Is it dumb to cut a slit in your carpet to run some audio cables?

[GoingUp]

I'm running some audio cable from one side of the room to the other through my ceiling. The cable will come out on the side of my couch in a screw down block I am installing. I want to put some rear speakers behind my couch. What I am thinking is running a couple audio cables from the screw down block underneath my new carpet. I would cut a small half inch slit in the carpet and run the cables straight up the speaker stands and into my speakers. Then all it would look like is two stands with speakers sitting on my carpet. Thoughts? Ideas? Is this stupid? Should I just run the cables underneath my couch?

 

[Heisenberg]

If you want to do it, go for it. It's not like cutting a couple slits in the carpet is going to implode the house.

 

[Linflas]

The decision for me would come down to a couple of things. If it was in a place that I knew would always be covered then I would cut the hole as long as I knew I wasn't going to be selling my house in the next 3-4 years.

 

[CPA]

I don't think it's a bad idea. Another method is to peal the baseboards at the top and run the wires behind them. A little caulk and you are done.

 

[swtethan]

you can always replace the hole with a pacth of carpet later

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: Linflas
The decision for me would come down to a couple of things. If it was in a place that I knew would always be covered then I would cut the hole as long as I knew I wasn't going to be selling my house in the next 3-4 years.

Well it is a place that I own. I figure I could always just sew up the slit with some needle and thread too. Not like im going to be cutting a huge gap.

 

[chambersc]

you dont have to cut a hole, you can cut like a square cept leave one side on so you can flip it up.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: CPA
I don't think it's a bad idea. Another method is to peal the baseboards at the top and run the wires behind them. A little caulk and you are done.

That is how I do it.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Especially if it's quite new carpet, you should be able to have it not show at all. If it's in a traffic area though, it's going to end up looking bad.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: chambersc
you dont have to cut a hole, you can cut like a square cept leave one side on so you can flip it up.

better yet just cut 2 sides in an L shape

 

[Kelemvor]

are you just going to cut one little hole by the speaker and then fish the wires through it or actually make a slit all the way from the wall to where the speakers will be? I'd do it with just a little hole and then fish the wires through. But if it's in an area that you walk through, you may notice a bump in the carpet or the cables could get daaged by people walking on them.

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
are you just going to cut one little hole by the speaker and then fish the wires through it or actually make a slit all the way from the wall to where the speakers will be? I'd do it with just a little hole and then fish the wires through. But if it's in an area that you walk through, you may notice a bump in the carpet or the cables could get daaged by people walking on them.

Those were my thoughts too. Plus if there is that bump in the carpet and it's in a somewhat high traffic area, the pile will wear down on the carpet faster in the spots where the cables are running under it if people walk on it. The carpet could go threadbare in those spots.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
If you want to do it, go for it. It's not like cutting a couple slits in the carpet is going to implode the house.

come back when his carpet is all bunched up and it can't be stretched back down.

EDIT: i see that is still jsut a hole.... still would not do it. invest in some fiber glass fishpoles and you can easily run it through the wall.

 

[Chryso]

I would think that you could just pull the carpet up, put the wires in and push the carpet back down with out any cutting.

 

[JS80]

haha you said slit...

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: CPA
I don't think it's a bad idea. Another method is to peal the baseboards at the top and run the wires behind them. A little caulk and you are done.

The only con to this way is that if your couch is freestanding and not up against a wall, you still have the issue of exposed wires running from the baseboard to the speakers. Fortunately, I have a drop-down living room and my couch is up against the step so the baseboard trick worked for me because I ran the wire from the baseboards to the speakers in the step seam.

To the OP, a small slit with some fishing won't ever be noticed. You shouldn't need to make more than a 1" incision to run it and unless it's Putt-Putt course carpet, it should go undetected.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: 49erinnc

Originally posted by: CPA
I don't think it's a bad idea. Another method is to peal the baseboards at the top and run the wires behind them. A little caulk and you are done.

The only con to this way is that if your couch is freestanding and not up against a wall, you still have the issue of exposed wires running from the baseboard to the speakers. Fortunately, I have a drop-down living room and my couch is up against the step so the baseboard trick worked for me because I ran the wire from the baseboards to the speakers in the step seam.

To the OP, a small slit with some fishing won't ever be noticed. You shouldn't need to make more than a 1" incision to run it and unless it's Putt-Putt course carpet, it should go undetected.

Yep. I helped my Dad do this several years back so he could place his speakers exactly where he wanted them in the room. Never even noticed the slits were there except for the speaker wires poking out.

I prefer tucking my speaker wires in at the baseboards. Not all rooms are conducive to that though.

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
are you just going to cut one little hole by the speaker and then fish the wires through it or actually make a slit all the way from the wall to where the speakers will be? I'd do it with just a little hole and then fish the wires through. But if it's in an area that you walk through, you may notice a bump in the carpet or the cables could get daaged by people walking on them.

Small slit with fishing. I have 2 couches that the wires will be under. I didnt want them to be running on top of the carpet beneath the couches because then people could still see them when they turn the corners.

 

[NaOH]

no problem with me

 

[cirrhosis]

I read carpet as throat at first.


And no, I wouldn't cut my carpet. I'd run the cables alongside the perimeter of the wall if I could help it.

 

[Boxxcar]

OMG, whatever you do, don't cut in the shape of an L. If you must cut the carpet, the preferred letter is an X. Other letters are shown below.
Do not use C, J, L, or U
Go for X, K, T, V, and as a last resort, you can use a Y.
Of course running the wires under the carpet can cause premature wear on the carpet when people walk on them or worse still could ignite the carpet and torch your living room. This is based on how loud you play your music though.
To circumvent this, run 1/2" copper pipe under the carpet and run the wires through the pipe. You might cause a tripping hazard but at least your house won't burn down.
Lastly, in order to seal the hole in the carpet, a small 2" square piece of duct tape should do the trick.
Don't hesitate to contact me for more handy tips of the trade.