Mounting a TV on Plaster and Lath in Halifax's Older Homes
South End, North End, the Hydrostone, Dartmouth North: anything built before about 1950 has plaster over wooden lath, sometimes with horsehair mixed in. It is a lovely wall to live with and a bad wall to guess on.
From $149 before HST, pay after the job.
Why stud finders lie on plaster
An electronic finder reads changes in density. Behind plaster the lath strips run horizontally every inch or so, and the finder either sees one long stud or nothing at all. The plaster itself is 3/4 to 1 inch thick, which puts the wood past the range of cheaper finders.
So we use a strong magnet. Lath was nailed to the studs, and the nails line up vertically every 16 inches, sometimes 24 in the oldest houses. Where the magnet grabs in a straight line, there is a stud. A 1/8-inch pilot hole confirms wood an inch behind the surface, and a knock test confirms the edges. Then we mark both edges, not just the middle.
Anchors that hold in plaster
Lag bolts at least 3 inches long, so that after passing through plaster and lath they still bite 1.5 inches of stud. Four of them, in two studs. Heavy-duty snap toggles only as a backup for a bracket hole that cannot reach a stud. Never plastic plugs: plaster crumbles around them and the first tug pulls them out with a cone of wall.
How we avoid cracks
Painter's tape over each mark, a pilot hole first, carbide bit, low speed and no hammer mode. The bracket goes on snug with washers, not crushed; over-torquing is how the plaster keys behind the lath break and a hairline appears a week later. If the plaster is already loose when we knock it, we tell you before drilling and pick a different spot or a backing board.
Wires in a plaster wall
Inside-the-wall is possible for $119, and old balloon-framed houses often have a clear drop between studs. But the lath catches fish tape, and the two openings have to be cut cleanly to avoid chipping. In a heritage room with a visible picture rail, a paintable channel for $49 is sometimes the smarter choice, and we will say which one we would pick in your room.
Balloon framing and old wiring
Many pre-1930 Halifax houses are balloon framed: the studs run from the foundation to the roof in one piece, with no horizontal blocking between floors. Good news for wires, because a cable dropped from behind the TV often falls straight down to the baseboard. Less good news for stud spacing, which drifts from 16 to 18 or 20 inches in older frames, so we find every stud rather than measuring from the last one.
Those same houses can still have knob-and-tube wiring in the walls. Our scanner picks up live wires before we drill, and we keep the bracket holes clear of any run. If we find knob-and-tube in the path of an in-wall cable, we switch to the on-wall channel rather than fish a cable past it.
Price
| Setup | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 43 inch, your mount | $99 + $20 = $119 |
| 44 to 65 inch, your mount | $129 + $20 = $149 |
| 66 to 85 inch, your mount, two of us | $179 + $20 = $199 |
| Patch and fill old mount holes | +$39 |
| Cable channel / in-wall / in-wall with power kit | $49 / $119 / $219 |
| Tilt / full-motion mount from us | +$79 / +$119 |
Example: 55 inch in a North End living room, your mount, wires in a channel, $129 + $20 + $49 = $198. Prices before HST.
Or text a photo of the wall to 782-446-6322 for an exact price in minutes. No deposit, you pay after the job.
Questions we get about this
Will the plaster crack?
Not with pilot holes, a sharp carbide bit and no hammer mode. Cracks come from hammer drilling and over-tightening, and we do neither. If a section is already loose, we tell you and choose a sound spot.
What about horsehair plaster?
Same method, more dust. Horsehair plaster is softer and the fibres make a mess, so we drill under the vacuum and wear masks. The lags still go into the studs, and the studs are what hold the TV.
Any heritage-house restrictions?
Halifax heritage designations cover exteriors, not where you hang a TV inside. Heritage condo conversions sometimes have their own bylaws about drilling shared walls; check yours.
Can you fill the old holes from a previous mount?
Yes, $39. We fill plaster holes with setting compound, not spackle, so they do not sink, and we leave them ready for paint.
Ready?
Or text a photo of the wall to 782-446-6322 for an exact price in minutes. No deposit, you pay after the job.