pop art style, with houseplants (best fit curlers) - for eco-style, hollow snags, wooden panels, if we are talking about classic interiors .
When you have to hang a bracket for a heavy TV, the design of the first one is chosen to fit all the sockets there. Sometimes on the wall where the TV screen will be placed, they assemble a box in which cords from speakers, a DVD player, and other electronics will be hidden.
Tips, ways to hide wires in the workplace
In the home office, so that he looks neat, the laces coming from the computer, the router also needs to be removed. The clerical clip will allow you to "put" the cord, which gets underfoot, under the surface of the table - from its very edge. It is easy to fix the clip on the wall, shelf, and from several such details, original separators for different charge inputs are obtained. If there is such an opportunity, the wires hanging around the back of the table are simply covered with a textile curtain. Some of them can be arranged in a mini-hammock - the “head” of the extension cord can be easily accommodated there, along with charging devices that strongly interfere with the table.
Some companies produce special wire separators - two or more cords are neatly placed inside a wooden, plastic, rubber or metal structure. Cool shop option to hold the wiring, looks like two wire electric plugs. The pockets made of plastic bottles, clothes pockets look funny - the product is hung on a wall outlet, switches on, and the phone itself and the cord from it lie quietly in the pocket.
By simple modernization of the table, which has spacious drawers, all the electrics will carefully hide there.
How to hide the wires from charging
Modern man often has to charge several devices at the same time. When all of them are inserted into one "tee" or "multi-tailed" charging is applied, with three to five cords for different devices, all elements are assembled under one clerical clip, attached to any nearby surface. Some purchased options are split boxes with four to six shaped holes, through which only the “tails” of the charge are brought out. This product is easy to do with your own hands, by upgrading a simple shoe box, covered with a cloth wrapped with colored paper.
Safety - how to hide the wires from the child
Many companies that produce household goods, produce a whole series of protective elements designed to protect the little man as much as possible from being hit by electricity. Companies such as "Ikea", produce convenient clamps for wires - they are difficult to gnaw, break, and inside easily fit two or four cords.
Special integrated designs that allow you to charge your phone or tablet, are embedded in any furniture surface - they are easy to place out of reach of the child. The same company produces boxes, bags, covers on the buttons - hiding extension boxes in them, partly electrical cables, which makes it possible to give a neat appearance to the whole room. For individual devices, there are completely wireless designs - to charge them with a tablet, phone, player, you just need to put the gadget on such a charger.
If protection items for laces and extension cords could not be purchased, all “dangerous” items are hidden in large cardboard, plastic, wooden boxes, which are placed in places inaccessible to the baby.
Conclusion
Wireless technologies are still not widespread - the vast majority of electrical appliances have to be plugged in. The exit becomes the shelter of cords in the cable channel, in the wall or under the plinth. It is also possible to make a real work of art out of a long wire with the help of original decorative elements. Qualitatively disguise electrical cables, cords from all appliances to the ceiling, the floor is usually helped by electricians.
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