Here’s How You Can Hide Wires in an Exposed Ceiling

Giovanni Valle is a licensed architect and LEED-accredited professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is the author and managing editor of various digital publications, including BuilderSpace, Your Own Architect, and Interiors Place.

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You’re thinking of building a house with an exposed ceiling or maybe you already live in one. Either way, you realized the wires on the ceiling aren’t exactly pretty or safe to look at. So, you’re trying to learn how to hide the wires in your exposed ceiling.

To hide wires in an exposed ceiling, you’ll need creativity. You’ll also need some knowledge of safety concealing the wires to ensure it won’t eventually cause any accidents. One way to hide wires in an exposed ceiling is by pinning them in place and painting them the same color as your ceiling.

This article will talk about how you can hide wires in an exposed ceiling. It will also discuss the trend of exposed ceilings and the types of exposed ceilings.

Hiding Wires in an Exposed Ceiling

Exposed ceilings give your house a rustic look when done right, and it also saves you some money. Without needing to spend on materials and labor to cover your ceiling, you can use that money to hide the wires instead and buy other things to enhance your house.

However, you need to keep in mind that your wires need to follow safety precautions to ensure they won’t cause any accidents even when hidden. This means your wires should not be bare or open. They also need to rest in places that won’t get wet or constant exposure to the elements. If they receive constant elemental exposure, they will easily wear out, and you will need to replace them.

To hide wires in an exposed ceiling, the first thing you need to do is ensure that they are attached to the beams. You can do this by using electrical staples like Gardner Bender metal staples on Amazon. Once all the wires are secured, you can start to creatively hide them by painting them or using cord covers, wooden mounds, or decorative boxes.

You Can Paint the Wires on the Ceiling

If you’re bothered by your ceiling wires poking out in an exposed ceiling, one option is to paint the wires. This boosts your house’s aesthetics without consuming too much money or time. To do this, all you need to do is buy paint that matches your ceiling beam’s color. This camouflages your wires and keeps a simple ceiling.

You may also paint the ceiling beams themselves if you can’t find the shade that matches the beams. You can find paint in your local hardware store or on Amazon. An excellent paint find is Majic Paints, which can coat many surfaces. You’ll notice that most people opt for a white painted ceiling or wooden-colored wires, but you may pick other colors from Majic Paints.

The advantage of painting your ceiling wires or even ceiling beams is that you can choose a uniform color for your ceiling or design it. However, some disadvantages include paint expense and labor fees if you hire someone to do it. There’s also a chance that you won’t like the outcome.

You Can Use Cord Covers for the Ceiling Wires

If you don’t want to paint but still want an easy fix for your exposed ceiling wires, check out some cord covers. You can easily find them on Amazon, and among the general public’s favorites are Cord Cover Raceway Kit, Paintable Cord Concealer, and Cordinate Fabric Cord Cover.

Cord Cover Raceway and Paintable Cord Concealer both come as white sets of cord covers. You can paint them however you want to match your decor, or you can keep them that way for an accented look on your ceiling beams if the beams aren’t white. Meanwhile, Coordinate Fabric Cord Cover adds an aesthetic look to your house. You can choose to either make them camouflage themselves or have them stand out on their own.

If you choose the hard covers, you can place your wires within them by measuring the length you need and cutting the covers accordingly. Then, slide the cover open and simply place the wires inside the covers before sliding them closed again.

If you use the fabric cover, you’ll have better flexibility, which may or may not benefit you, depending on your design idea. You can simply allow the fabric wire covers to hang on the ceiling beams, or you can pin them in place for better security and more organization.

Using cord covers can efficiently and cheaply cover up those exposed ceiling wires. You can easily replace the covers, too, when you get tired of their color or design and pick new ones. Best of all, you can customize the covers themselves to however you want them.

You Can Opt For Wooden Moldings to Hide the Wires

For a more classic look and better camouflaging, you can opt for wooden moldings to hide ceiling wires. You can find wooden moldings in hardware stores, or you can make them yourself. These moldings can act as ceiling beam borders, and no one would know they hide wires.

They’re great alternatives if you don’t want to use plastic or fabric covers. However, they can cost more than buying covers and require more work. You’ll need to attach the wooden moldings to the ceiling beams, and that would take time and some hard work. You can’t easily change the moldings, too, if you come across a point where you want to.

You Can Use Decorative Boxes for Grouped Wires

Decorative boxes work great in covering exposed ceiling wires in groups. You can create a standard square box that will match your ceiling beams, or you can purchase cover plates like Arlington Boxes or Garvin Hole Cover on Amazon. Grouped wires are perfect for ceiling fans and light wires, but you may find that they look good even in places without grouped wires.

When Did the Trend of Exposed Ceilings Start?

Houses with exposed ceilings existed and had been the trend until the 1800s when lumber mills started producing wooden structures by the bulk. By the 1950s, people covered ceilings. By this time, the trend of the exposed ceilings faded, and clean, hidden ceilings were the new ideal.

However, with plenty of options now, such as faux exposed ceilings or even exposing previously hidden ceilings, the trend of exposed ceilings restarted once more by the early 2000s. Two types of exposed ceilings exist: decorative exposed ceilings and actual exposed ceilings.

Actual exposed ceilings rely on the beams to support the house, and no other material covers the ceilings. Meanwhile, decorative ceilings are just as they’re called: decorative. You’ll find that these houses already possess a covered ceiling and simply have additional beams to make it look like an exposed ceiling.

Some people create the exposed ceiling look themselves, but it’s not quite recommended since most people use heavy beams that may cause strain on their ceiling. Meanwhile, others use lighter materials like fiberglass or plastic, and some people contact engineers or architects for advice.

Final Thoughts

You can hide wires in an exposed ceiling by painting the wires or your ceiling beams or using plastic or fabric cord covers, wooden molds, or decorative boxes. However, make sure your wires are safely in place to avoid any accidents.

You can do this by pinning them in place, except when you’re using fabric covers. You can get away with not pinning your wires in that case. Also, remember not to hesitate if you think you need help. Commencing on a do-it-yourself project is great, but ensuring your safety should remain your priority.