How to Hide Cables in a Media Wall: The Quick Method
A media wall only looks finished when nothing dangles below the TV. The good news is that a media wall makes cables easier to hide than a plain wall, because you build the void they run through. The secret is to plan the wiring before a single board goes on. This guide shows how to hide TV cables in a media wall properly, safely and in a way you can still upgrade later.
In short, the method is:
- List every device and where it will sit.
- Fit sockets and AV outlets behind the TV, inside the area the screen will cover.
- Run flexible conduit with draw cords between the TV and the kit cupboard.
- Keep mains power and AV cables in separate runs.
- Leave an access point so cables can be added or changed later.
- Have any new socket or spur fitted by a qualified electrician.
Step 1: Plan Every Device Before You Build
Write down everything that will connect to the TV: soundbar, Sky or streaming box, games console, broadband router or switch, LED lighting and, if you have one, an electric fire. Note where each item will live, how many plugs it needs and which cables run between them. Most cable problems on finished media walls come from a device nobody planned for.
This is also the moment to choose your TV, because the screen size and bracket decide where everything behind it goes. Our guide to choosing the right TV size and layout for your media wall covers mounting height and depth.
Where to Put the Sockets Behind the TV
The neatest answer to how to hide cables on a wall mounted TV is to stop the cables reaching the outside world at all. Place a double socket and an AV outlet behind the TV, inside the area the screen covers and clear of the bracket's fixing points. The TV's own power and HDMI leads then plug in a few centimetres from where they leave the set, and the screen hides everything.
Check the position against the TV's spec sheet, which shows where its sockets sit, and against the bracket's mounting pattern. If you plan a swing-out bracket, leave enough slack for the arm to extend without pulling on the plugs.
Use Recessed Boxes So the TV Sits Flat
Standard plugs stick out from the wall, which pushes a slim TV away from it. A recessed socket box or recessed AV panel sits back inside the frame, so plug tops and HDMI connectors stay behind the wall's face and the screen can sit close to it. This one detail separates a properly built media wall from one where the TV sits on an angle.
Run Flexible Conduit Through the Stud Frame
The best way to conceal TV cables in a wall is a flexible conduit running inside the frame from behind the TV down to the kit cupboard or console area. Notch or drill the studs so the conduit passes through cleanly, and leave a draw cord inside it so new cables can be pulled through later without opening the wall.
Check the frame for noggins (the horizontal timbers between studs) before you plan the route, as they block a straight drop. Fit grommets or smooth edges wherever cables pass through timber, and support the conduit so it cannot sag onto anything hot.
Keep Power and AV Cables Apart
Mains cables and low-voltage cables such as HDMI, network and speaker leads should run in separate conduits or separate bays of the frame. Keeping them apart reduces interference on signal cables and keeps the installation tidy and safe. A simple rule is power down one side of the frame and AV down the other.
Hiding Cables Behind Slat and Acoustic Panels
If your media wall is finished with slat panels, run the cables in the frame or batten void behind the panels, never in the gaps between the slats. Mark the position of every cable on the backing before the panels go on, so nobody drills or screws through one later. Our guide on how to fit acoustic slat wall panels explains cutting around sockets and TV brackets.
Solid Walls and Chimney Breasts
Knowing how to hide TV cables in a solid wall in the UK means choosing between three routes. You can chase a channel into the masonry and plaster over a conduit, build a timber or metal frame in front of the wall to create a service void, or, where neither suits, use paintable trunking. A full media wall built in front of a chimney breast is usually the cleanest option, because the frame does the hiding and nothing needs cutting into the brickwork.
The Kit Cupboard: Soundbar, Sky Box and Consoles
Most of the cables end in the cabinet below the TV, so plan it as carefully as the TV position. Give the cupboard its own sockets, a cable entry at the back, and a route up to the TV through the conduit. Leave space behind each device for plugs and cable bends.
Electronics produce heat, so a closed cupboard needs ventilation, such as a vented back or gaps for air to move. If the doors stay closed, an infra-red repeater lets remote controls reach the boxes. Measure the soundbar before the wall is built, as it decides the size of any shelf or cut-out below the screen.
HDMI Cable Length
Long HDMI runs are where hidden cabling most often fails. As a rough guide, a standard HDMI cable is reliable over short runs of a few metres, while longer runs to a cupboard on the far side of the wall work better with an active or fibre-optic HDMI cable. Buy the cable that suits the route before the wall is closed, and pull a spare through the conduit at the same time.
Electric Fires and LED Lighting
If you build a media wall with a fireplace, the fire's power supply needs its own planned position inside the frame, away from the AV cables and clear of the fire's heat. Our media wall electric fire guide covers sockets, ventilation and clearances for the fire itself.
LED strip lighting needs a driver, and that driver needs to stay reachable. Place it in the kit cupboard or behind an access panel, never sealed inside the wall. Our LED driver wattage guide shows how to size it.
Leave Access for Future Upgrades
New consoles, cables and standards arrive every few years, so good TV wire concealment plans for change. Leave the draw cord in every conduit, fit at least one spare conduit, and include a removable panel, a brush plate or a cupboard opening where the cables can be reached. Label both ends of every cable before the wall is closed.
When You Need an Electrician
Low-voltage cables such as HDMI and network leads can be run by a confident DIYer, but mains wiring is different. In England, adding a socket or spur to an existing circuit in a living room is not usually notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, while a new circuit or a replacement consumer unit is. The rules are wider in Wales and different again in Scotland. Every job must still meet the wiring regulations (BS 7671), so the simplest approach is to have a registered electrician fit and certify any new socket or spur.
Cables buried less than 50mm into a wall must either run in recognised safe zones, horizontally or vertically from a socket or switch, or be protected, for example by earthed metal conduit or an RCD. An electrician will choose the right method for your wall.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pushing an extension lead or plug adaptor into a closed cavity instead of fitting proper sockets.
- Running power and HDMI together in one bundle.
- Closing the wall without a draw cord or spare conduit.
- Placing sockets where the TV does not cover them.
- Forgetting ventilation for the kit cupboard.
- Sealing an LED driver or junction inside the wall where it cannot be reached.
Next Steps
Whether you are hiding wires for a TV on a new build or replacing a tired setup, the same plan applies: sockets behind the screen, conduit with draw cords, power and AV apart, and access for the future. If you are still deciding how to build a media wall, browse our media walls, from the slimline DIY Serenity Media Wall to fully fitted designs with fires. For a fully designed and installed wall in Manchester or Cheshire, see our guide to bespoke media walls and interiors, or contact Aspin Collins on 0161 465 4007.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you run a TV power cable behind a wall in the UK?
You should not push a TV's power lead or an extension lead through a wall cavity. The safe way is a proper socket behind the TV, wired in fixed cable by a qualified electrician, so the TV plugs in where it hangs.
2. Do I need an electrician to add a socket behind a wall-mounted TV?
Adding a socket behind a TV is mains electrical work, so a registered electrician is the safe choice. In England it is not usually notifiable if it extends an existing circuit in a living room, but it must still meet BS 7671.
3. Where should the sockets go behind a TV on a media wall?
Sockets behind a TV on a media wall should sit inside the area the screen covers, clear of the bracket fixings. Use recessed boxes so plugs stay behind the wall's face and the TV can hang close to it.
4. How do you hide TV cables in a solid brick wall or chimney breast?
Hide TV cables in a solid wall by chasing conduit into the masonry, building a framed media wall in front to create a void, or using paintable trunking. A framed wall avoids cutting into the brickwork altogether.
5. How can I add or change HDMI cables after the media wall is finished?
Changing HDMI cables after a media wall is finished is easy if the conduit has a draw cord. Tie the new cable to the cord and pull it through from the kit cupboard, then leave a fresh cord behind for next time.
6. What is the best way to hide cables behind media wall panels?
The best way to hide cables behind media wall panels is to run them in conduit inside the frame or batten void, mark their positions on the backing, then fit the panels over the top. Never run cables in the gaps between slats.
