How to Hide TV Wires on or Behind a Wall

If you’ve figured out how to mount a TV on the wall, you’re probably high-fiving yourself for accomplishing such a feat (particularly since hiring a pro to mount a TV costs upward of $250, so you’ve just saved yourself a bundle). There's just one problem: those wires dangling from your TV. Ugly, right? This is why we’re moving on to your next DIY project: how to hide TV wires.

There are a couple of ways to hide TV cables—both on, and behind, your wall. The former method is the easiest and ideal for a homeowner (or renter) who doesn't want holes in the wall or a lot of work. However, if you do want those cables running behind your wall, move on to the second set of instructions below.

Things you’ll need:

If you have a power outlet right below your TV, you’re in luck: You’ll just need to cut to size one channel that will reach vertically from the base of your TV to the outlet below. If your outlet is off to the left or right below your TV, you can attach an L-shaped joint to the bottom, followed by a horizontal channel to the outlet.

(YouTube/@Legrand)

Once the channel is cut to the right length, peel off the adhesive tape on the back and place it on the wall where you want it. Press down along the entire length to make sure it sticks, then open and insert all the cables inside. Once done, you can snap the channel closed.

(YouTube/@Legrand)

While a plastic channel is the easiest and cheapest way to hide your TV wires, you are still left with something running along your wall. If you want to completely hide the cables behind your wall, follow the instructions below.

Things you’ll need:

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According to Michael Kane of Philadelphia, owner of Instatech Home Theaters, "do not bury just any cord into the wall—especially a power cord. This is considered a fire hazard and is against code."

The best option, according to Kane, is to "be sure [the cables] are in-wall and UL-rated." UL, or Underwriters Laboratories, is an organization that tests the safety of various products.

If your TV has a swinging arm mount, all you have to do is move the TV out of the way. If it's a fixed or tilted wall mount, you’ll have to lift your TV off the mount and put it on the floor. This will give you enough room to work with the wires.

Having a hole in your wall can look unsightly, so you can frame this area with a cable plate, which looks like a light switch plate, but only with an opening for wires. The cable plate should come with a template; if so, put it where you want the cables to feed into and draw the area. If there is no template, just measure all for sides of the plate and draw it onto your wall. It's a useful guideline to know where to cut.

When choosing the space for the plate, you will obviously want to avoid the studs. Well, guess what? Your TV bracket is screwed into your studs so if you choose a space between them you should be good. Or you could use a stud finder.

(YouTube/@DIY Nils)

Using a utility knife or drywall saw, cut out the space you just marked. After a few cuts, you should be able to push the patch in a bit so you can get your fingers around it to take it out.

(YouTube/@DIY Nils)

The cable plate should fit very snuggly into the space you just cut out. If required, screw the plate into the wall to make sure that it stays. Make sure the opening is pointing downward so the cables are fished toward the opening you will create down below.

(YouTube/@DIY Nils)

Next, cut out a hole for the bottom plate. Then insert your wires into the top plate and fish them out below. Pull all the wires out, then put them through the second cable plate and secure it to the wall.

(YouTube/@DIY Nils)

Plug in every cable, and you should be good to go without any ugly wires in sight. This also works wonders for any kind of wire or cable, from your computers to your modems, so this skill could come in handy more than you might think.

Niko is a writer based in Lansing, Michigan. His work has appeared in a number of publications, both online and off, including Popular Mechanics and TENNIS.com. He currently works for the State of Michigan as a Legal Drafting Editor.