Work out what your wall is made of
Knock on the wall in a few places. A hollow sound with a little give is almost always plasterboard, known in Spain as pladur: gypsum boards screwed onto metal studs. A dull, solid sound means brick or concrete.
To be sure, drill a small test hole where the bracket will go and look at the dust. Fine white dust is plaster or plasterboard; reddish dust is brick; grey dust that is hard going even with a hammer drill is concrete. If the bit suddenly drops forward, you have hit the cavity of a hollow brick (ladrillo hueco), which is what most internal walls in Madrid are built from.
The right wall plug (taco) for TV wall mounting
- Concrete or solid brick: standard nylon plugs (tacos de nylon) of the size the bracket asks for, with screws that reach the bottom of the hole. This is the strongest option.
- Hollow brick: long universal plugs that open or knot inside the cavity. For large screens or full-motion arms, a chemical anchor with a mesh sleeve (taco químico) is far more secure.
- Plasterboard: metal expansion or toggle anchors (tacos basculantes) that open behind the board. For heavier loads, screw into the metal studs (montantes) or add a timber reinforcement inside the wall.
- Every pack states the load the plug can take in each type of wall. Add the weight of the TV and the bracket together and leave a generous margin.
Choosing a bracket: weight, VESA and type
Check your TV’s weight and its VESA pattern, the distance in millimetres between the four threaded holes on the back (for example 200 x 200 or 400 x 400). The bracket (soporte) must match both.
- Fixed (fijo): sits flat against the wall and puts the least strain on the fixings.
- Tilting (inclinable): angles the screen down a few degrees, handy if it ends up a bit high.
- Full-motion arm (articulado or brazo extensible): swings and pulls out, but acts as a lever on the wall. It needs a strong wall and, on plasterboard, fixing into the studs or a reinforcement.
Height, and what might be inside the wall
As a rule of thumb, the centre of the screen should be roughly at eye level when you are sitting on the sofa. Mounting it high, above a fireplace for instance, means a stiff neck.
Electrical cables usually run straight up, down or sideways from sockets and switches, so avoid drilling directly in line with them. Run a cable and metal detector over the area, and take extra care on walls shared with a kitchen or bathroom, where water pipes run.
Hiding the cables
The quickest fix is a cable cover (canaleta) that sticks or screws on and can be painted to match the wall. With plasterboard, the cables can run inside the cavity, coming out behind the TV and again by the TV unit.
If you want a new socket behind the screen, that is a change to the electrical installation and a job for an electrician. Don’t bury the TV’s power lead or an extension cable inside the wall.
Renting, and when to call a handyman
If you rent, check your contract and ask your landlord in writing before drilling. Holes that aren’t properly filled and painted when you leave can be taken out of your deposit (fianza); our guide Who pays for repairs? explains how it usually works.
Call someone if the wall is plasterboard and the TV is large, if you want a full-motion arm, if you aren’t sure what is behind the wall or you don’t own a hammer drill. We mount the TV, level the bracket and tidy the cables in one visit. Send us a photo of the wall and the TV model and we’ll quote in English with no obligation.