Concealing Wires for Camera Security Systems

security camera mounted to the side of the house.
  • 4 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 150
What You'll Need
Staples
Staple gun
Hammer
Staple nails
Paint
Paintbrush
Plastic tube
Putty knife
What You'll Need
Staples
Staple gun
Hammer
Staple nails
Paint
Paintbrush
Plastic tube
Putty knife

If you have a security camera system as protection for your home or business, the last thing you want is to have wires that are easy to locate and cut. That means you will need to conceal the wires. Concealing wires doesn't just deter thieves from cutting them, but also prevents any damage to the wires that could stop the cameras working. Plus, it hides the eyesore of dangling wires. There are a number of solutions and some of them involve bringing in professional help. Other methods can be carried out personally at minimal cost and with just a little bit of work.

Step 1 - Paint the Wires

The simplest way of concealing your camera wires is by camouflaging them. People can still get to them, but they’ll be harder to spot, which can be a big enough deterrent in many cases.

Using a staple gun, you should staple the wire from the camera to the monitor at the corners, either where the ceiling meets the wall or along the top of the baseboard. Keep the wires tight in these areas then paint over them using the same color as the walls. This will make it much harder for people to see the wires and should serve to enhance your camera security.

Step 2 - Behind the Baseboard

attaching baseboard

The least intrusive way of completely hiding the camera wire is to run it behind the baseboard in a room. To do this, you’ll need to gently remove the baseboard (if you’re going to re-use it) in one piece.

Press the wire into the gap between the wall and the floor. Use a putty knife to push the wire in as far as possible to ensure it won’t be trapped by the baseboard edges. When the wires are in place, you can re-attach the baseboard and the wiring will be completely concealed. However, to access the wire in the event of any electrical malfunction, you’ll need to remove the baseboard again.

Step 3 - Plastic Tube

The ideal solution is to run your wiring through a plastic tube through the wall. This offers the best concealment and camera security, as well as protecting the wiring from the elements, rodents, and chewing insects.

The only problem is that this is a very intrusive method and not one you can readily undertake yourself since it will require drilling through studs and then threading the tube and the wire through the wall cavity. This is a particularly permanent method and is most applicable to businesses.

If you choose to do this, you should contact a contractor who specializes in installing security equipment. However, as an alternative, you can run the wire through a tube and secure it where the ceiling meets the wall, using staple nails and a hammer. The tube can then be painted to match the walls.

Step 4 – Wireless Systems

There is one other option that eliminates wires completely for increased camera security and this involves the use of wireless cameras. These tend to be significantly more expensive but have come down a great deal in price in recent times. Wireless cameras are as easy to install as wired cameras.