# Rear speaker wiring under hardwood?



## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

We're doing a remodel and part of it is replacing the carpet with hardwood of some type. My 'home theater' is in a niche that formerly housed a wet bar and is isolated on all sides.
Currently, I have flat-ish speaker wire running under the carpet for the rear speakers.

The house is on a slab so no under floor capability.
The room is open beam ceiling so no attic.

I searched through AVS Forum, but wasn't satisfied with any solutions. The flatwire company I was going to use seems to have gone out of business.

Any suggestions what/how to run speaker wire for surround speakers?


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Well how big a remodel are you doing? You could saw cut a shallow ditch in the slab and install a conduit and then recover it with concrete. Had to do that recently for electrical in a new kitchen. 

Another trick is to hide it behind baseboard if yours is big enough. Run the back of the baseboard through a router or table saw to saw cut out a grove in the back of it then carefully place the wire in the back of not and install it. Just need to pay attention to where you nail it. 

Neither of those cases really require flat wire.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

There's also always putting holes in the walls and running it in walls and then pitching the holes. If you have a good drywall guy you'd never know.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

dmspen said:


> We're doing a remodel and part of it is replacing the carpet with hardwood of some type. My 'home theater' is in a niche that formerly housed a wet bar and is isolated on all sides.
> Currently, I have flat-ish speaker wire running under the carpet for the rear speakers.
> 
> The house is on a slab so no under floor capability.
> ...


Are you doing it yourself or using a contractor? I had a similar problem and used a contractor and we worked out a simple solution. But that was with putting a rug on a slab. I don't see why using flat wires under wood that's gonna be glued down would be a problem as long as you run the wires along the edges.

Rich


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I had a pic to show you my dilemma.The niche where the AVR sits is completely isolated from everything else on the first floor. There is a loft bedroom above it. I have cables (ethernet, coax) running up from the AVR in the walls that go to stuff upstairs. The problem is the open beam ceiling completely cuts off the rear wall from the niche area. there's no wall to go through to reach the other side.
I suppose I could cut a line down the slab, but I think it might do more harm than good. Instead of running it 14 feet from one wall across the slab to the back wall, I may just cross the 3 foot 'hall' then run it along baseboards. 

I'll talk to my contractor to see if he has any ideas.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Would it look weird if you added one additional beam in the ceiling that was actually Hollow?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

dmspen said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I had a pic to show you my dilemma.The niche where the AVR sits is completely isolated from everything else on the first floor. There is a loft bedroom above it. I have cables (ethernet, coax) running up from the AVR in the walls that go to stuff upstairs. The problem is the open beam ceiling completely cuts off the rear wall from the niche area. there's no wall to go through to reach the other side.
> I suppose I could cut a line down the slab, but I think it might do more harm than good. Instead of running it 14 feet from one wall across the slab to the back wall,_* I may just cross the 3 foot 'hall' then run it along baseboards. *_
> 
> I'll talk to my contractor to see if he has any ideas.


That's what I'd do.

Rich


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

Can you run speaker wiring through conduit where your electrical wiring is now? There is usually enough room to do this but it may not be legal where you live.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I can't get to it. I could if I ripped open the walls. 
I'm going with this...I think.

https://sewelldirect.com/sewell-super-flat-adhesive-speaker-wire-18-awg-2-conductor-50-ft-spool-white


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

dmspen said:


> I can't get to it. I could if I ripped open the walls.
> I'm going with this...I think.
> 
> https://sewelldirect.com/sewell-super-flat-adhesive-speaker-wire-18-awg-2-conductor-50-ft-spool-white


Oh, wow! The answer to all my problems! Many thanx for the link. That's such an easy fix.

Rich


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

You are only using that for rears right?


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

dmspen said:


> I can't get to it. I could if I ripped open the walls.
> I'm going with this...I think.
> 
> https://sewelldirect.com/sewell-super-flat-adhesive-speaker-wire-18-awg-2-conductor-50-ft-spool-white


While that may sound like a good solution to get wire from one end to another it's actually a horrible thing to do because it's likely inject all kinds of noise into the system and you'd have hissing or even constant humming even when the system is turned off. I'd never even consider that an option myself. Not for any real length of run. Through a wall where the distance is measure in inches would survive but 20 feet could provide a nightmare.


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

I would suggest when you get the wire lay it out first and see if you have issue's as described above before fixing it in place - it should work out fine -keep us posted


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

I currently run a flat-ish wire under the carpet (which is going away) to the back wall. From there it runs about 6 feet to one speaker and about12 feet to the other. I get no issues as mentioned from this setup.

This wiring setup is for rears only. I've looked for a wireless solution, but I may run end up installing something like Orb Audio speakers high on the walls. Besides, I haven't seen much in the way of good wireless rears. I do have a wireless sub but it's just OK.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Best Buy has a wireless speaker adapter kit that you can use with your choice of rear speakers (high efficiency preferred, since the built in amp is 30 watts/channel)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/rocketfish-universal-wireless-rear-speaker-kit-black/8275528.p?id=1171058476489&skuId=8275528


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Cholly said:


> Best Buy has a wireless speaker adapter kit that you can use with your choice of rear speakers (high efficiency preferred, since the built in amp is 30 watts/channel)
> 
> http://www.bestbuy.com/site/rocketfish-universal-wireless-rear-speaker-kit-black/8275528.p?id=1171058476489&skuId=8275528


I had a previous version of this setup. Worked great for about 2 years. Then it just stopped working. Never could figure out why.

So I tried a couple of other similar systems from Amazon, but those had interference problems with my Roku3 and Apple 5G wireless router. So make sure you research any of these you might purchase and check to see what freqs they use. (And make sure you have a good return policy should you buy one of these. Just in case.)


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

Aren't they going to put down a plywood subfloor beneath the hardwood? That is how I have always been taught it should be done. If so it should be easy for them to just make a gap, or cut a trough in the subfloor to run the wires.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Beerstalker said:


> Aren't they going to put down a plywood subfloor beneath the hardwood? That is how I have always been taught it should be done. If so it should be easy for them to just make a gap, or cut a trough in the subfloor to run the wires.


Depends on what kind of floor. If it's the newer engineered wood floors then it's a layer of plasticish cushion and then the floor. No subfloor needed.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

I don't think a subfloor is normally installed over a concrete slab.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Not sure if it's a traditional oak aged wood floor. Never done one or seen under one on a slab.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

The OP specifically said hardwood, so I assume that means real hardwood flooring, not engineered wood, or laminate, etc. Like I said I was always taught hardwood needs a good subfloor under it. The Hardwood Manufacturers Association agrees.

http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/articles/view/pro/28/241


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Well could be. He'd have to come back and tell us for sure. Most people I know refer to all of it has hardwood floors anymore.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

Although we haven't decided for sure, we're likely going to ise bamboo. Our second choice is engineered hardwood as its going on a slab.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

We decided to do a total refinance instead of an equity loan so the process took a while , but we finally completed the remodel.
I was able to lay the wire flat on the slab. The rubberized water vapor barrier had enough give to absorb the .08" height of the wire. Java fossilized bamboo from CaliBamboo went over easily. Yay!

I haven't connected the rears yet. There's still some debate over my speakers sticking out a bit. The fronts are my old KEF Q65s which I love. I have a triple of Radius Monitors I can use (like the center speaker), but they don't quite have the oomph the KEFs do.

All in all, the speaker wire under the bamboo worked. Now to convince the wife to leave the KEF 65s, get a new center channel (KEF Q600) and hook up the rears (Q55s).


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Very nice! And the argument is simple. Agree to watch plenty of her shows and she will appreciate the better sound more.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

Oooh! Good idea... will work on that tonight...


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