Installing and Concealing FlatWire

Southwire says that the average consumer can install FlatWire
without the need for any special tools or training. Here's
what you need to install FlatWire:

* A marker
* A spray adhesive
* A plastic squeegee
* A drill or electric screwdriver
* Scissors
* A clamp if installing any FlatWire that requires custom
connectors
* Mesh tape and a concealing compound
* Sandpaper
* Paint

First, measure the distance between the power source and the
respective device. Southwire recommends that you add 8 inches
(20.3 centimeters) to both ends to be on the safe side.

Next, use the marker to draw the path the FlatWire will take.
You may not have a perfectly straight path from the power
source to the device. You can bend FlatWire 90 degrees with
a simple fold. Keep that in mind as you draw the pathway so
that you can keep the folds to a minimum.

If you're installing speaker wire, you'll use the spray
adhesive to attach the FlatWire to the wall. The adhesive
allows you to make adjustments before it tacks. Smooth out
the FlatWire with the squeegee to get rid of any bubbles or
wrinkles. You'll need to mount the anchors or wall boxes with
a drill or electric screwdriver. Now it's time to trim the
end of the FlatWire to the right size. Then you can attach
FlatWire to the appropriate connector or wall box and you're
ready to plug in your devices.

If you're installing a data, video or subwoofer wire, you'll
need to mount your wall boxes first, plug the FlatWire in and
test it, then adjust the length of the wire using the custom
connector. Determine how long the wire will need to be and
use the guide on the custom connector to align the connecter
with the pattern on the wire. Snap the connecter shut to hold
it in place, use a clamp to secure the connector, gently
break the guide away from the connector and cut the wire to
the right length.

Now you can glue the cable to the wall the same way you would
with speaker wire. Then you coat the wire with mesh and then
the concealing compound. Once the compound is dry, you sand
it smooth and then paint over it. Your wires are now
practically invisible.

FlatWire Safety

The thought of bands of copper attached to a wall conducting
electricity might worry some people. How safe is it? What are
the chances it will short out? What happens if after you
accidentally drive a nail through a wire while you're trying
to hang a picture?

The good news is that Southwire has already taken these
issues into consideration while designing FlatWire. Southwire
coats the copper bands in FlatWire with an insulating film
that doesn't conduct electricity. That means FlatWire is safe
to touch even when a current is running through it. The film
acts just like the insulating coating on a normal wire.

If you install FlatWire correctly, it can be safer than
normal wires and cables. Because you can trim FlatWire to the
right length, you don't have to worry about slack coils of
wires and cables. And because you can lay FlatWire almost
flush with any surface, you can avoid creating a tripping
hazard. You can even run FlatWire on your floor and lay
carpet on top of it.

If you were to pierce the FlatWire accidentally while it
conducted electricity, you'd create an electrical short. The
piercing object will cause the ground and neutral layers to
make contact with the hot layer. This causes a short circuit
-- the electrons flowing through the hot layer will flow back
through the neutral and ground layers.

The short circuit immediately trips your home's circuit
breaker and current ceases to flow through the wire. All of
this happens at an incredible speed. From the point of view
of the person putting a nail through an active FlatWire, it's
instantaneous.

At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, Southwire held several
demonstrations showing that driving a nail through the wire
would cause a short and trip a circuit breaker. At the time
of this article, Southwire is awaiting certification from the
Underwriters Laboratory for its 120 VAC electrical FlatWire.
Southwire has secured approval from the National Fire
Protection Association. Low-voltage FlatWire products are
already on the market.