Almost a newbie. Cord concealment on face of building?

[petek157]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post. I can see how people call this an addiction, I haven't even placed my order yet and I have spent the better part of the weekend researching and reading in the forum. I am really excited to get going.

My question is, I am going to be installing my system on my business. I was wondering if anyone has any good design ideas for concealing the wires (ext cords etc). I don't want my store front to look like a spider web of extension cords during the day when everything is visible.

That being said, I would like to make what ever is used for concealment permanent as I intend to do a number of different systems throughout the year. So I would have to be able to access what ever is used for concealment.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to sharing with everyone here.

Pete

[JBullard]

Conduit?

[caniac]

petek157 wrote:

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post. I can see how people call this an addiction, I haven't even placed my order yet and I have spent the better part of the weekend researching and reading in the forum. I am really excited to get going.

My question is, I am going to be installing my system on my business. I was wondering if anyone has any good design ideas for concealing the wires (ext cords etc). I don't want my store front to look like a spider web of extension cords during the day when everything is visible.

That being said, I would like to make what ever is used for concealment permanent as I intend to do a number of different systems throughout the year. So I would have to be able to access what ever is used for concealment.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to sharing with everyone here.

Pete

would need more details. Ideally if you had a closet that you could put the controllers in and have an electrician "wire" specific outlets near the lights then that would be the ideal way to do it. Black Box has all kinds of wiring tunnels that can be used horizontally or vertically.

my better half didn't like Ethernet and speaker wires hanging out the living room window last season so I had an electrician install a "box" for me that has speaker connectors and Ethernet connectors. The outside part sits behind a big bush and the inside part is near my computer desk in the living room.

[petek157]

Using conduit would be great if I knew that the decorations that will be used will be in the same place approximately all the time.

The good part is I am a journeyman electrician. So doing the wiring is simple.

I am trying to poke as few holes in the walls as possible.

My thoughts are some sort of raceway that the end of the extension cord can be poked through at any point on the run. That way if I have a talking face for halloween in one place I can put the talking Santa in a different place for Xmas without having to run a different run of conduit.

I may be over thinking this too. I just thought that maybe someone may have designed something that would suit this. People seem to be very creative on this forum when it comes to this stuff.

Being the front of my store Im just trying to keep it as visually appealing as possible while day light and all of the cords and frames can be seen by the customers.

I will be placing the order tonight most likely, so just trying to get ahead of the game in places that I can.

Anymore input is welcome.

Pete

[caniac]

petek157 wrote:

Using conduit would be great if I knew that the decorations that will be used will be in the same place approximately all the time.

The good part is I am a journeyman electrician. So doing the wiring is simple.

I am trying to poke as few holes in the walls as possible.

My thoughts are some sort of raceway that the end of the extension cord can be poked through at any point on the run. That way if I have a talking face for halloween in one place I can put the talking Santa in a different place for Xmas without having to run a different run of conduit.

I may be over thinking this too. I just thought that maybe someone may have designed something that would suit this. People seem to be very creative on this forum when it comes to this stuff.

Being the front of my store Im just trying to keep it as visually appealing as possible while day light and all of the cords and frames can be seen by the customers.

I will be placing the order tonight most likely, so just trying to get ahead of the game in places that I can.

Anymore input is welcome.

Pete

to do what you are talking about in our yards most of us just move the controllers to the closest point near the lights that way the only cable you have running is Ethernet. Without knowing the layout it is hard to say if that would work or not.

[DownTown]

I find that if you use dark cords (preferably black), and run them in straight lines along the surrounding "grain", they are least noticeable. Keep your angles close to 90 degrees. Bundle them where possible. I have harnesses for each controller, so that each year when I pull out the lights, I grab that controller's harness, and lay it back into the same position as the previous year. As you probably know already, tie wraps are your friend.

D.T.

[caniac]

DownTown wrote:

I find that if you use dark cords (preferably black), and run them in straight lines along the surrounding "grain", they are least noticeable. Keep your angles close to 90 degrees. Bundle them where possible. I have harnesses for each controller, so that each year when I pull out the lights, I grab that controller's harness, and lay it back into the same position as the previous year. As you probably know already, tie wraps are your friend.

D.T.

and extension cords, lots of them. Plus a zip tie gun!!

[petek157]

The response time on this forum is unmatched anywhere. Thats awesome.

I agree, ideally locating the control box in a central location would be best, but being that would put it in the middle of the front wall of my store front I can't get myself to do it.

The front of the store is 68' across. I am probably going to start out with 32 channels. They will be mounted above the ceiling tile on each side of the entry nook. I figured popping a couple holes in there to start the runs would be the least noticeable.

The (for lack of a better word) conduit I was going to run across the tops of the windows, again thinking that it would be least noticeable.

Thats where I wanted to be able to pop the extension cords through and run to the controllers. Because of my climate up here it has to be weather proof too.

I guess I may be trying too hard to make all of this invisible. Because if I follow what seems to be a pattern here I will soon have more wires running here then I could possible conceal the way my mind wants to.

Here is a picture of the front of my store if it helps.

Pete

Attached files

[Jim Saul]

Pete, you have to update your profile as to where up here is
From looking at that photo, you are going to be in trouble with those runs. if you try to come out on the top, the conduit is going to fill with water. Plus it will act like a gutter and collect snow too.
I'd either run the wires from the inside and outlets where you want them, or look at doing a raceway at the roof line where it will be protected, then running extension cords down,

[ace_master]

might I suggest... does the store have unfinished ceilings/attic? If you could get your controllers up in the inside peak of the roof (and keep a ladder around, should you ever need to get to them), you could have the wires run out under the edge of the roof and down the roof line hugging along the top edge of the outside of the store?

[TJ Hvasta]

I agree with Ace ^^ see if you could mount them, maybe in a box, on the roof and run the extensions down along the sides of the building. If you are going to run lights along the roof line, then the controllers, up there, would be my choice..

[rwertz]

I had the same thought as the others, run the wires (for anything above the windows) under the roof edge and drop them straight down wherever you use them. The controllers could be in the attic or even along side the building (with the wires going up the outside corners).

I'm assuming you'll be hanging a lot of stuff on / around the windows. For those I would again start with controllers on the side of the building and run the wires along the bottom of the siding then up to the windows at the outside corners of the windows. That would keep the bulk of the wires from being so visible from your entrance.

I agree that conduit will just create a moisture issue, and it will be a real PITA trying add or move cords. There are various wiring trough products out there. Our plant uses aluminum 2x4 rails with large hooks every foot on the production floor. For what it is, it looks nice. We also have plastic troughs that have a snap on cover with "fingered" sides that allow wires to exit every inch. And we have fully enclosed grey metal troughs that have a latched cover. They would probably require access holes to be drilled for the wire exits.

Personally, I'd lean towards something that lets you add and remove wires easily. For my display I hang a lot of wires on the backside of our railing using cup hooks and zip ties. If the wires were all the same color (and not orange), I think they would still look fairly clean using that method.

One last thought came to mind. Maybe you could hide the main exposed runs with a run of garland. I guess that only works for Christmas, and maybe Halloween (with leaf garland).

Attached files

[Dan C]

rwertz wrote:

I had the same thought as the others, run the wires (for anything above the windows) under the roof edge and drop them straight down wherever you use them. The controllers could be in the attic or even along side the building (with the wires going up the outside corners).

I'm assuming you'll be hanging a lot of stuff on / around the windows. For those I would again start with controllers on the side of the building and run the wires along the bottom of the siding then up to the windows at the outside corners of the windows. That would keep the bulk of the wires from being so visible from your entrance.

I agree that conduit will just create a moisture issue, and it will be a real PITA trying add or move cords. There are various wiring trough products out there. Our plant uses aluminum 2x4 rails with large hooks every foot on the production floor. For what it is, it looks nice. We also have plastic troughs that have a snap on cover with "fingered" sides that allow wires to exit every inch. And we have fully enclosed grey metal troughs that have a latched cover. They would probably require access holes to be drilled for the wire exits.

Personally, I'd lean towards something that lets you add and remove wires easily. For my display I hang a lot of wires on the backside of our railing using cup hooks and zip ties. If the wires were all the same color (and not orange), I think they would still look fairly clean using that method.

One last thought came to mind. Maybe you could hide the main exposed runs with a run of garland. I guess that only works for Christmas, and maybe Halloween (with leaf garland).

Nicely done!

[petek157]

I am loving all of the feed back. The attic is out due to how it is designed. I guess going under the eves is doable, the only reason that I was figuring the top of the windows is that I was going to put the boxes above the ceiling tile in the corners by the door way and that is the closest distance between the controllers and the areas of the decorations. Thinking of using the eves rather then the windows will add some distance to my extension cords.

As for conduit, I guess I really didn't choose my words carefully, I really meant some type of raceway that could be opened and closed to add or remove wires easily.

I think that I am going to investigate above the ceiling tile a little closer and see if there is a good way to get up under the eves easily.

Any other thoughts are still welcome.


Pete

[a815drew]

What about using something like wire duct?

[-klb-]

I wonder what sort of architectural detail you could add over the windows, that could act as a cable way? Sort of like a crown moulding type effect? Maybe some sort of decorative gutter? (just kicking around ideas, in case they knock something loose)

[petek157]

a815drew - Do you have a site that I can look at that duct more closely? That in the ball park of what I was thinking.

[a815drew]

This is just one site I found doing a quick google search.

http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/WiringDucts.php

It looks like it comes in a bunch of different colors and sizes. Im not sure how well it would hold up outdoors. Being that it is made out of PVC I would guess it would be okay though.

[steve synek]

Just wire up some outlets controlled by controllers. I have 16 quad outlets on my house. One at every window and door. Plus 5 more in the overhang for roof and gutter lines. Saves a lot of cords and set up time. I know this is not for everyone.......... but I was able to do it myself and save a lot of money.

Steve


Attached files

[petek157]

Thinking about doing outlets next summer, something more permanent. For this year (seen as it is SNOWING outside right now) I am going to have to go with more of a quick hitter for wiring. Just have to hide it the best I can with what I have.