How do you hide garage door wires?

[icenfire01]

I just in stalled the lift master 8500 and am wondering how some of you secure/hide the wires for the door sensors and cable tension wire. I already have sheetrock up and in hind sight I would have run conduit in the wall but that ship has sailed. I was thinking about mounting the conduit on the outside of the drywall and painting over it but maybe someone has a better idea?

 

[Zeke]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Cut a piece of PVC pipe in half lengthwise and mount it over the wires secured with a couple of straps.

 

[kbs2244]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Wire Mold

Or, on two occasions I have use an old fashioned beer can opener with the pointed end to cut a groove in the dry wall about 1/8 inch deep.
I embedded the wires in the groove and use spackle to smooth it over.
In both cases the end of the groove where the wires came out was hidden by trim.

 

[Gfercaks33]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

You can always fish the wire down the wall, I do it on the daily at work.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Fish it (if at all possible). That's what I intend on doing when I get my 8500's set up.

-Brian

 

[kramarj]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

When at all possible I try to staple wires to the framing around the door. Most door frames have a 2x4 or 2x6 laid flat that the tracks mount to and I staple them to the side of the board where the drywall meets the board. They aren't necessarily hidden, but they are much less noticeable. If you have the correct stapler and make sure your wire is taught as you staple it, nobody should really notice it.

This is just how I do it, since we can't spend all day running wires in the wall when we do an install.

 

[R68GTO]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

I have not done this yet, but my plan is to nail up some painted 1x6 trim board around my opening. Before nailing up I will use a router to put a 1" wide x 1/4" deep groove on the backside to create a wireway.

 

[Marctrees]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Am I off base to ask - Is your life sooo perfect, that just neatly stapled surface mounted wire is not sufficient???

Aren't there other things in your garage that would give a "bang for the buck" a better return on time and attention ?

Theres people living near the Ganges getting their drinking water with dead human bodies floating by.

Be thankful for what you have, and if you want something to worry about, go get a colonoscopy.

I tell you, even though the above sounds quite rude, I have gotten to the point in my life where I am thankful, and have learned not to sweat the small stuff.

My 2 cents worth. Lars

 

[Marctrees]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Please don't think I gave an a--hole response.

I'm just respectfully sayin, go hug your Wife, kids, whatever's the case, instead of being concerned about such a non consequential issue. Lars

 

[kaymccampbell]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Plastic stick-on wire channel from Lowes? Cuts with a pvc pipe cutter or anvil tree pruner. Comes with a whole hatful of corners and connectors. Not real cheap, but VERY convenient and easy.

 

[Notgrownup]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Fish them, out of sight, Dy no mite...

 

[rburke65]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Wow........

 

[dfiler2]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Here are several wire mold options that are paintable. http://www.menards.com/main/landing-pages/vendor/legrand-wiremold/c-14316.htm

Fishing them would be great but in my garage I would have to go up through the double plate then 24' through floor joists. I do kind of like the idea of the routered trim or the groove in the sheet rock though.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to hide the wires from your opener if it bothers you. It really doesn't seem that it is consuming your life or keeping you from enjoying other things in life, actually I can't believe I just spent time referring to a remark by one person who clearly must feel guilty about the amount of time he is not spending with his family by spending time criticizing a post on GJ.

 

[DekeT]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

I tell you, even though the above sounds quite rude, I have gotten to the point in my life where I am thankful, and have learned not to sweat the small stuff.

My 2 cents worth. Lars

I advise a second opinion on that.

 

[icenfire01]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Am I off base to ask - Is your life sooo perfect, that just neatly stapled surface mounted wire is not sufficient???

Aren't there other things in your garage that would give a "bang for the buck" a better return on time and attention ?

Theres people living near the Ganges getting their drinking water with dead human bodies floating by.

Be thankful for what you have, and if you want something to worry about, go get a colonoscopy.

I tell you, even though the above sounds quite rude, I have gotten to the point in my life where I am thankful, and have learned not to sweat the small stuff.

My 2 cents worth. Lars

Ummmmm... Thanks for the suggestions. LOL.

 

[icenfire01]

I guess fishing the wires would look the cleanest and since I have put the celling up yet it would be easy enough to get to. My question is how hard would it be to fish with insulation in the wall already? Seems that would be tricky?

 

[Lassen Forge]

I'd use 1/4 round edge moulding (with the inside corner cut away - you've seen this stuff, I know you have) between the edge of the door and wall all around the door (so it doesn't look lopsided or weird), run your wires through that down to your sensors and that will both hide and protect the wires around the door. Above the mounding, I'd notch the sheetrock, set the wires in the channel and mud over it, refinish and paint, and presto magico...

Or is you wanted to go fishing, you only have to fish to the top of the door, not the bottom...

All in all, I can't see this being much more than a couple hour project, including the time to open the bottle or 2 of cold frosty, plus the trip to the woodstore to get the moulding. Get the right kind, you don't even have to paint it...

I ALMOST FORGOT - while you're running this, run a second wire pair along both channels. Why? You an install a cheapy "doorbell ringer" button on either side of the door, and have a "open sez-me" button next to the door. I did this at the Oakland Garage, and didn't have to search down the remote every time I wanted to open or close the door. You could even hide one outside (maybe in an outdoor outlet box) behind a locl of some sort. You won't realize just how useful and convenient not chasing the remote is...

 

[workhurts]

I stapled to the sides of the wood between the opener and the floor. Then there was a little gap between the concrete footer and where the drywall began. I managed to shove 95% down there and then came up through the wall to the actual wall remote.

 

[icenfire01]

I'd use 1/4 round edge moulding (with the inside corner cut away - you've seen this stuff, I know you have) between the edge of the door and wall all around the door (so it doesn't look lopsided or weird), run your wires through that down to your sensors and that will both hide and protect the wires around the door. Above the mounding, I'd notch the sheetrock, set the wires in the channel and mud over it, refinish and paint, and presto magico...

Or is you wanted to go fishing, you only have to fish to the top of the door, not the bottom...

All in all, I can't see this being much more than a couple hour project, including the time to open the bottle or 2 of cold frosty, plus the trip to the woodstore to get the moulding. Get the right kind, you don't even have to paint it...

I ALMOST FORGOT - while you're running this, run a second wire pair along both channels. Why? You an install a cheapy "doorbell ringer" button on either side of the door, and have a "open sez-me" button next to the door. I did this at the Oakland Garage, and didn't have to search down the remote every time I wanted to open or close the door. You could even hide one outside (maybe in an outdoor outlet box) behind a locl of some sort. You won't realize just how useful and convenient not chasing the remote is...

Yeah I just remembered fishing is out of the question as I put in diagonal cross bracing in the small sections between doors for lateral support.

The 8500 is a pretty sophisticated opener and I don't think a regular doorbell button will open it but I have the keypad on the outside, the wall opener inside and if all else fails the app on my phone (which for better or worse I'm never without) so opening the door shouldn't be a problem.

I am intrigued by the edge molding you were describing, can you explain that a little more? I'm not 100% sure I visualize what you are describing.

 

[Garageguy65]

I am like you. I fished my wires behind the drywall. I like my installs sanitary. To me it shows pride in your work. And nothing wrong with that.

One option if the wires are running beside the garage door trim, like kramarj said staple them tight to the trim..

Another option is to get a stick of quarter round and use that as a hide piece. Imagine a dowel, the dowel is cut into 4 quarters. On the edge where the ends meet at a 90 trim off that piece to give room where the wire would run. See the pic.

Or measure the depth of the trim that the wires will be running along. Grab another piece of wood, someone with a table saw and cut a groove in that wood and hide the wires in that groove .. Kinda like a cap.

Think of a piece of hardwood flooring. T&G. The groove side.

 

[Labradorian]

I just in stalled the lift master 8500 and am wondering how some of you secure/hide the wires for the door sensors and cable tension wire. I already have sheetrock up and in hind sight I would have run conduit in the wall but that ship has sailed. I was thinking about mounting the conduit on the outside of the drywall and painting over it but maybe someone has a better idea?

When I installed my liftmaster 8500 I used...wiremold wire channel. As other members already mentioned. The double sided tape would not stick to plywood walls so I screwed these to the wall. Not sure how well they stick to painted drywall......better I assume.

click on link below...

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/plastic-cordmate-cord-channel-white/911704

 

[rslaback]

Personally surface mounted doesn't bother me in the garage but this thread isn't about me.

I would suggest ghost wire by Sewell as a potential solution. It is a self stick tape that contains two flat strips of copper conductor. It is originally designed to be used for surround sound speakers. Basically you stick the tape on the wall, use their terminal blocks or make your own and then paint the tape and the wall to make it disappear.

 

[icenfire01]

This /\ might be one of the smartest things I've ever seen!!!!

Edit: and pricy too!

 

[chops101]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Please don't think I gave an a--hole response.

I'm just respectfully sayin, go hug your Wife, kids, whatever's the case, instead of being concerned about such a non consequential issue. Lars

How about if, and this is a stretch.... maybe just some of us are quite fully functional and capable of pulling off everything you suggest with the wife, kids, trees, not sweating the small stuff, have perfect cholesterol and zero stress, and still manage to hide garage operator wires?
Just a respectful retort.

 

[workhurts]

mount the hardwired controller exactly next to the 8500.
put a remote one button wireless controller, using double sided tape, wherever you want it.
One at the rolling door in place of the hardwired unit.
one at the man door.
one at your workbench.

Why on earth don't we do this all the time? Makes sense. The only thing my wired controller gives me is temperature and the ability to turn the lights on an off. We need more wireless controllers.

 

[icenfire01]

Why on earth don't we do this all the time? Makes sense. The only thing my wired controller gives me is temperature and the ability to turn the lights on an off. We need more wireless controllers.

I did mount the hard wired controller next to the house door but it does make sense to have an extra wireless remote next to the other doors.

 

[rslaback]

Take it down, move it next to the 8500, and there will be no wires to hide.

Don't you still need to hide the wires down to the IR eyes?

 

[icenfire01]

Don't you still need to hide the wires down to the IR eyes?

Take it down, move it next to the 8500, and there will be no wires to hide.

Actually the wired button is the easiest to hide since I have no ceiling up yet I just ran the wire behind the opener and you only see about 3" between it and where the tin will be.

Yes, the wires for the IR, cable tension and the dead bolt are the one I'm most concerned with as they run the length of the door and just look "untidy" (I know its a first world problem but if your going to do something just as well do it right). Ill get some pics this evening.

 

[icenfire01]

This is my biggest concern area. I know I'll have to shorten up the deadbolt wire.

 

[icenfire01]

Hu
The Powe wire will be relocated once the tin is up and the outlet can be positioned.

 

[OCD]

Re: How do you hide grage door wires?

Is your life sooo perfect, that just neatly stapled surface mounted wire is not sufficient???

Yes...

 

[Matt M PA]

I hit most of my wiring too. I can post pics tomorrow if anyone wants to see. I too wanted the wiring as hidden as possible. My interior is done with hardi-panel so I can just spackle over or the texture would be gone. (It looks kind of like T1-11)

 

[rharman]

I would think any good looking molding that you can dado or route a trough in.

I just tucked my wires close to the trim and then ran them along the backside of the tracks. Not hidden but, basically, out of sight.

 

[Iroc-Z]

In the walls

 

[Iroc-Z]

2nd shot

 

[Doloy]

I don't have a picture handy, but for the wires going down to the eyes I just took a 1/2" piece of conduit and mounted it on the corner of the track with one hole clamps , it matches the color of the track, looks much better than running it on the wood with staples.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Why on earth don't we do this all the time? Makes sense. The only thing my wired controller gives me is temperature and the ability to turn the lights on an off. We need more wireless controllers.

How does your wired controller give you temp? What kind of garage door opener and controller do you have?

 

[dfiler2]

mount the hardwired controller exactly next to the 8500.
put a remote one button wireless controller, using double sided tape, wherever you want it.
One at the rolling door in place of the hardwired unit.
one at the man door.
one at your workbench.

I feel stupid now.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I feel stupid now.

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those who admit it like Mr. dfiler2 they are stupid at times. And those who are silent about being stupid.

 

[cp64]

mount the hardwired controller exactly next to the 8500.
put a remote one button wireless controller, using double sided tape, wherever you want it.
One at the rolling door in place of the hardwired unit.
one at the man door.
one at your workbench.

This is just what I was thinking of doing so no wires to the unit!