Given the recent rise in crime, adding security systems to your home or workplace makes sense. Surveillance cameras not only deter crime but can also serve as evidence in a court of law.
However, some wires may be too visible if you install cameras outside your house. Messy wires can not only be exposed to the elements and potentially harsh weather conditions but also give an element of shabbiness to your exterior design. Moreover, you don’t want intruders to take advantage and snip the electrical wires, putting you and your household at risk.
In this article, we will explore how to hide security camera wires outside your house.
Six Methods for How To Hide Your Security Camera Wires Outside
There are many effective methods through which you can make your surveillance devices look immaculate without affecting the appearance of your house. Some of these include camouflaging the wires, covering them with plastic tubing, and ensuring your wires match the wall color.
The easiest way to hide your wires is to do it when you’re getting your surveillance devices installed. This way, you can avoid the potential hassle of rewiring after the installation job is already done. Our advice is to plan ahead of time.
Camouflaging The Wires
You can do this by either painting the wires, installing a false ceiling, inserting the cables through walls or your roof, or simply adding a few layers of protection. Focusing on the latter won’t just camouflage your wires but also protect them.
Unless you’re an adept electrician, you might have to ask a professional to come in for some of these methods.
Use The Roof And Ceiling
During the installation process, have your electrician drill holes in your wall. Wires can pass through these holes into a power outlet inside your house. This way, you have control over your device, and nobody will be able to damage the power outlet or switch it off.
If you’re installing the cameras at an elevated height, consider using the roofing to hide the cables. Hide the security camera wiring inside the false ceiling of your house by gauging the gap between the original and false ceiling. This is where the wires will go.
Consider hiring a professional to do this because there’s a chance the ceiling might get damaged if not dealt with by experienced hands.
If you don’t like either of these methods, try using the baseboards of your house to your advantage. This method might not work for outdoor cameras, however. You will have to check if the baseboards around your porch can be removed. Once they are, use hooks and electrical tape to neatly fit them inside the gap between the wall and floor.
Although this method might prove a little complex, you can try burying the wires underneath your porch. This is best done during the construction of the house.
If you choose to protect your wires by using the ceiling or the walls, always turn off all power.
Paint The Wires
This might be one of the simplest ways we will suggest. You can paint the wires before you attach them or after. Detachable wires will make the process easy. However, you can also staple them to the wall, and paint over them.
Just make sure the spray paint matches the color of your walls. You can also just get wires that match the paint on your walls. This would eliminate the hassle of painting them.
Use a Plastic Covering
You can hide stray wires inside plastic tubing, and then place these tubings inside the walls. This would offer an extra level of protection from wear and tear.
However, this method might be a little costly because it requires the expertise of a contractor. You will be charged for the installation labor.
This will render the wires inaccessible in the event that repairs are needed.
Get Creative
There’s a lot you can do with porch or patio decorations if you’re in the mood to ditch all the traditional solutions above and get creative with your ideas.
If you have a green thumb you can always install your cameras someplace between hanging plants, vines, and climbers. If you don’t already have plants, you can always invest in some. A bright species you can try out to draw attention from your wires is the golden pothos, which will do well in indirect light.
Not only can this be a chance to hide your surveillance devices, but also to spruce up the exterior of your house! You can even add the camera to a tree.
Invest in Wireless Security Cameras
If you have the funds and don’t want to follow any of the methods above, try purchasing wireless security cameras, especially if you haven’t made up your mind on what kind of security camera to purchase.
This is cost-effective and will save you a headache. And of course, nobody can cut your wires, and no amount of stormy, rainy, or just generally bad weather will have an impact on your security system.
Wireless cameras can be placed anywhere. You don’t need an electrical outlet or to be scared of damaging your cameras through power outages. Even if there is a power outage, your cameras will function as per usual because they’ll be powered with batteries. Replacing batteries will barely take a few seconds of your time.
Some cameras are charged through solar panels too. However, always take the strength of your WiFi signals into consideration.
Where to Install Your Security Cameras?
The location of your camera is as essential as protecting the camera wires.
Consider placing cameras in any locations that provide a clear view of points of entry to your house. This would include the front doors, any back or side doors, and windows. The windows can make for an especially vulnerable spot if they don’t directly face the street.
If your house is located in a quiet area, burglars might be tempted to use obscure windows to break in.
Two more areas you should be vigilant about are balconies and driveways.
Should I Use Wire-Free or Wired Security Cameras?
Wired security cameras boast stronger signals than wire-free ones because they’re connected to the internet using a cable, most likely an ethernet cable.
Wire-free cameras are easier to install, operate, and make changes to. They also make use of cloud-based storage systems. This means you can watch the footage anytime and from anywhere.
However, wire-free cameras need their batteries constantly replaced, are prone to be hacked by outsiders, and require payment for cloud-based storage.
Wired cameras, on the other hand, provide more security and consistency of quality. However, they must be professionally installed and usually aren’t a part of smart home ecosystems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use A Phone As A Security Camera?
Yes, you can. You’ll need to download a third-party app to achieve this. You can download AlfredCamera Home Security. Once you’ve signed up, select which phone will function as the camera and which phone will have access to the footage.
The app has a talk feature that connects both phones in addition to an option that lets you record your stream. It also comes with a motion detection feature.
Can a Home Security Camera Be Hacked?
Yes, home security cameras can be hacked. So can large-scale, professional company cameras.
To prevent this, make sure your cameras come with security encryption. You should also add your own passwords to all your security cameras instead of the default passwords. Use a strong password with a combination of numbers, alphabets, lower and upper casing, and special characters.
How Do You Know If a CCTV Security Camera Is On?
You can do this primarily by checking for the red LED lights inside the camera while it’s dark. If you can see them, the camera is on and probably is equipped for night vision.
Another way is to observe movement. The camera is turned on if it rotates to capture detected motion and will often make a slight buzzing sound.
Conclusion
Security cameras are an absolute necessity for the safety and protection of your family.
There are many approaches for how to hide security camera wires outside, including external tubing, hiding them behind walls or inside false ceilings, or under porches. If you’re just looking to camouflage them, coordinate the wire color with your wall or just paint them.
We hope to have helped you in picking the best option!