How to Mount a TV in Mortar
A television mounted on a wall can be an attractive and convenient setup, particularly for flat-screen televisions. Mounting any TV on most walls can be a challenge, as you must find studs in convenient places for the television to be placed. But mounting on masonry gives you both a stronger connection to the wall and more freedom in television placement. If you don't wish to drill into brick, you can use high-quality mortars for mounting directly into the existing mortar between bricks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Television mount
- Concrete sleeve anchors
- Leveling device
- Pencil
- Marker
- Safety goggles
- Hammer drill
- Masonry bit (same diameter as the anchors)
- Compressed air
- Dry vacuum
- Wrench
Instructions
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1
Ensure that there are sufficient electrical and cable outlets to wire your television in the location that you've chosen. Choose a different location or install additional wall outlets if there are not.
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2
Obtain the necessary supplies; you will need concrete sleeve fasteners that are strong enough to support the weight of a television (1/4-inch anchors should be sufficient for most televisions), as well as a masonry drill bit of matching diameter.
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3
Have a helper hold the mount against the wall. Line up the brackets with mortar junctions; you want to drill in the center of mortar, where bricks come together, as much as possible. Use a leveling device to ensure that the mount is level, then use a pencil to make a horizontal line above the mount to mark that position. Use a marker to make a small dot on the mortar, inside the brackets, to act as drill guides. Put the mount down out of the way.
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4
Put on safety goggles to protect your eyes from flying debris. Use a hammer drill to drill into the mortar on a marked dot; the depth should be slightly greater than the combined length of the anchor and the width of the mount. Use compressed air or a dry vacuum to remove debris from the hole. Drill and clean the other holes where you marked dots in the mortar.
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5
Have a helper hold the mount up to the wall and match the drill holes to the brackets. Ensure that the mount is level by matching it with the horizontal line, then insert the concrete sleeve anchors through each of the brackets. Hand-screw the anchors until the washers are flush against the brackets. Use a wrench to tighten the bolts several times (causing them to expand within the mortar) and securely fasten the mount to the wall. Attach the television to the mount.
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Tips & Warnings
High-quality mortar can handle relatively light mounts, but insufficiently strong mortar will crack and crumble, risking the anchors' coming loose and sending the television to the ground. If you are not completely sure that your mortar can handle the TV's weight, you should mount to brick instead (use the same procedures for drilling into mortar).
References
Resources
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