I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently used
area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it might have to
stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but can't find out if
anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that metal trunking used to
protect floor cable runs in an industrial setting. Does anyone know of
anything suitable? The flooring is beech laminate and I don't mind using
either screws or glue to secure a covering strip. Many thanks.

Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow rubber
strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours available appear to
be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of making a possible trip
hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I would prefer something that
would blend in with the decor a bit better, if it exists.

On 05 Jan 2015, "Bert Coules" grunted:

I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently
used area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it
might have to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but
can't find out if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that
metal trunking used to protect floor cable runs in an industrial
setting. Does anyone know of anything suitable? The flooring is
beech laminate and I don't mind using either screws or glue to secure
a covering strip. Many thanks.


Rubber stuff? http://tinyurl.com/qhcmtk8

(or http://www.tlc-
direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Cable_Accessories~Cable_Pro
tection/index.html)

There's also the tried-and-tested bodge of taping it to the floor with a
length of duct tape, lengthwise.

--
David

"Lobster" wrote:

Rubber stuff? http://tinyurl.com/qhcmtk8

Your post and my own follow-up must have happened at almost the same time.
Many thanks for the link: although I would prefer something more stylish and
less obtrusive, that particular product will obviously be fine if a
differently coloured alternative doesn't come to light.

On Monday, January 5, 2015 12:52:06 AM UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
"Lobster" wrote:

Rubber stuff? http://tinyurl.com/qhcmtk8

Your post and my own follow-up must have happened at almost the same time.
Many thanks for the link: although I would prefer something more stylish and
less obtrusive, that particular product will obviously be fine if a
differently coloured alternative doesn't come to light.

They're inevitbaly black and overpriced. Why not cut/route some wood, chopping it into short strips and taping together on the underside.


NT

On Mon, 5 Jan 2015 00:48:25 -0000, Bert Coules wrote:

I appreciate the notion of making a possible trip hazard clearly
visible, ...

Of the two types on the TLC links I was going to suggest that the
second was proably the better choice as the edges are less vertical
and thus less likely to catch a dragging slipper. This type of cable
protection is quite heavy so anything over about 4 or 5' probably
won't need any fixing.

... but for short-term use I would prefer something that would blend in
with the decor a bit better, if it exists.

Find a suitable coloured tape (parcel tape?) and cover it with that?

When you say "not-too-frequently used" what do you mean? Is it not
possible to find a route, maybe froma differnt power source, that
would avoid the possibilty of the cable being walked on. Like
following the skirting and/or going up an over door frames? 1" panel
pins tapped into the top of the architrave at each end will hold a
cable in place.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave, thanks for your reply.

Is it not possible to find a route, maybe
from a different power source, that
would avoid the possibility of the cable being walked on?

If that approach were possible I would adopt it, but unfortunately it is
not. But at least the situation will be reasonably temporary, as I said.

NT wrote:

Why not cut/route some wood...

Having looked at what's available, I'm coming round to exactly that notion.
Thanks.

On Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:37:53 +0000, Bert Coules wrote:

I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently
used area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it
might have to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but
can't find out if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that
metal trunking used to protect floor cable runs in an industrial
setting. Does anyone know of anything suitable? The flooring is beech
laminate and I don't mind using either screws or glue to secure a
covering strip. Many thanks.

Put a rug over it...?

Hmm, I was going to mention that rubber stuff, but I still feel they are a
trip hazard as the edges do sometimes come up an trip you.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Bert Coules" wrote in message
...
Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow
rubber strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours available
appear to be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of making a
possible trip hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I would
prefer something that would blend in with the decor a bit better, if it
exists.

"Adrian" wrote:

Put a rug over it...?

I had considered that, but I'd be a little concerned about even very
occasional foot traffic. I don't know how much protection those rubber
strips afford, but it has to be more than just that given by a mat, surely?

Brian, I take your point: if this was anything other than short-term I
wouldn't consider it. The permanent solution will be to lift the floor and
install a ground-level socket at the appropriate place, but that can't
happen just yet.

On 05/01/2015 00:37, Bert Coules wrote:
I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently
used area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it
might have to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but
can't find out if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that
metal trunking used to protect floor cable runs in an industrial
setting. Does anyone know of anything suitable? The flooring is beech
laminate and I don't mind using either screws or glue to secure a
covering strip. Many thanks.


As you don't mind putting holes in the flooring I assume its going, so
why not route a slot in and drop the cable in. From the bottom if its
easy to lift.

"Dennis@home" wrote:

...why not route a slot in and drop the cable in.

The honest answer is that it struck me as too much hassle for a temporary
solution. But I still might, thanks for the thought.

On Mon, 05 Jan 2015 09:42:09 +0000, Bert Coules wrote:

Put a rug over it...?

I had considered that, but I'd be a little concerned about even very
occasional foot traffic. I don't know how much protection those rubber
strips afford, but it has to be more than just that given by a mat,
surely?

What's your concern? Damage to the cable? Trip hazard?

On 05/01/2015 09:42, Bert Coules wrote:
"Adrian" wrote:

Put a rug over it...?

I had considered that, but I'd be a little concerned about even very
occasional foot traffic. I don't know how much protection those rubber
strips afford, but it has to be more than just that given by a mat, surely?

The rubber strips will provide protection against light wheeled traffic
at a minimum. I have some that will protect against fork lift trucks.

--
Colin Bignell

On 05/01/2015 00:52, Bert Coules wrote:
"Lobster" wrote:

Rubber stuff? http://tinyurl.com/qhcmtk8

Your post and my own follow-up must have happened at almost the same
time. Many thanks for the link: although I would prefer something more
stylish and less obtrusive, ...

Obtrusive is good. It stops people stepping on it or tripping over it.

--
Colin Bignell

On Mon, 5 Jan 2015 09:42:09 -0000, Bert Coules wrote:

Put a rug over it...?

I had considered that, but I'd be a little concerned about even very
occasional foot traffic.

A rug on a laminate floor I'd be wary of being rather slippy.

Rubber matting(*) is the normal method of covering cables in the day
job (TV OBs). But subtle it is not, has to be at least a foot wide or
it won't stay put and/or slide about, also only comes in black.
Single or just a few small (1/4" is dia) cables are just gaffered
down where they cross a walkway.

When when the genset is in use and there are trailing mains cables
here I cover the ones crossing walkways with a square (80 cm?) of
comfort flooring as that is to hand.

It really depends on the traffic and if people actually tread on it,
being dragged up through TV Studios/OB's one is taught not to tread
on cables. B-) Low traffic and not routinely trodden on I think I'd
just gaffer it down, but keep an eye on it for wear/damage.

I don't know how much protection those rubber strips afford, but it has
to be more than just that given by a mat, surely?

The strips are very good, not used on OB's as they aren't big enough
for most TV cables and getting the cable in the slot is fiddly. The
rubber strips are really designed for semi-permenant use. Of course
the real permenant solution is a new circuit...

(*) Similar to:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/general-pu...ng-black/49538

That is 3 mm thick I think the stuff on OB's is a bit heavier, maybe
5 mm overall thickness, with the ribs being 2 to 3 mm deep.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 05/01/2015 00:48, Bert Coules wrote:
Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow
rubber strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours
available appear to be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of
making a possible trip hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I
would prefer something that would blend in with the decor a bit better,
if it exists.

Translucent is available but obscenely expensive for very dubious gain.
I prefer that people can see potential trip hazards clearly. eg

http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/t...able-protector

If it is only temporary then you probably want that stuff and then taped
down with duck tape to avoid it still being a trip hazard.
(bad news is that the adhesive may pull bits of wood up afterwards)

Sooner you have a safe permanent solution the better.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 05/01/15 00:48, Bert Coules wrote:
Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow
rubber strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours
available appear to be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of
making a possible trip hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I
would prefer something that would blend in with the decor a bit better,
if it exists.

Wood plank with a rebate in the bottom for the cable?

"Lobster" wrote in message
22...

There's also the tried-and-tested bodge of taping it to the floor with a
length of duct tape, lengthwise.


Bodge ? I thought this was a solution of choice among all
discerning D-I-Y ers. For an even more sophisticated effect,
if the cable is first run against a straight edge on the floor
and is tacked down at intervals with short bits of sellotape, then
the duct tape can be laid down using the straight edge running
parallel to the cable as a guide. One edge should be
first be stuck down and then the tape can be moulded over the
cable before being sticking down the other edge.

michael adams

....

On Monday, 5 January 2015 00:48:28 UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow rubber
strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours available appear to
be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of making a possible trip
hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I would prefer something that
would blend in with the decor a bit better, if it exists.

Cover the rubber strip with wood effect sticky-back plastic, which you may find in poundland.

Or be cunning and run the wires through a decorative draught-excluder door snake.

Owain

On Monday, January 5, 2015 10:57:46 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 05/01/2015 00:48, Bert Coules wrote:
Since posting the question I've discovered two stockists of a hollow
rubber strip designed for this purpose, though the only colours
available appear to be black and light grey. I appreciate the notion of
making a possible trip hazard clearly visible, but for short-term use I
would prefer something that would blend in with the decor a bit better,
if it exists.

Translucent is available but obscenely expensive for very dubious gain.
I prefer that people can see potential trip hazards clearly. eg

http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/t...able-protector

cheaper than most.
http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/u...able-protector
is even cheaper

If it is only temporary then you probably want that stuff and then taped
down with duck tape to avoid it still being a trip hazard.
(bad news is that the adhesive may pull bits of wood up afterwards)

Sooner you have a safe permanent solution the better.

Don't kid yourself that those rubber strips avoid a trip hazard. They are one, just more visible and legally acceptable.


NT

Bert Coules wrote:
I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently used
area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it might have to
stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but can't find out if
anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that metal trunking used to
protect floor cable runs in an industrial setting. Does anyone know of
anything suitable? The flooring is beech laminate and I don't mind using
either screws or glue to secure a covering strip. Many thanks.

You want stylish? Up to the ceiling, across, down. :-)

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

In article , Bert
Coules wrote:
Brian, I take your point: if this was anything other than short-term I
wouldn't consider it. The permanent solution will be to lift the floor
and install a ground-level socket at the appropriate place, but that
can't happen just yet.

My standby when teaching in a strange venue is masking tape. The buff
coloured 4-ish inch wide stuff might not be too bad to tape down the edges
of your rubber protector. Gives a better edge and not too different from
beechwood.

Can be a sod to remove when you're finished though

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Adrian wrote:

What's your concern? Damage to the cable?

That was it, but on reflection I think that short of spiked stiletto heels
or football boots, cable isn't likely to be damaged in any way by the
pressure of someone stepping on it, is it?

In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently
used area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it
might have to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but
can't find out if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that
metal trunking used to protect floor cable runs in an industrial
setting. Does anyone know of anything suitable? The flooring is
beech laminate and I don't mind using either screws or glue to secure a
covering strip. Many thanks.

I'd get some ribbed rubber matting and just lay it over the cable.

--
*Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Thanks to everyone for the new thoughts. I agree with the general view that
a properly rebated and covered-over cable is the best approach, and that's
what I shall eventually install, but until then I've been given lots of
alternatives to think about.

On Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:50:26 +0000, Bert Coules wrote:

What's your concern? Damage to the cable?

That was it, but on reflection I think that short of spiked stiletto
heels or football boots, cable isn't likely to be damaged in any way by
the pressure of someone stepping on it, is it?

I really wouldn't have expected so. Tripping is far more likely.

In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
Thanks to everyone for the new thoughts. I agree with the general view
that a properly rebated and covered-over cable is the best approach,
and that's what I shall eventually install, but until then I've been
given lots of alternatives to think about.

If it helps, ribbed rubber matting was what we used on location filming to
cover lighting etc cables crossing say a pavement. The cable itself
doesn't really need protection - it's more to force the cable to lay flat
to the ground, so you don't trip over it.

Only trouble is decent ribbed rubber matting isn't cheap.

--
*Do paediatricians play miniature golf on Wednesdays?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently used
area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it might have
to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but can't find out
if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that metal trunking used
to protect floor cable runs in an industrial setting. Does anyone know of
anything suitable? The flooring is beech laminate and I don't mind using
either screws or glue to secure a covering strip. Many thanks.


Duct tape.

Remove the residue later with a solvent cleaner.

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
Adrian wrote:

What's your concern? Damage to the cable?

That was it, but on reflection I think that short of spiked stiletto heels
or football boots, cable isn't likely to be damaged in any way by the
pressure of someone stepping on it, is it?

I know mine have never been. I dont bother to avoid stepping on
it or cover it in any way. And some of them have been there for
decades.

On Mon, 5 Jan 2015 11:58:23 -0000, michael adams wrote:

There's also the tried-and-tested bodge of taping it to the floor
with
a length of duct tape, lengthwise.

Bodge ? I thought this was a solution of choice among all
discerning D-I-Y ers. For an even more sophisticated effect,
if the cable is first run against a straight edge on the floor
and is tacked down at intervals with short bits of sellotape, then
the duct tape can be laid down using the straight edge running
parallel to the cable as a guide. One edge should be
first be stuck down and then the tape can be moulded over the
cable before being sticking down the other edge.

Stuff that for a game of soldiers, you need one of these:

http://www.gaffgun.com/collections/p...oducts/gaffgun

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Monday, January 5, 2015 2:51:42 PM UTC, Phil L wrote:
"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently used
area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it might have
to stay in place for a few weeks. I've searched around but can't find out
if anyone makes a more stylish domestic version of that metal trunking used
to protect floor cable runs in an industrial setting. Does anyone know of
anything suitable? The flooring is beech laminate and I don't mind using
either screws or glue to secure a covering strip. Many thanks.


Duct tape.

Remove the residue later with a solvent cleaner.

Gaffer tape is the same thing but designed to be pulled off things without damage later. But for once I agree with Rod on this. Only once.


NT

On 05/01/2015 20:14, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 5 Jan 2015 11:58:23 -0000, michael adams wrote:

There's also the tried-and-tested bodge of taping it to the floor
with
a length of duct tape, lengthwise.

Bodge ? I thought this was a solution of choice among all
discerning D-I-Y ers. For an even more sophisticated effect,
if the cable is first run against a straight edge on the floor
and is tacked down at intervals with short bits of sellotape, then
the duct tape can be laid down using the straight edge running
parallel to the cable as a guide. One edge should be
first be stuck down and then the tape can be moulded over the
cable before being sticking down the other edge.

Stuff that for a game of soldiers, you need one of these:

http://www.gaffgun.com/collections/p...oducts/gaffgun


A few bits of ply and you can have one.

"Bert Coules" wrote:

I have to run a mains lead for a few feet across a not-too-frequently used
area of the living room floor - a temporary arrangement but it might have
to stay in place for a few weeks.

What about converting that to a piece of no-longer used floor, by putting
something heavy / awkward on it, eg a spare armchair?

--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".

Nightjar cpb@ wrote:

Obtrusive is good. It stops people stepping on it or tripping over it.

In the house of a friend was a half step. People kept tripping. I put a
row of not very bright LEDs along it, powered from a wallwart. Since
then no-one has tripped.

Bill

Jeremy Nicoll wrote:

What about converting that to a piece of no-longer used floor, by putting
something heavy / awkward on it, eg a spare armchair?

Nice idea, thanks, but it's not no-longer-used, it's only-seldom-used, which
isn't quite the same thing.

"Bert Coules" wrote:

Jeremy Nicoll wrote:

What about converting that to a piece of no-longer used floor, by putting
something heavy / awkward on it, eg a spare armchair?

Nice idea, thanks, but it's not no-longer-used, it's only-seldom-used,
which isn't quite the same thing.

But if the user of this bit of floor has to move a chair or table or
whatever because it's covering a cable, they'll know they're doing it and it
should then be safe.

--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".

In message id, Jeremy
Nicoll - news posts writes
"Bert Coules" wrote:

Jeremy Nicoll wrote:

What about converting that to a piece of no-longer used floor, by putting
something heavy / awkward on it, eg a spare armchair?

Nice idea, thanks, but it's not no-longer-used, it's only-seldom-used,
which isn't quite the same thing.

But if the user of this bit of floor has to move a chair or table or
whatever because it's covering a cable, they'll know they're doing it and it
should then be safe.


But it'll just end up getting moved and then not put back.

Personally I'd just gaffer tape it neatly

--
Chris French