Media Wall Installers in New York
83 companies in 39 cities
Cities in New York
Top Companies in New York
Mattera AV Design
New York, NY
Resolution Audio Video NYC
Brooklyn, NY
Perfect Angle AV Solutions
Huntington, NY
Hey Smart Home
Brooklyn, NY
Primo Home Services
New York, NY
NYC IT Tech
New York, NY
Services in New York
Walls in New York homes: what to know before mounting a TV or building a media wall
New York housing ranges from prewar plaster-and-brick apartments and row houses in New York City to wood-frame houses upstate and on Long Island. Many residents live in large multifamily buildings, where concrete, masonry and metal-stud partitions are common and building rules often decide how and when you can mount a TV.
- median year homes were built
- 1959
- median year homes were built
- built in 2000 or later
- 13.7%
- built in 2000 or later
- built before 1960
- 51.2%
- built before 1960
- single-family homes
- 46.2%
- single-family homes
- in buildings with 5+ units
- 35.3%
- in buildings with 5+ units
- mobile homes
- 2.1%
- mobile homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (tables B25035, B25034, B25024)
Common wall types
Plaster over masonry or wood lath
Where: Prewar apartments and row houses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, and older houses in upstate cities such as Albany, Buffalo and Rochester.
Mounting: Plaster is hard and brittle and can crack or crumble if drilled carelessly. Locate framing first, pre-drill slowly, and use toggle-style anchors where no stud is available. Plaster applied directly to brick calls for masonry anchors.
Brick and solid masonry
Where: Prewar co-ops and condos, brownstones and row houses in NYC; older mill-town housing upstate.
Mounting: Use a hammer drill with a masonry bit and 1/4" concrete screws or sleeve anchors into solid brick, avoiding mortar joints where possible. Old soft brick and mortar can crumble, so test a pilot hole first.
Poured concrete and concrete block
Where: Postwar and newer high-rise condos and rentals, and basement walls in many houses.
Mounting: Needs a hammer drill and concrete anchors. In-wall cable runs are often impossible, so surface raceways are common. Buildings may restrict drilling into structural slabs or columns.
Metal-stud and drywall partitions
Where: Apartment and condo interiors, including many newer or renovated units.
Mounting: Use snap toggles or similar anchors rated for the load, or have wood blocking added behind the drywall for heavier TVs and arms.
Wood-frame walls with drywall
Where: Suburban and upstate single-family houses, Long Island, the Hudson Valley and the Catskills.
Mounting: Studs are typically 16 inches on center. Lag into studs; older houses may have uneven or irregular stud spacing, so confirm with a stud finder.
Fireplaces and stone or brick surrounds
Where: Older houses and some co-ops with decorative fireplaces.
Mounting: Check heat and clearances before mounting above a fireplace. Many NYC apartment fireplaces are decorative or sealed; masonry surrounds need masonry anchors.
Tips before you mount
- Prewar plaster: find studs or masonry first, pre-drill slowly, and use snap toggles or toggle bolts for off-stud points. Plaster over lath often lets a stud finder read inconsistently, so verify with a small pilot hole.
- Lag the mount into at least two studs (usually 16" on center) with 5/16" lag bolts about 2.5" to 3" long; a full-motion arm multiplies leverage on the wall, so it must never hang on drywall anchors alone.
- Solid brick or concrete: use a hammer drill with a carbide masonry bit and 1/4" concrete screws or 3/8" sleeve or wedge anchors, drilling into the brick face or concrete rather than mortar joints where possible. A full-motion arm on masonry should use at least four anchors.
- Metal studs in apartments: use snap toggles rated well above the combined TV and mount weight, or have wood blocking installed behind the drywall during renovation.
- Hiding wires: NEC 400.12 does not allow a regular TV power cord to be concealed inside a wall. Use an in-wall rated recessed power kit, and run CL2- or CL3-rated low-voltage cable for in-wall HDMI and speaker lines. In plaster and masonry walls, in-wall runs are often impractical, so a paintable surface raceway is a common alternative.
- NYC co-ops and condos: read the building's alteration or house rules before scheduling. Many buildings require the installer's certificate of insurance (COI) naming the building, managing agent and sometimes the board as additional insured, and restrict work to approved hours, with notice to the super or management.
- Over a fireplace: check the TV maker's heat limits and measure the surround temperature during use. Heat rises, so a deep mantel or a tilting mount that clears the heat path reduces exposure. Do not hang a large TV on a decorative surround that is not anchored to masonry.
- Before work starts, tell the installer the wall type, the TV size and weight, the mount type and whether the building has rules for contractors. These change the anchors, labor time and price.
Sources: Census Reporter, ACS 2024 1-year: New York (B25035, B25034, B25024) · Fontan Architecture: Alteration agreements in NYC co-op and condo renovations · Brick Underground: The 6 essentials for board approval (COI and insurance). General guidance only — your installer will confirm the right method for your wall.