Can you mount a TV on brick?

Yes — and when it's done right, a brick wall holds a TV more securely than drywall ever will. The work is just different: different drill, different bits, different anchors, and a different plan for the wires.

What you need

• A hammer drill. A regular drill will burn through bits and barely dent brick.
• Carbide-tipped masonry bits sized to the anchors.
• Masonry anchors — sleeve anchors or wedge anchors are the usual choice for TV brackets. Plastic plugs meant for picture frames are not.

Brick face or mortar joint?

There are two schools of thought, and both are valid:

• Drill the brick for maximum strength. Brick is hard and holds anchors very well. The trade-off: holes in the face are more visible if you remove the TV later.
• Drill the mortar for easy repair. Mortar is softer and simple to patch, but it's weaker and old mortar can crumble. It's fine for lighter TVs with enough anchors; for heavy screens we prefer the brick.

We'll show you where the bracket's holes land and decide together.

Solid brick vs. brick veneer

Many homes have brick veneer — a single layer of brick tied to a wood-framed wall with an air gap behind it. That's fine: the anchors grip the brick itself. Older homes and chimneys may be solid multi-wythe brick, which is even stronger. A test hole tells us which one you have.

Avoid cracked brick

Most cracked bricks come from anchors placed too close to a brick's edge or tightened too hard. Keep holes away from edges and corners, torque anchors to the manufacturer's spec, and never "one more turn" a masonry anchor.

What about the wires?

You can't safely run power inside solid masonry. The clean options are:

• a paintable cord cover running down the wall,
• running cables down to a cabinet or console directly below the TV,
• or, on a brick fireplace with a framed side wall, routing through the drywall next to it.

Fireplace brick

Brick around a fireplace gets warm. Check how hot the wall gets above the firebox before choosing the spot — our fireplace guide explains what's safe.

Brick mounting costs $40 on top of normal labor with us, including the hammer-drilling and anchors.