How to hide TV cables

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So, you’ve designed and installed your perfect entertainment setup, but your TV’s cables can easily ruin the look, especially if they hang in the middle of a blank wall.

When you’ve got a wall-mounted TV, it’s not as simple as hiding the cables behind a piece of furniture. Some people may want to cut into the wall and hide the cables behind it, but if you’re a DIY novice, there’s a much simpler way called trunking.

So, if you’re trying to work out how to hide cables on a wall-mounted TV, look no further. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to conceal TV cables through trunking. Keep reading to find out how.

Useful links

Trunking is an enclosed housing system that safely hides your TV cables, and many self-adhesive varieties stick straight to your wall without the need for any drilling.
Before installing trunking, measure your space, cut the plastic trunking to size with a hacksaw, and smooth any rough ends with a sanding block.
For a seamless and invisible look, sand the gloss off the plastic, apply a specific plastic primer, and finish with a couple of coats of matching emulsion paint.

What is trunking?

Trunking is simply an enclosed housing system that protects and hides away your cables. You attach it to the wall, floor, or a desk and place any cables you want to hide inside it. It also has the added advantage of managing complicated wiring systems and reducing the risk of trip hazards.

Trunking is available in a few different materials from PVC to steel, and in different sizes to best suit how much wiring you want to conceal. You can also get it in rectangular varieties, great for a more industrial look, or D-shaped varieties, which give you a softer look and can be disguised as decorative skirting.

Plus, it’s really easy to install, especially if you go for a self-adhesive product that only requires you to peel away the tape on the back of the product and stick it directly to your wall. No drilling or cutting into your wall needed.

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Another advantage with many cable trunking products is that they can be opened and closed after installation, so it’s easy to add new wires to your cable management system as you don’t have to remove the trunking you’ve already installed. Just open it up and pop a new wire in.

How do you hide TV cables?

Now you know what trunking is, it’s time to start using it to conceal your TV cable.

Trunking in your preferred size (plastic or PVC for this job)
Straight pieces
Corner pieces (if needed)
Pencil
Hacksaw
Metal file or sanding block
Tape measure
Spirit level
Sandpaper
Primer (suitable for plastic)
Emulsion paint to match your wall

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Use a tape measure to measure the space where you want to conceal your wires. Mark this measurement on your length of trunking.

Place the trunking on a workbench and use a hacksaw to cut it to size. The cut edge will likely be rough, so it’s a good idea to file this down with a metal file or a tough sanding block.

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If you need to create any corners in your trunking, you’ll need a corner accessory. These are installed after the straight lengths, slotting on top of the cut ends. You don’t need to cut your straight lengths so they reach all the way to the end of the corner as the corner accessory will conceal any gaps.

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If you’re going for an invisible look with your trunking, you can now paint it to match your wall. You can either do this before or after installation:

Make sure to sand down PVC trunking first as you’ll want to remove the gloss.
Once you’ve then cleaned it, it’s a good idea to apply a primer specially designed for plastics.
Paint it with a couple of coats of emulsion paint that match your wall.

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Wires can completely ruin the sleek look of a wall-mounted TV, but it’s easy to conceal TV cables if you know how. Trunking is a really simple and inexpensive way to hide unsightly cables and create a more seamless, minimalist look underneath your TV. You don’t even need to do anything to your walls as many varieties just stick on without the need for tools.

If you’re looking for some more ways to keep your household cables and wires out of sight, check out our article on keeping cables organised.

FAQs

Plastic trunking will need priming before painting, and this will need to be done with a primer specifically formulated for plastic. These come in spray-on or paint-on varieties. If you skip the priming step, you may end up with peeling paint that doesn’t adhere properly.

It’s a good idea to sand cut ends of trunking as they can be rough. You’ll also need to sand the gloss off PVC trunking if you’re planning to paint it to make sure the primer sticks properly.

TV cables generally only need one of the smaller PVC varieties of trunking, depending on the volume of wires. Large trunking and steel trunking are usually only required for more industrial jobs.