07-24-2009, 03:20 PM
Dakota,
Bern's concern about the proximity of the cables to the AC lines is exactly why I didn't run speaker and other AV cables in my walls when the opportunity presented itself. It would've been in a channel behind the base model very close and parallel to the electrical wire in the walls of my apartment. While the guy doing the mouldings offered to run the cable for me, he as well as two electricians said it's not a great idea for the very reasons you described in your post. So, I decided against it.
The only cable that really concerned me was the speaker wire, I bought it in a color that was a very close match to the paint I used on my mouldings and trim. I ran the cable and used removable adhesive putty (similar to Fun-Tak) to hold in place. The putty is also a very close match to the paint I used on the trim. End result is cables that blend into the walls. If I have a problem with the cable, it's easy enough to replace it. Or, if I want to rearrange the speakers, it's easy enough to remove and run to the new locations. That's not so easy when the cables are in the walls.
As for mounting a TV to the wall, I'd make sure the mount can handle a TV that is larger and heavier than the one you purchased. If nothing else, it will ensure the the mount can support the weight with a bit of extra leeway. I'd also be inclined to buy a mount that raises, lowers, tilts up and down and swivels left and right.
Robert
Bern's concern about the proximity of the cables to the AC lines is exactly why I didn't run speaker and other AV cables in my walls when the opportunity presented itself. It would've been in a channel behind the base model very close and parallel to the electrical wire in the walls of my apartment. While the guy doing the mouldings offered to run the cable for me, he as well as two electricians said it's not a great idea for the very reasons you described in your post. So, I decided against it.
The only cable that really concerned me was the speaker wire, I bought it in a color that was a very close match to the paint I used on my mouldings and trim. I ran the cable and used removable adhesive putty (similar to Fun-Tak) to hold in place. The putty is also a very close match to the paint I used on the trim. End result is cables that blend into the walls. If I have a problem with the cable, it's easy enough to replace it. Or, if I want to rearrange the speakers, it's easy enough to remove and run to the new locations. That's not so easy when the cables are in the walls.
As for mounting a TV to the wall, I'd make sure the mount can handle a TV that is larger and heavier than the one you purchased. If nothing else, it will ensure the the mount can support the weight with a bit of extra leeway. I'd also be inclined to buy a mount that raises, lowers, tilts up and down and swivels left and right.
Robert