Install In-Wall Stereo Speakers
In-wall stereo speakers are a great option for good sound quality if you don’t have speaker cabinets. When painted to match the room décor, in-wall speakers blend in with the surroundings, giving your home theater a customized look.
Locate any obstructions behind the walls, such as pipes, studs, or wires by drilling a small 1/4-inch hole in the wall and inserting a coat hanger bent to a 90-degree angle. Move the coat hanger inside the wall to feel for any obstructions. If you find any, patch the small hole and find another location.Locate wall studs. In-wall speakers should be installed between wall studs. You can locate the studs by tapping on the wall or using a stud finder.
Use the cut-out template. Most in-wall speakers include a cut-out template. Tape the template to the wall where you want the speaker to be and trace an outline with a pencil. Use a level to make sure the template is properly aligned and straight.Cut the hole. First, drill a 1/2-inch hole in one inside corner of the template. Using a manual drywall saw, cut around all four edges of the cut-out and remove the piece of drywall. Don’t worry about rough edges around the cut; the speaker’s frame will cover them.
Run wires overhead through a floor or ceiling crawlspace.Run wires laterally through the walls.Run wires along the floor, ideally behind the baseboards, and then through the wall and up to the speakers.
From a floor or crawlspace: You will need to drill an access hole through the top or bottom plate of the wall and into the wall.Laterally: When running wires laterally through the walls, cut small holes in the drywall with a utility knife to expose the studs and drill holes in the studs large enough for the wire. The holes in the walls only need to be 1 inch in diameter, or wide enough to expose both sides of the stud.Behind baseboards: Remove the baseboards and cut a channel into the drywall for the wires, then replace the baseboards.
Connect the wires to the speakers.Secure the speaker to the wall. Most in-wall speakers use dog-leg clamps to secure the speaker to the wall. After inserting the speaker in the cut-out, tighten the screws on the front of the speaker. Some speakers have a perimeter clamp, which uses the entire frame to clamp the speaker to the wall.
