Masonry walls - how do I know ?

liz_uk

Have bought a mid terraced 3 storey and OH is wanting to purchase a TV to put on the wall.. They have advised that it should only be hung on a masonry wall if we purchased one for safety reasons.

Now It can`t go on the outside wall as its all windows .. so the only option is the two side walls which is where the houses join to each other.

How do we find out if they are masonry walls and whats the likelyhood ??

richgirl

liz_uk wrote:

Have bought a mid terraced 3 storey and OH is wanting to purchase a TV to put on the wall.. They have advised that it should only be hung on a masonry wall if we purchased one for safety reasons.

Now It can`t go on the outside wall as its all windows .. so the only option is the two side walls which is where the houses join to each other.

How do we find out if they are masonry walls and whats the likelyhood ??

They mean it should be attached to your brick wall and not plasterboard, as plasterboard won't be strong enough to support it, all it means is drilling a little deeper into the brick wall behind the plasterboard

BobProperty

liz_uk wrote:

....How do we find out if they are masonry walls and whats the likelyhood ??

You can tell by knocking on the wall. Brickwork and masonry are hard and solid, plasterboard has a hollow sound. It's not easy explaining it in words, it's so much easier to be shown it (or rather feel and hear it).

bikertim

If you are going to mount it on the wall between two properties in a terrace it will be a brick or block wall 9 inch thick minimum(I'm a brickie)

Sapphire

I have quite a large flat-screen TV mounted in a cupboard that is part of a large bookcase (so that it can be hidden behind doors when not in use, and pulled out when it is switched on).

The wall behind is plasterboard, so obviously the TV could not be mounted directly on that. My carpenter (a very good one) made up a supporting structure at the back from thick pieces of wood that are firmly attached on all sides. It's very solidly done. I think you do need someone who knows what they are doing to assess how your TV can be attached safely to the wall.

FilthyLuka

liz

it may help if you know what sort of age your property is - new build?, 1980's/1960's, pre war, victorian etc

if its pre war or before its most likely to be masonry but it can be masonry even if it were built recently

if you had a survey done when/if you bought the house it should say in there

but as said previously - tapping it to see if there is any 'hollow sound' or not is best - have you hung anything of the walls before?

many houses built today dont have masonry inner skins as sound/fire/structural requirements can be achieved with timberframes

roswell

A drill will answer this question if its red or grey dust after going in 2 inches its brick .... if its white dust / no dust its plaster board. if theres white dust then no dust then red / grey dust its brick wall with plasterboard cladding.

titewad_2

liz_uk wrote:

Now It can`t go on the outside wall as its all windows .. so the only option is the two side walls which is where the houses join to each other.

These are guaranteed 100% to be brick