Handyman jobs

TV wall mounting, shelves and curtain rods

Anything that hangs on a wall depends on the hole behind it. The right plug in concrete holds a large TV for years; the wrong one in a hollow partition wall can let a loaded shelf drop. Most of the job is knowing which wall you have and drilling it cleanly.

Tell us what needs mounting and where, and we'll pass it to a partner handyman, who quotes, brings the drill and fixings, and puts it up level.

Ask for a quote What’s covered

A TV on a wall bracket above a low cabinet, with a floating shelf, a level and a drill

What tv and wall mounting covers

The usual jobs under this heading. Tick it in the enquiry and describe yours; if it isn’t here, describe it anyway.

TV wall mounting

Fixed, tilting and full-motion brackets for TVs of most sizes, at the height you choose, with cables tidied into a surface trunking channel if you want them out of sight.

Shelves

Floating shelves, bracket shelves and wall cabinets, levelled and fixed with plugs and screws rated for what they'll carry.

Curtain rods and tracks

Rods, ceiling-mounted tracks and double rods for a curtain with a sheer, fixed so they don't sag in the middle.

Blinds

Roller, Venetian and Roman blinds, fitted inside the window frame or above it, with the brackets lined up so the blind runs straight.

Mirrors, frames and art

Heavy mirrors, gallery walls and large frames, hung level and spaced the way you've planned.

Hooks, rails and racks

Coat hooks, towel rails, kitchen rails, bicycle hooks and wall-mounted drying racks.

Bring your own bracket or ask the handyman to bring one. If you're buying it yourself, check its weight rating and the VESA pattern on the back of the TV first.

TV and wall mounting: a small fix or a bigger job?

What this site arranges

A handyman job

Mounting a TV on a bracket
Putting up shelves, rods and blinds
Hanging mirrors and frames
Tidying cables in surface trunking

A wall with its plaster hacked off to the bricks, a bin of debris and new tiles: a renovation — A bigger job

A renovation

Hiding cables inside a solid wall
Building a TV feature wall
Moving power points to a new spot

Chasing cables into a solid wall or building a feature wall is renovation work. Junk to Clear, a renovation and disposal company we refer jobs to, takes renovation enquiries.

What affects the price

We don’t publish prices. The partner handyman quotes once it knows the job. These are the things it will ask about.

What's being mounted, and how heavy it is. A large TV on a full-motion arm needs more fixings than a picture frame.
The wall: concrete, brick, a hollow partition or tiles each need different drill bits and plugs.
How many items there are. Several shelves and rods in one visit usually cost less than separate visits.
Whether you want cables hidden in trunking, and how far they run.
Whether the handyman brings the bracket or you supply it.

Photos that help the quote

The wall, with the area where the item will go.
The item and its bracket, or the TV's model number.
For blinds and rods, the window with its frame and the wall above it.

Keep them on your phone: the handyman may ask for them when it contacts you.

How to prepare, and what happens on the day

Before the visit

Decide on the height and position, and mark it with masking tape so you can see it from the sofa or bed.
Move furniture away from the wall, leaving about a metre to work in.
Have the bracket, rods or blinds unboxed, with every part to hand.
Know where you think pipes and wires run in that wall, if you have the floor plan.

On the day

1 The handyman checks the wall type and scans for pipes and cables before drilling.
2 Positions are marked with a level and agreed with you before the first hole.
3 Holes are drilled with a vacuum or a dust catcher, then plugged and fixed.
4 The item is mounted, checked for level and tested: the TV arm moved, the blind run up and down.

Afterwards

Don't hang more on a shelf or rail than it was fixed for; ask on the day what each one will hold. If you ever take a TV down, keep the bracket's screws in a bag taped to the bracket, so it goes back up with the right ones.

TV and wall mounting in homes and offices

The same job differs between a flat, a landed house and an office. Here’s what changes.

HDB flats

Most HDB walls are reinforced concrete or precast panels, which hold well but are hard to drill. Bedroom partitions in some flats are lighter, and the handyman will check before choosing fixings.

Condos

Condo walls are often drywall partitions, which need hollow-wall anchors or a fix into the studs. Many condos also limit drilling to set hours.

Landed homes

Older landed houses can have brick or plastered walls that crumble around a hole, so the handyman may use longer fixings or chemical anchors.

Offices

Screens in meeting rooms, whiteboards, signage and shelving. Office partitions are usually hollow, and building management may need to approve the work first.

Questions about tv and wall mounting

Can my TV be mounted on a hollow wall?

Often, yes, with the right anchors or by fixing into the frame behind the board. For a large TV on a full-motion arm, the handyman may suggest a fixed bracket instead, or a different wall.

How high should a TV be mounted?

A common guide is to put the middle of the screen at eye level when you're seated. Mark it with tape before the visit and sit down to check.

Can the cables be hidden?

They can run in a slim trunking channel painted to match the wall. Hiding them inside the wall is a bigger job that involves chasing the plaster.

Will drilling damage my tiles?

Tiles can crack if drilled carelessly. The handyman uses a tile bit, tape over the spot and no hammer action until the drill is through the tile.

Ask for a tv and wall mounting quote

Tell us what needs fixing, the property and roughly where it is. It takes a minute, and there's no obligation to book.