# Jim's Living Room Remodel ... of sorts.



## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

I've been planning on spinning my living room around for a while. I finally took the plunge and ran cables during Father's Day weekend. Behind the entertainment center I now have four CAT6, two coax, and six 12 gauge speaker wires. This is an outside wall and it was a pain to do. Well worth the effort, though. I plugged the IB sub holes in the ceiling and will be moving it soon.

I snapped a couple of cell phone pics. I have higher res pics that I'll post later.

*Wall Plate test fit before repainting the room:*









*MTX HT520BDP surrounds in the semi-vaulted ceiling:*


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Nice install, Jim. It makes me want to get behind my equipment and redo my plate. I was lazy and in a hurry, so I didn't use a box or anchor to a stud. I just slapped the plate into the middle of the wall and made my connections. Of course, it is loose now, and I have some surrounding damage to clean up someday.


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## MrAngles (May 1, 2012)

Where did you get the insert for the speaker wire? I usually use banana plugs and jacks but I hate how bulky they are in a wallplate and the possibilities of shorts and wires getting unplugged.


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

MrAngles said:


> Where did you get the insert for the speaker wire? I usually use banana plugs and jacks but I hate how bulky they are in a wallplate and the possibilities of shorts and wires getting unplugged.


I drilled a blank Decora insert from Home Depot (couple of bucks). I tested some rubber grommets that fit perfectly in a spare piece of plastic. When it came time to fit them into the insert ... no go. I decided to run it without them.

My old setup used banana plugs, but I wanted to use solid run of wire from speaker to amp this time around. The top two are my left and right surrounds. The middle set is for future rear surrounds. The bottom set (gray) is for my IB sub.


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## MrAngles (May 1, 2012)

FlashJim said:


> I drilled a blank Decora insert from Home Depot (couple of bucks). I tested some rubber grommets that fit perfectly in a spare piece of plastic. When it came time to fit them into the insert ... no go. I decided to run it without them.
> 
> My old setup used banana plugs, but I wanted to use solid run of wire from speaker to amp this time around. The top two are my left and right surrounds. The middle set is for future rear surrounds. The bottom set (gray) is for my IB sub.


That's awesome, I'm stealing that. I'm of the school that believes the less connection points the better.


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

MrAngles said:


> That's awesome, I'm stealing that. I'm of the school that believes the less connection points the better.


Just make sure you buy *way* more speaker wire than what you think you'll need. My sub cables are *just* long enough. I'm reusing what I had on the other side of the room before the "spin".


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## mcascio (Dec 5, 2010)

That's the first time I've seen a wall plate with the six holes like that. Not sure if I have an immediate need for one...but it's nice to know they exist. Very clean! Nice job.


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

mcascio said:


> That's the first time I've seen a wall plate with the six holes like that. Not sure if I have an immediate need for one...but it's nice to know they exist. Very clean! Nice job.



Actually, I'm not sure they exist. I had to make mine. Home Depot carries blank Decora inserts for $2.48 (SKU # 162677)


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## mcascio (Dec 5, 2010)

Nice Jim.

I apologize. I missed your post about drilling the holes. The drilled holes looked extremely clean -- it looked like it was purchased like that. Very neat idea if you don't plan on rerouting your wiring.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Nice work, Jim! Where did you find an old work box that big?










Regards, 
Wayne


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> Nice work, Jim! Where did you find an old work box that big?


Hi Wayne!

Actually, I couldn't find a 4 gang old work low voltage frame locally. Even Altex was out of stock. So I made my own from an old work high voltage box. 

Carlon # B468R 4 Gang Box $5.90 at Home Depot

I screwed the box to a scrap board and ran it through my bandsaw.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Nice work Jim! :T

I am a big fan of burying as much cable as possible - I have wire visible in my living room for the surrounds and it bugs me now and again.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

FlashJim said:


> Hi Wayne!
> 
> Actually, I couldn't find a 4 gang old work low voltage frame locally. Even Altex was out of stock. So I made my own from an old work high voltage box.
> 
> ...


lol, talk about DIY innovation. I like it I like it


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Mike Edwards said:


> lol, talk about DIY innovation. I like it I like it


One of the many things I so enjoy about this forum is the fantastic ideas presented by the entire membership. My DIY skills have improved immensely during my less than two years here, and I have you all to thank for that!


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

Is there a lot of houses being built in your area or something? Seams your making your own product because the local shops are out of them.


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

phillihp23 said:


> Is there a lot of houses being built in your area or something? Seams your making your own product because the local shops are out of them.


I live in Houston where the housing "bubble" really didn't pop. It has always been booming here. 

A 4 gang low voltage frame is not something you find in stock at Home Depot or Lowes. One of the only places locally that carries them is a Texas based chain that has a store just down the road from me. They were out and unfortunately, it would have been a week before I could get one. Plus, it would have been $12.39. I made one in less than a minute for half that price.

4 gang frame at Altex










I've worked with a few different brands and styles of low voltage frames. I reallly don't like the style Altex carries. I have one of those in my office. The fastening system they use to secure it to the drywall isn't very forgiving. Once it's on, it's hard to adjust it to level the frame on the wall. I prefer the "dog leg" style like the blue box I used. It's similar to the way in-wall speakers are secured. It's very easy to adjust and remove, if needed.


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## FlashJim (May 6, 2006)

Mike Edwards said:


> lol, talk about DIY innovation. I like it I like it


Mike, wait until you get a load of what I'm doing to my entertainment center.  It's a massive retrofit to slide over the hearth (we're now facing the fireplace) and to accommodate a fairly large center channel speaker. It'll also have active cooling. But that's for a later post.


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