Hang a TV on a brick or concrete wall
This TV is on a plaster wall that has brick behind it
Working in older buildings, many times I’m asked to hang a TV on a brick or cement wall. In brownstones, many times people want to hang a HDTV or flat panel TV over the fireplace. Most of the fireplaces no longer function, being old coal or gas fireplaces. Be sure not to drill holes into the chimney of functioning fireplace. If you’d like to hide the wires, like we did in the top photo, we use plastic raceway molding.
To hang a TV on a brick or cement wall, you will need sleeve or wedge anchors. You could also use lead anchors and lag bolts, but I prefer to use sleeve anchors. You will also need a hammer drill.
Sleeve or Wedge Anchors are best for cement or brick walls
Hammer drills are not that expensive, here’s some drills you can buy online. Or you can ask one of your friends if they have one. You’ll also need masonry bits for a hammer drill, they are also called percussive bits in some places.
Hammer drill and the dust it creates
Hammer drills are loud, so use ear protection, and eye protection is of course an always must have.
Hanging a TV with a HDTV mount is one of those projects that falls into the “if all else fails, read directions” . So read the directions before trying to do this.
Holes drilled in brick plaster wall, note the plastic to catch the dust.
Attach the brackets to the back of the flat panel TV, and attach the wall mount to the TV brackets. Then get two friends to hold the TV up on the wall and find the perfect spot to mount the TV on the wall. Reach behind the TV while on the wall and with a pencil mark where the wall bracket be mounted on the wall.
Be sure the person in charge of the interior of your house is present and has a say in the placement of the TV, because once you hammer drill holes in a cement wall, they’re kind of permanent.
Put the TV down somewhere safe, and take the wall bracket, place it on the wall and line it up with the marks you made. Mark where you are going to drill holes to put in the sleeve anchors. ( see the mount instructions for how many bolts are needed for your tv )
Cover the area where you are going to drill with plastic. Brick or cement dust will come out of the hole you are drilling with the hammer drill. If you have a shop-vac, have a friend hold the hose just below where you are drilling, it will save you a lot of cleaning up.
I usually use 4 inch long 3/8″ sleeve anchors if you are hanging on a plaster wall with brick behind it, and 3 inch long sleeves if its a bare brick or cement wall. After drilling the holes, make sure the nuts are on the ends of the sleeves, and tap the sleeves into the holes.
Don’t hammer the sleeves too far into the wall, you need enough of the threaded end of the sleeve protruding out of the wall to hang the mount. You have the nuts on the end of the sleeves to keep the hammer from damaging the threads of the sleeve while tapping them in.
Wall mount attached with sleeve anchors
Remove the nuts and hang the wall mount on the wall, use washers and tighten down the nuts to secure the wall mount to the wall. Then read the directions again to remember how to hang the TV on the wall mount. Then you’re done.
I just got a 50″ TV and I’m thinking of hanging it on the wall so this was really helpful. Thanks for posting so many pictures with the tutorial.