- Totally relate to the plaster wall struggle. I tried running ethernet once and ended up with a patchwork of little “oops” spots all over my hallway. At least it’s character, right?
- Mesh WiFi was supposed to be my magic fix too, but my 1920s house just eats signals. Ended up sticking one node in a closet because it was the only spot that worked. Not ideal, but at least I didn’t have to drill through the baseboards again.
- Painter’s caulk is basically my new best friend. I’ve gotten weirdly good at feathering out spackle with an old credit card.
- The vacuum tip is gold. Learned that the hard way after a fine layer of dust coated literally everything in my living room. Still finding it in corners months later.
- I get nervous every time I measure for a new smart switch or camera—like, what if I mess up and have to live with a crooked outlet forever? But honestly, most mistakes are fixable if you’re patient.
Has anyone tried those adhesive cable raceways or surface-mount boxes for smart home stuff? I keep seeing them online but I’m skeptical they’ll actually look decent, especially on textured walls. Or is it just worth biting the bullet and drilling anyway?
Adhesive raceways are a mixed bag, honestly. They’re fine for rentals or if you know you’ll want to move stuff later, but on textured plaster they never really sit flush—always looks a bit “afterthought.” I’ve seen them peel off in humid weather too. If you care about resale or long-term value, clean drilling and patching is usually the way to go. It’s more work upfront, but it pays off when you don’t have plastic strips running everywhere. Just my two cents from dealing with a lot of old houses... sometimes you gotta commit.
Yeah, totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve tried those stick-on raceways in a few places and they never really blend in, especially with older walls. If you’re already running smart home stuff everywhere, might as well do it right and hide the wires for good. It’s more hassle, but looks way cleaner in the end.
If you’re already running smart home stuff everywhere, might as well do it right and hide the wires for good. It’s more hassle, but looks way cleaner in the end.
- Totally agree on the clean look—exposed wires just kill the vibe, especially with period details or textured plaster.
- In-wall runs are a pain, but they really do pay off visually.
- Have you tried painting raceways to match your wall color? Sometimes it helps, but honestly, older walls can make even that look off.
- Curious—are you prioritizing aesthetics over flexibility? Once those wires are in the wall, moving things around later gets tricky...
Hiding wires is definitely the dream, especially if you care about keeping the original vibe of an older place. I’ve spent way too many weekends patching up plaster after fishing cables through, and it’s always a mess—worth it in the end, though, at least visually. For me, aesthetics usually edge out flexibility, but I still try to leave some wiggle room. Sometimes I’ll run conduit behind baseboards or under floorboards, just so I can update things later without tearing into walls again.
Raceways are a mixed bag. Painted ones blend in okay in newer spaces, but on textured or uneven walls? They kind of stand out no matter what you do. Ever tried using fabric cord covers or even wood trim to disguise them? Not perfect, but sometimes it helps if you’re not ready to commit to opening up the walls.
I guess it comes down to how often you plan on changing your setup. If you’re the type who’s always upgrading tech, surface solutions might save your sanity... but if you want that museum-clean look, in-wall is hard to beat.
