Cord covers that actually look neat

A cord cover — also called a raceway or cable channel — is a slim plastic or metal channel fixed to the wall with the cables inside and a lid snapped on. Done carelessly it's an eyesore. Done properly it reads as a piece of trim and most visitors never notice it.

When it's the right choice

• Brick, block, concrete and tile, where wires can't go inside the wall.
• Rentals, where cutting the wall isn't allowed.
• Plaster walls and old houses.
• Walls with fire blocks, pipes or ducts in the way.
• When you want the job done fast and reversible.

Choosing the size

Count the cables first: power, one or two HDMI, maybe optical or Ethernet. A power cord with a moulded plug needs a wider channel than people expect.

• A channel roughly 1 to 1.5 inches wide carries a power cord and two or three thin cables.
• Don't cram it. Overfilled covers pop open, and tightly bundled power cables run warmer.
• One wide channel looks better than two narrow ones side by side.

Getting it straight

A cover that's a few degrees off vertical is what makes these look amateur.

1. Hang the TV first, so you know where the cables emerge.
2. Drop a plumb line or use a level from the TV's bottom edge to the outlet or furniture.
3. Mark both edges lightly in pencil.
4. Cut the channel to length with a fine-tooth saw; file the cut end square.

Fixing it to the wall

• Screws hold best — small screws with anchors on drywall, masonry screws on brick.
• Adhesive backing is quick, but can pull paint off when removed and loosens on textured or dusty walls. On brick it barely holds.
• In rentals, a few tiny screw holes are easier to patch than torn paint.

Making it disappear

• Paint it the wall colour. Lightly sand the plastic, prime with a plastic-bonding primer, then two thin coats of the wall paint. This single step makes the biggest difference.
• Run it dead centre under the TV, or hide it along a corner or door frame.
• Keep it short. If furniture sits under the TV, the cover only needs to reach the top of the furniture.
• On brick, some people route it along a mortar line and paint it to match the mortar.

Corners and joints

Use the moulded elbows and couplers that come with the system rather than cutting mitres by eye. Fewer joints look better; buy one piece long enough.

Power cords in a cover

A power cord in a surface raceway on the wall is fine — the restriction is on cords inside the wall. Don't staple cords or pinch them under the lid.

Alternatives on the surface

• Fabric cable sleeves: soft and flexible, but they look like a cable.
• Decorative trim covers shaped like moulding.
• Flat adhesive cable: for speaker wire only.

Installed

Our cord-cover option is $39: cut to length, fixed straight and ready to paint. For drywall where you'd rather see nothing at all, the in-wall kit is $119.