Mounting a TV on tile, crack-free
Tile is only the skin of the wall. It isn't what holds your TV — the studs or masonry behind it do that. The job is to get through the tile cleanly and then anchor into something solid.
Know your tile
- Ceramic is softer and drills fairly easily with a carbide or diamond bit.
- Porcelain is much harder and more brittle. It needs a diamond bit and patience.
- Natural stone (marble, travertine, slate) varies; soft stones chip, hard ones behave like porcelain.
- Glass tile is the least forgiving and sometimes not worth drilling at all.
Technique that prevents cracks
- No hammer action on the tile itself. Hammer mode is what shatters it.
- Diamond bit, slow speed, light pressure. Let the bit grind.
- Keep it cool. A wet sponge or a little water at the hole stops the bit from overheating.
- Stop the bit from wandering with painter's tape or a drilling guide.
- Drill the tile hole slightly larger than the bolt, so the bolt never presses on the tile edge when tightened.
- Once through the tile, switch bits for what's behind it: a wood bit for studs, a masonry bit for block or concrete.
Where to put the holes
Stay away from tile edges and corners when you can; the middle of a tile is strongest. Grout lines are tempting because they're soft, but a hole in the grout puts pressure on two tile edges at once. With large-format tile it's usually possible to land every hole well inside a tile.
Don't crush the tile
Tile often sits over a thin layer of mortar with tiny voids. If the bracket is clamped hard against an uneven surface, the tile can crack later. We snug the bolts firmly rather than as tight as possible, and use spacers behind the bracket when the surface isn't flat.
Wires on a tiled wall
Cutting tile for in-wall plates is possible but risky after the wall is finished. Most people choose a slim cord cover or route cables to a cabinet below.
If a tile does crack
It's rare with the right bit, but it can happen with tile that was already stressed. Having a few spare tiles from the original install is the best insurance — check the garage or attic before the job.
Tile mounting is $30 on top of labor with us, which covers the diamond bits and the slower drilling.