The ceiling is a logical place to mount speakers for a home entertainment center.
It is probably safe to say that the least-crowded place in any room is the ceiling area. This is especially true of the room containing a home entertainment center, with its chairs, sofas, cabinets, digital gadgets and tangle of wires. Not only is the unclaimed ceiling territory a practical location for speakers, but it can also result in the presentation of a full sound that is unimpeded by objects in the room.
Instructions
1. Place a speaker face down on paper. Trace the outline of the speaker onto paper. Remove the speaker. Draw a second speaker-shaped pattern inside the first outline, about 1 to 2 inches smaller than the outline. Cut out the smaller pattern.
2. Locate a suitable ceiling location for the speaker by hammering a small nail into the ceiling to make certain no ceiling joists are in the way. Mark the speaker position onto the ceiling by tracing around the paper pattern.
3. Cut out the speaker hole in the ceiling using a drywall saw or utility knife. Insert a stiff wire into the hole and push it all the way toward the closest wall. Drill a 1-inch or smaller hole in the ceiling, near the wall, as close beneath the wire as possible. Remove the wire.
4. Bend a hook or loop in the end of the wire, using pliers. Place the end of the speaker wire into the hook or loop. Feed the speaker wire into the speaker hole, through the ceiling, and to the hole near the wall, using the stiff wire with the hook or loop. Pull the wire out of the loop or hook and down through the hole near the wall, using another wire hook or needlenose pliers. Pull enough wire through that hole to reach the receiver or television. Remove the stiff wire from the ceiling.
5. Staple the speaker wire to the wall, following the corners where the wall meets the ceilin and where two walls meet. Attach the wire to the receiver or television according to the speaker instructions.
6. Cut any extra wire at the speaker hole, leaving 12 to 16 inches of excess wire. Attach the wires to the speaker according to the speaker instructions.
7. Attach the speaker to the ceiling using drywall screws. Press the speaker cover into position.
8. Fill the hole you drilled with plaster joint compound. Allow the plaster to dry overnight. Paint the plaster with touch-up paint.
9. Repeat steps with all speakers.
Tags: hook loop, near wall, speaker hole, speaker wire, stiff wire, wire into