Wall-mounting a TV: fixing it right (plasterboard, brick, concrete) and hiding the cables
A TV on the wall frees the furniture and gives the room a cleaner look. But between the articulating bracket found online and the set on the wall, one question decides everything: what are we drilling into? Plasterboard, solid brick, hollow brick or concrete each take different fixings and a different method. Here is how we go about it, and how to make the cables disappear while we're at it.
The wall decides the fixing
- Plasterboard: the trickiest case. We use metal expansion anchors for hollow walls — the type commonly called "Molly" — aiming for the metal studs behind the board whenever possible. For an articulating arm or a large screen, we reinforce: the anchors work in pull-out, not only in shear.
- Solid brick: the classic Brussels wall. Good universal plugs are enough, properly set in the brick, not in the mortar joint.
- Hollow brick or aerated concrete: a standard plug grips little in a hollow or soft material. This is where chemical anchoring comes in: a mesh sleeve in the drilled hole, resin injected, and the threaded rod set into the whole. Judging by field feedback, it is what holds best in these substrates.
- Concrete: the strongest substrate, which simply takes a suitable drill bit and expansion anchors sized for the load.
For chemical anchoring, we work with ranges such as Fischer's, whose sleeves and resins cover just about every hollow or soft wall case. As always, the client decides based on needs, budget and warranty.
Fixed, tilting or articulating bracket?
The fixed bracket is the most discreet and the least demanding on the wall. The tilting one helps when the set sits high. The articulating one — the arm that pulls out and swivels — is the most practical day to day, but also the most demanding: extended, it acts as a lever, and all the effort lands back on the anchors. That is the case where the fixing choice matters most, and where neither the number of points nor the anchor quality is the place to economise.
Hiding the cables
Three options, from simplest to most integrated:
- Trunking matched to the wall: quick, reversible, and discreet once painted in the wall's colour.
- Routing inside the partition: possible when the wall is plasterboard — the cables drop through the void and come out near the sockets.
- A socket behind the TV: the cleanest solution, planned with an electrician if the point does not exist yet.
How it goes with us
We identify the substrate (plasterboard, brick, concrete), choose the right fixing, mount the bracket level, hang the set and deal with the cables. When the job goes beyond the fixing — a socket to create, walls to repair, a TV unit to assemble in the same visit — we coordinate the whole. For combined jobs, our coordinated services page explains how it works.
Wall by wall: the right fixings
| Wall substrate | Right fixing | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Plasterboard on metal studs | Metal expansion anchors (Molly type), into the studs when possible | Reinforce for an articulating arm |
| Solid brick | Calibrated universal plugs | Anchor in the brick, not in the joint |
| Hollow brick / aerated concrete | Chemical anchoring (sleeve + resin) | The best hold in these substrates |
| Concrete | Sized expansion anchors | Drilling suited to the material |
Frequently asked questions
Will my plasterboard wall hold an articulating arm?
How high should the TV go?
What about the soundbar, console and box?
Do you supply the bracket?
What happens next with Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux
Fixtures & Fittings Services - Benelux mounts TV brackets, shelves and wall units on every substrate in Brussels and the Brabants. For furniture assembly in the same visit, see our furniture assembly page, and for wall fixing in general, installation and mounting.
A photo of the wall and the TV's model number are enough for a first view. Call +32 472 88 08 66 or send them via WhatsApp.
