Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on mounting my 55" TV on a plaster wall, which I'm pretty sure has a brick column behind it. Our house is from the 1880s, so the walls are plastered all over, making it hard to use a stud finder. I found out after drilling some exploratory holes that there's indeed brick behind the plaster. I suspect it's a brick column going from the basement up to the second floor. I'm a bit nervous about causing any damage to the plaster since I hear it can crack easily (it's horsehair plaster). I didn't see any lathe while drilling, and on the other side of the wall is our shower/tub, but I'm certain there won't be any plumbing where I want to mount the TV. Do I just need a hammer drill and some tapcons to get this up? Anything else I should be aware of? If it seems too risky, I'm open to hiring a handyman for the job. Any tips would be super helpful!
3 Answers
I noticed there might be a picture rail. If you’ve got one, hanging an Art TV from there could be a great alternative. It’ll give you a clean look without drilling into that old plaster and brick.
You’ll definitely want to use masonry bits and some goggles when drilling into brick. Since you confirmed it’s brick, I recommend using sleeve anchors as they provide a strong hold. Honestly, don’t worry about hiring a pro; they’d just use the same method anyway. I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with installers messing things up. Just do it yourself—you got this!
Just a heads up, don’t drill randomly into the chimney if that’s what you’ve found—there could still be venting going on. I’d recommend checking for wood framing around the edges. If you can, mount a decorative board across the span, then attach the TV to that. It'll save you a lot of hassle!