What mounting includes
- Studs located and marked before any holes, with the height checked from your seat
- Fixed, tilting and full-motion brackets lagged into framing
- Plaster drilled slowly with the right bit to avoid spidering cracks
- Surface-mounted cord covers painted to the wall if you like
- Soundbars and small shelves hung at the same visit
Ground shaking and older walls
San Gabriel sits close to active faults. The geology section of the City’s Housing Element environmental study says the Raymond Fault is “approximately two miles north of the city,” and with the San Andreas and Sierra Madre faults nearby, “San Gabriel is mainly affected by ground shaking.” A TV fastened into framing stays on the wall in a jolt; one on light hollow-wall anchors may not.
Safety matters well beyond earthquakes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s February 2024 tip-over report found that 17,800 people a year are treated in emergency departments after TV, furniture and appliance tip-overs, which amounts to “a child being treated in an emergency department (ED-treated) every 53 minutes.” Where a TV can’t be anchored, the CPSC advises placing it “on a sturdy, low base.”
Many walls here are plaster over lath; the City’s survey dates most of the housing to the 1920s–1950s. We find framing behind plaster before we drill.
What we don’t do
Running power or a new outlet behind the TV is electrical work, so an electrician handles that. Brick, stone or a fireplace surround above a gas insert gets a careful look first, and we tell you honestly if the spot isn’t a good one.
Tell us about the TV and wall
Text the TV’s screen size, the type of mount you want, and a picture taken from across the room showing the whole wall to (626) 684-3505.
Questions about TV mounts
Will I know before you arrive?
Yes. We send a text as we head over.
What if the wall isn’t what we expected?
We stop and ask before changing the plan. You get the reason and any price difference first.
Do you supply the mount?
Either way. Which mount fits comes down to the set and the wall it’s going on, so we can bring one listed in the quote or hang the one you bought.
What if the TV ends up crooked later?
Let us know. If the mounting isn’t right, we come back and correct it.
Guides for mounting on older walls
- Mounting a TV on an old plaster wallHow we mount TVs on thick plaster and lath walls in older San Gabriel homes, locating studs, protecting plaster and hiding cords.
- Hanging curtain rods, blinds and shelves in thick wallsHow to hang curtain rods, blinds and shelves in the thick plaster walls and deep window reveals of San Gabriel's Mission Revival and adobe-style homes.
- Keeping dishes and furniture in place during an earthquakeHow to keep dishes, glassware and tall furniture in place during an earthquake in an older San Gabriel home, from cabinet latches to wall straps.
This job sits in our mounting, hanging and assembly group. For other repairs, see the services overview, or start with the repair guide for San Gabriel’s older homes.