Drywall vs brick: what changes when you mount a TV

At a glance

Drywall: it's all about the studs

Drywall is a thin panel of gypsum. On its own it isn't built to carry the weight of a TV hanging off the wall, especially a mount that extends. What it hides is the framing: vertical studs, in most homes spaced about 16 inches apart from center to center.

A proper drywall install fastens the mount into those studs, so the weight goes into the structure of the house. That's why every Reno TV Mount install is stud-mounted. A good wall mount has a wide plate so it can reach two studs even when the TV isn't centered between them.

• Finding the studs takes a stud finder and a little checking, since outlets, corners and old patch jobs can fool one.
• Hollow walls are good for wires. The space between studs is where cables can run, which is why in-wall wire concealment is so neat on drywall.
• Plaster is different. Older homes, like many near downtown Reno or on Carson City's west side, may have plaster over wood lath. It is harder, can crack, and makes studs harder to find. Mention it if that's your wall.

Brick and concrete: drilling into masonry

With brick or concrete, there's nothing hollow to find. The holes are drilled into the masonry itself with a hammer drill and the mount is held by anchors designed for masonry. Done right, it's a very solid mount.

• Brick or mortar? Solid brick usually holds better than the mortar joints between bricks, and old mortar can be soft and crumbly. Where the holes land matters.
• It takes longer. We plan about an extra hour for brick or concrete, which is part of why it's +$50.
• Wires are harder. A solid brick wall has no cavity for cables, so hiding them inside isn't always possible.

Stone: veneer or solid?

Stone shows up most around fireplaces, from stacked stone in newer South Reno great rooms to river rock in Tahoe cabins. There are two very different things that look alike:

• Stone veneer is a thin layer of real or manufactured stone attached over a framed wall. Behind it there may be studs and some space.
• Solid stone or full masonry is stone all the way through, typical of older fireplaces and many cabins.

Uneven stone also needs more care to get the mount flat and the TV level. Stone walls are +$75, and like brick, we plan about an extra hour.

Which wall should you choose?

If you have a choice, a drywall wall is quicker, costs less, and makes hiding wires easiest. But the best wall is the one that puts the TV where you'll actually watch it, at a comfortable height. If that's the brick fireplace, that's fine. Check our TV height guide first.