How To Hide Under Cabinet Lighting Wires?

In your home, do you have certain rooms that are dark and scary? We’re thinking of kitchens where the main ceiling lighting is blocked by cabinets above the corners and sections of the countertops. How to hide the wires is a concern when installing under cabinet lighting. Wires for under cabinet lighting can be easily hidden, but you should plan ahead before you begin. You still have a few options even if your lighting is already installed.

Related post on how to install recessed lighting with attic access?

Practical, compact, and versatile under cabinet lighting fixtures can remedy this situation. There are some downsides to this lighting style, including the need for an extensive network of wiring. Those can make your kitchen look untidy and messy.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this from happening in the first place. A little bit of planning, preparation, and clever design can help you hide the wiring for your under-cabinet lighting. So that it appears to be a magical effect.

7 Life Hacks On How To Hide Under Cabinet Lighting Wires

  • Choosing the Right Wire
  • Installation of the Wire
  • Placement of the Wire
  • Installing Wooden Valances
  • Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires Inside the Cabinets
  • Using Cable Protectors
  • Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires By Using Clips
  • Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires By Using Channel Strips

Choosing The Right Wires

You should pay close attention to the wiring requirements when choosing the best lighting for your home. There are some who will use lower voltage wires with a thinner gauge and others who will use a thicker wire of 14 gauge. 

The thinner wire will make it easier to hide the wire and easier to bend around corners. When choosing between two fixtures, you can use the wire as the final deciding factor, even if you are torn.

Installation Of The Wire

It depends on where you want to run your wires. You can either run them behind the wall or pop them out just under your cabinet, as described in the next section.

In this case, the wires will be hidden behind the wall and will be less visible. It will be more difficult to hide wires if you are running them through cabinets or from another location. 

Placement Of The Wire

There will be no wires visible if you mount the light fixture in a cabinet and against a wall. Instead of hiding wires, consider how the light projects across your counter and backsplash.

Installing Wooden Valances

Some lighting fixtures have a tendency to hang down a little from the underside of cabinets, which is not ideal if you want to keep the fixture or just the wiring hidden. In this case, you can extend the front of the cabinet by installing a wooden valance on the underside of the cabinet and attaching it with wood adhesive.

For example, if you don’t find a color that matches the rest of your furniture from the start, you can use a stain or paint to get it close. Under the cabinet and behind the valance, secure the wiring with staples or tie-wraps.

Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires Inside The Cabinets

If you’re starting from scratch and have the advantage of foresight to arrange out wherever the wiring goes to travel. You can create necessary cuts into the cupboard wherever you’ll be able to feed the wires so they’re hidden.

Using the end of the light fixture to penetrate the cabinet is a great idea. Across the top of the cabinet, you’ll need to place a wooden plank with a hole and channel cut into it. It will allow you to feed wires from your cabinet into an outlet mounted on the wall. 

You can use a router to create a neat and tidy hole and channel. 
Within the cabinet’s interior, you can insert the wooden plank. You can also use a wooden plank without any openings to cover the completed construction.

You can install crown molding around the entire kitchen, which gives you the chance to hide your wires behind the crown molding as well. So, it is a perfect way to hide wires.

Two options exist when pulling the wires through the cabinet.


1. Go to the cabinet’s back.
2. Go to the cabinet’s front.

You should run the wires down through the front of your vehicle, rather than through the back. These cables will be visible every time you open up the cabinets if they are located in the rear. It’s much easier to hide if you enter from the front of the roof. You can see that the shelves also helped to secure the wire to the cabinet frame without the use of clips.

Using Cable Protectors

One of the quickest and easiest ways to keep unsightly and unattractive wiring for under-cabinet lighting out of the way has been left out. That’s with a cable protector, of course! Alternatively, you can bundle the wiring into a compact bundle, then use tie wraps to keep it in place. 

Staple it to the underside of the cabinet. You’re good to go! Be careful. Try not to pierce the wiring. For the simple reason that it ruins all your hard work. The wiring should be long enough to reach from the lighting fixture to the wall outlet.

In most cases, a cable protector takes the form of a rectangular piece of wood with a length equal to the length of the bundle of secured wiring. Use a router to cut a special groove in the wood so that wire bundles can rest safely and securely without the risk of being pinched by the wood. 

Finally, install the cable protector on top of the bundle of wires on the cabinet’s underside to hide the wiring completely. As long as the cable protector doesn’t match the cabinets, you can also paint or stain it to match or as close as possible to seamless.

Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires By Using Clips

If there’s a gap under the cabinets, you’ll need to pin up the wires. Yet, I do not like the idea of hammering small thin wire staples down into the bottom of cabinets. 

A small nail on the end of the nail clippers is not something I like. Clips like the one pictured to the right that has an adhesive backing are not a bad alternative either, as long as you’re careful. Test different clips and change them if they don’t work for you.

Hiding Under Cabinet Lighting Wires By Using Channel Strips

Cable protectors are useful if you have to run your wires down a wall or somewhere else where they will be very visible. It is possible to find them in a variety of finishes. In contrast, a wire that seldom runs in a straight line is more appealing. The wire is also protected from damages. Avoid this option and find a way to hide your wires behind or inside the cabinets instead. Available in a variety of sizes, these can be easily cut to size.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is It Necessary For Me To Hire An Electrician To Install My Undercabinet Lights?

You can install under cabinet lighting on your own if you have the right tools. If you do decide to install it, make sure to follow all local building codes. If you are an expert on electrical work, there is no need for an electrician. Otherwise, if you are not, you may need an electrician.

Is There A Difference In Installation If I Use LED Or Fluorescent Lights?

No, there is no difference. The process is the same for hiding under cabinet lighting wires.

Conclusion

Wires do not have to be covered. The exposed wire, however, will not be attractive. When installing lighting in your kitchen, it’s best to hide the wire and make the installation look professional.

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