Media Wall Installers in San Francisco Bay Area

median year homes were built

1968

median year homes were built

built in 2000 or later

16.6%

built in 2000 or later

built before 1960

39.7%

built before 1960

single-family homes

57.8%

single-family homes

in buildings with 5+ units

30.2%

in buildings with 5+ units

mobile homes

1.1%

mobile homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area (tables B25035, B25034, B25024)

Common wall types

Plaster over wood framing in older flats and bungalows

Where: San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda neighborhoods.

Mounting: Find studs, pilot-drill, and lag in; avoid hammer mode in plaster.

Post-and-beam Eichler and mid-century homes

Where: San Jose and Sunnyvale tracts built 1950-1962, with radiant heat in the slab.

Mounting: Limited solid wall because of glass and post-and-beam structure; see city notes.

Hillside homes on slopes and cripple walls

Where: East Bay hills, Marin and the Peninsula.

Mounting: Walls may be stepped or lightly braced; mount to studs and avoid unbraced cripple walls.

Concrete and steel condos

Where: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose downtowns.

Mounting: Concrete anchors, surface raceways and HOA rules.

Tips before you mount

• Seismic: anchor the mount into studs or masonry, not drywall, and use a safety strap for TVs on stands or media consoles.
• Hayward fault: the California Earthquake Authority's scenario projects extensive home damage from a Hayward rupture, so anti-tip hardware and strapped consoles are worth the minutes.
• Hillside homes: older homes on slopes can have unbraced or tall posts; do not drill into cripple walls or unbraced posts for a mount.
• Fog belt and bayside salt air: stainless fasteners for outdoor TVs and mounts.
• Eichler and glass-wall homes: check the wall for post and beam location; radiant slab heating means no drilling into the floor, and glass limits wall space.
• Wildfire smoke seasons in the North Bay and East Bay hills affect outdoor setups; use enclosed or covered outdoor TVs.
• For in-wall cable use an in-wall power kit and CL2/CL3 cable.