Here is the deal... I have a theater system to install, and I dont want to see wires in my room. I do not have access to an attic or a basement in this room so I can't fish wires up and down through my walls. I also dont want to have those speakerwire channels installed because it wont look good based off the number of wires Im going to run and the angles in the room. SO... The only other option I can see is to run wire outside my house along the exterior walls, and then back into the house at the correct points for each speaker. My concern is that I live in MN, and it gets really frickin cold in the winter... Will the cold weather weaken or slow the signal sent through the wires? I am intending to use burial grade wiring...
It is also possible to notch the drywall where the wall and ceiling meet if you need to go "over the top" for surrounds. I would only go outdoors as a last resort.
If you have no other option but to run the wire outside, and plan to bury it, I would recommend using conduit from where the cable leaves the house to where the cable enters the ground. If you are not going to bury it, use UV resistant speaker wire and make sure you use drip loops. Better still, use conduit the entire length of the run. If you make any connections outdoors be sure to use the proper connectors. Outdoors is a harsh environment for wire and cable. Temperature extremes, rodents and UV exposure can damage the jacket, water ingress through cracks or at connectors can wick into the cable and severly corrode wires. Damage to wires from garden tools or exposure can cause shorts that can inturn damage your components. It's better to keep you cable cozy and warm if you can.
I wouldn't think the cold would matter, but couldn't you run them under the baseboards or under the carpeting?
2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs
I agree, Pulling the baseboards and running it there would be preferable to putting the wires outside and then bringing them back in.
Shawn
I think running the wires outside would work - they did it for cable, but Georgia doesn't get as cold as Minnesota - but I think it would look tacky.
Hope This Helps!!!
I might be able to pull the baseboards... I had a sandless refinishing done on the hardwood in that room and the baseboards and quarter rounds were also sealed basically to the floor... Im concerned it might mess up the surface if I pull them, but Im going to look into that.
I ended up knotching the drywall along the path the wire is going to run, so now I can just tuck the wires in the notches, spackle/sand over them, and then paint. Should work out well I think!
Thanks for all the help!
Good choice. Enjoy your system!