Hi everone,sometime last year i completed a course to install alarms, not needed probably but i hadnt a clue about them. All we really ever done was a little practical and lots of theory. Im very familar with how all the bits and pieces are installed properly, but the only thing that gets me is routing the cable so well that it is not rarely ever seen. Would any of you have any pics or web sites whom go into detail with how this is achieved, maybe even pictures of installations you have done. Thank's.

If i take a photo of one of my installs you wont see any cables at all

A job well done

A very happy customer as no mess and no cables showing as all under boards or in cav's

Another recomend.

To be honest mate, I don't think you'll get many tips. Not in a nasty way, but alot of these guys have learned to hide cables themselves over a long period of time, and I would be suprised if many of them would be willing to share too many trade secrets with anyone. Alot of it is to do with surveying the planned cable route, from where the cable starts, all the way back to the control panel/end station, and looking for places to hide them. It can be done practically anywhere if you think and plan it properly. If you do a search, there are a few tips knocking about on this site. It does take a while to search through everything, but they are there

Edited June 2, 200520 yr by antinode

Its difficult to explain where or how to hide cables when you you cant see the situation. Generally they can be hidden under floorboards, in wall cavities, in cupboards under the stairs etc. Its not something you can tell someone how to do it, you can only learn it really by doing it or watching and learning.

This is one of the reasons proffesional installers usually spend 3 years in an apprenticeship. You can teach any monkey the theory but hands on experience takes years to learn.

Maybe explain the situation to a local company to you - They may be looking for a trainee although you would get paid buttons initially.

The prob is to train someone up and then have them just leave is a waste of the companies time and money.

Most of the tips and tricks is a self taught thing after installing systems for years.

Main tips are floorboards up, hide cables away from hot pipes and mains cables etc.

Use proper alarm cable. Use proper mains cable to a unswitched fused spare for the mains power to the panel.

When I came over from electrical contracting to the security side of things I was amazed when I saw the lengths engineers went to hiding cables. In the past I would trunk,pipe,tray etc but now its fish and I must admit that I take pride in getting a cable down to a set button on a metal door without using trunking.

On our installs its a last resort to use trunking and most of our work is on commercial sites, So yes its a bit more labour intensive but in my humble opion

well worth the trouble.

You need to spend some time with/watching engineers doing there thing, Its the only way you will learn.

Thanks very much lads for all your replies. At the moment im a Sky engineer(one of the good ones trust me). I do my best each & eveytime to do a good installation, i do everything in my power to hide cables. I have always inspected how an alarm was installed in someones home when i was doing a sky installation on the same premises. But to be honest pulling back peoples carpets, pulling up floor boards seems very extreme or maybe its just cause im not used to it. But surely after doing so much alterations to someones house, it must me near impossible to get floor boards back right & carpet back right too!! Customers hardly allow these actions do they? The reason i ask has anyone any pics is im just trying to gather up as much info as possible on the subject. Thank's.

You'll be amazed at how good you get at relaying carpets and floorboards.

2 tips

Never take up a whole carpet, peel back one end or corner at a time.

Always make a note of which nail/screw came from where in a floorboard, theres quite often a reason a 1 inch screw is being used when everywhere else is 6 inch nails, and you'll find it when you put a 6 inch nail through a pipe or mains cable!!!

Thanks Breff,

Can you tell me what sort of tools i would need. i have a sds drill, lots of screw drivers,snips,crimpers,multimeter,knifes,ladders, motovation! coat hanger! What other essential tools are needed. Im sure you can never fully lift up a floor board, so do you saw/cut them?

paddy i think screwfix would be able to sort you out with tools for pulling boards.