What is a grommet hole?
A hole drilled through the desk top to allow cables (think power cords, computer cables, and other connectors) to pass through the desk surface in a tidy way. You may have heard them called a few other things, like cable or wire management holes.
Grommet holes can gather a number of wires together, so they don’t spread across the desk, and they also prevent wires being crushed at the back of a desk if it is pushed up against a wall. Grommet holes are generally circular or sometimes rectangular and normally positioned near the back or along the edges.
How big are grommet holes?
This depends on how big the desk top is, and also, where you are from. Generally they need to be big enough to allow a plug through, but not too big to waste space. In the UK, our 3 pin plugs can be a little chunky compared to 2 pin plugs. As a result, grommet holes range from about 60mm to 80mm in diameter.
Where to position a grommet hole?
When designing your custom desk top, it’s important to give this some thought (likely something you have never done before!). Some basic things to bear in mind:
- Will the hole clash with the desk frame/legs? Either exposing some or all of the frame underneath (which may not be a big concern) or be located where the desk frame needs to connect to the desk top?
- Cable length. Think about how long your cables are, and if they will reach from the plug socket to the input without pulling or creating tension.
- Use of monitor stands. Some people like to position the grommet hole under the monitor stand, this could be quite a bold choice, and could it cause issues if you wanted to move the stand?
Why use a grommet hole cover?
As useful as grommet holes are, they are still a hole in your solid wood desk top! Covering them over can make the top look much more organised. It can also prevent things from dropping through the desk, and helps stops dust etc from accumulating under the desk.
Covers can be made of all sorts of materials (plastic, chrome etc) and purchased from quite a few places, but if the desk top is solid wood, why not get the grommet hole cover to match?
Purchasing your grommet hole covers at the same time makes sense. The perfect fit, the perfect finish, no hassle or frustration if the wrong size is ordered.
What wood are grommet hole covers made from?
Due to the design, turning these covers using pine is very tricky. Otherwise, the cover will be made using the same wood as your desk top. Pine tops can be fitted with oak or some times maple grommet hole covers, which ever will look best with your chosen pine finish.
Grommet holes are free!
Our partners are happy to drill circular grommet holes of any size free of charge. Just let us know in the Extras section when ordering the desk top.
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