Hiding cords across carpet without a trip hazard
Sometimes a cable has to cross the room: a lamp in the middle of the floor, a desk away from the wall, a TV on the wrong side. Left loose, it’s a trip hazard and it gets kicked, pulled and worn. Here’s how to make it safe and tidy.
1. Plan the shortest, flattest route
Run the cable along walls and furniture for as long as possible, and cross open floor only once, at a right angle to the way people walk. A straight crossing is easier to cover and easier to see.
2. Bundle cables that travel together
If several cables follow the same path, wrap them into one neat bundle with cloth wire harness tape or reusable hook-and-loop ties. One bundle is far easier to cover than three loose cables.
3. Cover the crossing
Lay a carpet cord cover over the section that crosses the floor. A low, flat cover with tapered edges lets feet, chair wheels and vacuums pass over it, and it stops the cable shifting.
- Measure the crossing and cut the cover to length, with a little extra at each end.
- Vacuum the carpet along the route so the cover lies flat.
- Seat the cable in the channel and press the cover down along its length.
What not to do
- Don’t run power cords under rugs or carpet. Hidden cords get crushed and can overheat where nobody can see the damage.
- Don’t cover a cord that’s damaged, warm to the touch, or powering a high-wattage heater.
- Don’t staple or nail through a cable to hold it down.
Shop cable and cord products, from carpet cord covers to wire harness tape.
