Attaching speaker cable to wall/ceiling

[Lini]

In an attempt to make my speaker cables a little less visible, I first bought flat profile cables and then double-sided tape (http://www.vikingtapes.co.uk/3M_Pro...e_Product_Tapes/3m_9080_double_sided_tape.htm). I attached the cables with about 5cm long tape pieces every 20-30cm. It initially went well and held for about 2 months but now the tape has come loose and the cables have come down.

Has anyone done, and succeeded, with something similar? Do I need stronger tape?

 

[Anna_H]

Gluing with a glue gun works if they are not too strong, that's what I did with the telecommunication cables when I had a summer job at Televerket in the 90s. It's melted plastic, which generally means it does not damage the material you use it on.

 

[Lini]

Using a glue gun works if they are not too thick, that's what I did with the telephone cables when I had a summer job at Televerket in the 90s. It's melted plastic which means that it generally doesn't damage the material you're using it on.

When you say it doesn't damage the material, do you mean that it can be removed from the painted walls (if one should regret it) without it showing? How do you remove it in that case?

 

[Alfredo]

When you say it doesn't damage the material, do you mean it can be removed from the painted walls (if someone changes their mind) without leaving a trace?

Maybe, is probably the best answer that can be given to this question. It probably depends entirely on the type of hot glue, surface, paint type, and how lucky you are... I wouldn't count on any type of "glue" that holds being removable without a trace. This definitely also applies to different forms of tape which, once set, can be among the most difficult to remove.

When it comes to whether hot glue holds over time, there are probably various opinions. This also likely depends on the type of glue, cable type, and wall/paint type. I don't think you can be sure that it will stick, unfortunately.

 

[Lini]

Maybe, is probably the best answer that can be given to this question. It probably depends entirely on the type of hot melt glue, surface, paint type, and how lucky you are... I wouldn't count on any type of "glue" that holds to be removable without a trace. This definitely applies to various forms of tape which, once they have set, can be among the toughest to remove.

When it comes to whether hot melt glue holds in the long run, there are probably different opinions. It likely also depends on the glue type, cable type, and wall/paint type. I don't think you can unfortunately be sure that it stays.

okay thanks for the info. Do you have any solution you personally believe in? Both in terms of durability and preferably the option to remove without a trace if you change your mind.

 

[Anna_H]

From painted surfaces, I have never had any problem removing it; however, it can sometimes pull off wallpaper. It doesn't really stick better than what you've used, but if you take it all the way, it might work. I would be more worried that double-sided tape would damage the surface.

 

[Alfredo]

Do you have a solution you believe in yourself? Both in terms of durability and preferably the ability to remove it without a trace if you regret it.

It's not entirely easy to combine your wishes. Hot melt glue is probably also my best suggestion, but be aware that neither durability nor traceless removability is entirely guaranteed. How/where are you going to run the cables? Along baseboards or freely on the wall to, for example, wall speakers? There are different forms of cable channels that might suit depending on what you are doing.

If you use hot melt glue, I would apply a dab perhaps every other dm. Apply a dab, stretch the cable, and press it down into the dab. Wait maybe 20-30 seconds until it has set/hardened and then proceed with the next dab. That way, you'll most likely get a neat, taut cable all the way.

 

[Lini]

It's not entirely simple to combine your wishes. Hot glue is probably my best suggestion as well, but be aware that neither durability nor trace-free removability is completely guaranteed. How/where will you run the cables? Along the baseboards or freely on the wall to, for example, wall speakers? There are different forms of cable channels that might suit depending on what you need to do.

If you go with hot glue, I would use a dab every ten or twenty centimeters. Apply a dab, stretch the cable and press it into the dab. Wait maybe 20-30 seconds for it to set/harden and then move on to the next dab. This way you'll easily get a nice, taut cable all the way.

Will try that. These are wall-mounted speakers installed high about 30cm from the ceiling.

 

[Alfredo]

Will try it. They are wall-mounted speakers installed high, about 30 cm from the ceiling.

I haven't fastened the cable to the wall at all. In my case, the cable is embedded in the baseboard and comes out through a small hole behind the board, snug against the wall. The speakers are mounted on a stand near the ceiling. The cable runs from the hole in the baseboard into the back of the stand's mount, also snug against the wall. I've only tightened the cable as much as possible between the baseboard and the stand, but haven't fastened it along the way/wall. This works well for me. Since I have the "luck" that the wallpaper and cable have a similar color, you don't really notice the cable.

I don't know your circumstances, but perhaps something similar would work.

 

[[SKPG]Zamora]

Or sneak up behind a curtain or something similar and then run the cable along the ceiling