Unused speaker wires in ceiling. Cover them how?

[Codyboy]

20 years ago I ran speaker wire for a whole house system to connect to the stereo. Complete with volume control in each room

None of this has ever been connected.
The volume control boxes have blanks over them so not an issue.
The issue is the wires hanging out of the ceiling.
The holes in the ceiling are at best 1/2" with the nub of wire poking out.
Trying to prep the house for sale and need those wires covered or closed up.
I bought some round blanks but at 4" it may look gaughty and unattractive not only due to size but they're a whitish translucent plastic with screws.
I couldn't find anything smaller. Was hoping for a 1 inch round plug that I could just pop in the hole so that if ever the new owner wanted to wire the house the wires would be accessible.
However with Bluetooth and wireless the norm these days it would probably never be used.
Which brings me to another option of just push the wire in the hole and spackle and paint.
Which matching the ultra bright white ceiling paint could be difficult as I've had to touch up before. White is not always easy to match. I think I bought 3 cans before I found a similar ok match. Same manufacturer as original SW.

What would you do or use?

 

[cgrutt]

Assuming holes are coming through sheetrock I'd probably use some low voltage frames and a blank plate.

ETA if you have a multitool can pick up an electrical box cutter at HF or big box store and make short work out of it (use a shop vac while cutting holes).

Patching holes up would be cleaner but more time consuming.

 

[aandpdan]

I'd just push them through, spackle and paint as best I could. If it's not perfect don't worry too much about it. Let the new homeowner repaint the entire ceiling if they choose.

 

[Rc_Guy]

20 years ago I ran speaker wire for a whole house system to connect to the stereo. Complete with volume control in each room

None of this has ever been connected.
The volume control boxes have blanks over them so not an issue.
The issue is the wires hanging out of the ceiling.
The holes in the ceiling are at best 1/2" with the nub of wire poking out.
Trying to prep the house for sale and need those wires covered or closed up.
I bought some round blanks but at 4" it may look gaughty and unattractive not only due to size but they're a whitish translucent plastic with screws.
I couldn't find anything smaller. Was hoping for a 1 inch round plug that I could just pop in the hole so that if ever the new owner wanted to wire the house the wires would be accessible.
However with Bluetooth and wireless the norm these days it would probably never be used.
Which brings me to another option of just push the wire in the hole and spackle and paint.
Which matching the ultra bright white ceiling paint could be difficult as I've had to touch up before. White is not always easy to match. I think I bought 3 cans before I found a similar ok match. Same manufacturer as original SW.

What would you do or use?

I would push in spackle and paint but maybe take some measurements of where they are for the new homeowner.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Leave as is and tell the buyer what it is/ what it was meant for. (I would have loved if the previous owner had been there to tell us what certain installations he made did/ were meant to do & how they run. …) Everything I did is documented by photographs & measurements/ and a plan. When and if we sell this property, that will be going to the new owner to do as he/she pleases with.

If you don’t care for that conversation, push in, patch and be done with it.

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[Codyboy]

I'd just push them through, spackle and paint as best I could. If it's not perfect don't worry too much about it. Let the new homeowner repaint the entire ceiling if they choose.

I think that sounds like a plan.

Assuming holes are coming through sheetrock I'd probably use some low voltage frames and a blank plate.

Oof that sounds like a lot of work cutting bigger holes and putting in boxes.
There are probably 20 or so to do.

Every room and bathrooms have at least 2.
Living room is wired for surround sound.

 

[cgrutt]

I think that sounds like a plan.

Oof that sounds like a lot of work cutting bigger holes and putting in boxes.
There are probably 20 or so to do.

Every room and bathrooms have at least 2.
Living room is wired for surround sound.

I edited response easy job with one of these (if you have an oscillating tool) and a shop vac. Spackling and painting is alot of work too choose your poison...

 

[Codyboy]

Leave as is and tell the buyer what it is/ what it was meant for. (I would have loved if the previous owner had been there to tell us what certain installations he made did/ were meant to do & how they run. …) Everything I did is documented by photographs & measurements/ and a plan. When and if we sell this property, that will be going to the new owner to do as he/she pleases with.

If you don’t care for that conversation, push in, patch and be done with it.

Kind regards,
Olli

I could just push the nubs as flush as possible where they're still.somewhat accessible and spackle the larger holes. May have to try a couple out and see if its appealing.
But I agree on going over with the new owners of how things work and what they do. Some things are not typical or custom.

 

[The Cobbler]

push them in , patch the holes and be done. don't confuse the new buyers with something they don't need to be confused with. they are already overwhelmed and don't need more .

 

[rsanter]

Blank switch cover plates
or
look for the plastic plugs that block off the end of tubing, they are available in all sizes but will black so pop them in and paint them

 

[Metal-Marc]

push them in , patch the holes and be done. don't confuse the new buyers with something they don't need to be confused with. they are already overwhelmed and don't need more .

This.

It might raise more questions that don't need to be raised. Keep it simple.

 

[nutjob]

Google pre wire plugs



Kevin

 

[MovingAlong]

20 years ago I ran speaker wire for a whole house system to connect to the stereo. Complete with volume control in each room

None of this has ever been connected.
...
What would you do or use?

Make the wires disappear. If they're only poking through a 1/2" hole, push them back up and spackle only. There are a 1,000 shades of white and usually the spackle is less noticeable than a painted repair anyways.

 

[niget2002]

20 years ago I ran speaker wire for a whole house system to connect to the stereo. Complete with volume control in each room

None of this has ever been connected.
The volume control boxes have blanks over them so not an issue.
The issue is the wires hanging out of the ceiling.
The holes in the ceiling are at best 1/2" with the nub of wire poking out.
Trying to prep the house for sale and need those wires covered or closed up.
I bought some round blanks but at 4" it may look gaughty and unattractive not only due to size but they're a whitish translucent plastic with screws.
I couldn't find anything smaller. Was hoping for a 1 inch round plug that I could just pop in the hole so that if ever the new owner wanted to wire the house the wires would be accessible.
However with Bluetooth and wireless the norm these days it would probably never be used.
Which brings me to another option of just push the wire in the hole and spackle and paint.
Which matching the ultra bright white ceiling paint could be difficult as I've had to touch up before. White is not always easy to match. I think I bought 3 cans before I found a similar ok match. Same manufacturer as original SW.

What would you do or use?

Leave them. It was a selling point when we bought our house. The fact the wires were already there made it easier for me to mount my rears in the living room.

You could get some faceplates with RCA jacks and and surface receptacles and clean it up that way.

 

[PoorUB]

I could just push the nubs as flush as possible where they're still.somewhat accessible and spackle the larger holes. May have to try a couple out and see if its appealing.
But I agree on going over with the new owners of how things work and what they do. Some things are not typical or custom.

Just get rid of the wiring, stuff it up in the ceiling, and spackle over the holes. any wiring coming to a central location I would remove any evidence it was there. Kind of like the three S's. Shoot, shovel and shut up! The new owners don't need to know and don't mention it unless it is too late for that. Plus, the chances that someone is going to want a central wired stereo and speakers in every room as about zero. Today you buy Bluetooth speaker and set them up where ever you want.

 

[CoogarXR]

Just push the wire up and put some spackle in the hole and be done with it. Unless the ceiling is low, nobody will probably even notice it.

I may have said this in another thread, but when I listed my last house for sale, the realtor offered $500 in free handyman work as a perk for choosing her services. I opted to have them repaint my living room. It had some cracks in the textured wall, and they assured me it could be fixed for free. Well, they screwed it up. They just spackled the cracks and made no effort to match the texture. So there were smooth "opposite-of-cracks" (ridges?) everywhere.

And the buyers didn't even notice. So I doubt they'll notice a few small circles on the ceiling.

We notice this **** because we lived there, and know every inch of the place. New buyers probably won't even notice this silly little stuff.

 

[mike93lx]

I would push in spackle and paint but maybe take some measurements of where they are for the new homeowner.

Meh. Wired central audio systems are very 90's

 

[Codyboy]

Meh. Wired central audio systems are very 90's

Yeah or 2006. At the time it would've been fine. My dad postwired his in maybe the 80s. He built triangular speakers to fit in the corners. Pretty cool.
Thanks for all the replies guys.

Push in hole, spackle, paint if necessary.

The On Q box were it was going to be terminated , I removed the wires a few years ago to make room for new tech. So the ends are just laying in the attic alone with the multitude of coax cables for every room and probably 4 or 6 from the soffit that went to the satellite dish.

 

[mike93lx]

Yeah or 2006. At the time it would've been fine. My dad postwired his in maybe the 80s. He built triangular speakers to fit in the corners. Pretty cool.
Thanks for all the replies guys.

Push in hole, spackle, paint if necessary.

The On Q box were it was going to be terminated , I removed the wires a few years ago to make room for new tech. So the ends are just laying in the attic alone with the multitude of coax cables for every room and probably 4 or 6 from the soffit that went to the satellite dish.

My house was built in 2003 and has wiring everywhere for speakers, ethernet and cable. None of it is used.

Today, I'd run some Sonos speakers if I wanted it

 

[Joe Reed]

When I bought my house (2003) I ran wires and installed speakers in the living room. When I removed them I pushed the wires into the ceiling and just squirted some white caulk into the holes. I'm sitting there right now and can't see them.

 

[larry4406]

Most of our new homes have pre-wired audio speakers.

If left as a rough, a ceiling mud ring is installed at the speaker wires, blanked off, and painted to match. Most roughs actually have us install the speakers.

I would mud ring and blank off.

Our portfolio is $1.5-$2M product.

 

[mike93lx]

Most of our new homes have pre-wired audio speakers.

If left as a rough, a ceiling mud ring is installed at the speaker wires, blanked off, and painted to match. Most roughs actually have us install the speakers.

I would mud ring and blank off.

Our portfolio is $1.5-$2M product.

I wonder how much they actually get used

 

[larry4406]

I wonder how much they actually get used

Good question.

I’m involved with our houses 4-6 months post settlement. I would guess that maybe 1/3-1/2 have then up and running when I’ve been there.

Agreed many do it for “future proof” and never use them.

Sales offers roughs, roughs with speaker trim outs, and full sound systems.

Full sound systems are all delivered post settlement so I never see those toys.

 

[drmarkr]

I think that sounds like a plan.

Oof that sounds like a lot of work cutting bigger holes and putting in boxes.
There are probably 20 or so to do.

Every room and bathrooms have at least 2.
Living room is wired for surround sound.

WAY too many to try to blank and cover.

Get out the spackle and paint cards...

 

[CraigStu]

Shove and spackle. When I do a patch like that I spackle and sand smooth. Then I use a small brush to put a heavy layer of paint about the size of the patch. Then I use a 3-4" foam roller to roll that thick spot of paint outward from the center. I try to end up w/ a circle of full thickness paint at the center that fades to nothing at the edge all around. Fading the paint helps hide any mismatch of the shade/color.