People are often confused about how to mount their TV onto a stucco wall. In fact, many people (wrongfully) believe that TVs can’t be mounted onto Stucco.
However, you’d be surprised to know that the process for mounting a TV onto a Stucco wall is essentially the same as a brick wall.
Quick summary
In this post, we will provide step-by-step instructions you would need to effectively and securely mount your TV onto a Stucco wall.
We will provide a list of all the tools and materials you will need. Additionally, we will also go over some general tips that will make the job easier.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Supplies Needed to Mount a TV onto Stucco
Before we get started with the actual process of installation, it’s a good idea to get all of the tools you will need in one place.
If you do that, then you won’t have to halt the installation process and go look for a certain tool every time you’re about to perform the next step.
The tools you will need to mount a TV onto a Stucco wall are:
- A TV mount: They come in various types and sizes. Make sure that you buy one that can appropriately support the weight of your TV.
- A power drill: Any type of power drill you have can do this job. However, we would suggest a cordless drill that has a hammer function so that you can work unencumbered.
- Masonry drill bits: Masonry bits have tips like chisels and wings that are designed to drill into heavy-duty surfaces such as Stucco.
- A level: This is necessary to ensure that the mount you install for your TV is not crooked in the slightest.
- A pencil or marker: Either one of these or anything else similar would be fine. You just need something that can leave a noticeable enough market on the wall.
- Anchors and/or concrete screws: Both plastic wall anchors, as well as, concrete screws will work fine with Stucco walls. If you have a heavier TV (over 75 pounds) then we recommend concrete screws. If your TV is lighter than that, then plastic wall anchors will be more than enough.
- Driver bit(s) for the anchors or screws: Depending on whether you are working with plastic wall anchors or concrete screws, you will need the appropriate driver bit to properly install them.
- Washers: You may find that the slots and holes on the mounting hardware for the mount may be too large for a screw head. In that case, you will need appropriately-sized washers.
- A tape measure: You will need a tape measure to accurately take note of all of the distances.
- A hammer: You will need this to tap the anchors into the wall.
- A small vacuum: Drilling into a Stucco wall will definitely create a lot of dust. A vacuum can help remove all this dust once you are done with the installation process.
- Safety gear: We recommend that you have a pair of safety goggles as well as a dust mask to ensure that you remain safe throughout the installation process.
- Painter’s tape: You will need this to mark your drill.
Once you have gathered all of these tools, you are ready to start installing the TV mount onto your Stucco wall.
How to Mount a TV onto a Stucco Wall (Step-by-Step Instructions)
With every step of this process, make sure that you read all of the instructions carefully before you take any action.
You don’t want to do irreparable damage to your wall only to find out you’ve made a mistake because of which you can’t mount your TV there.
Let’s get started:
Step 1: Before we do any drilling, you must first choose a location for your TV mount.
It’s a good idea to choose a location that has a lot of space, makes sense for your primary viewing angle, and is close to a power outlet.
Step 2: Once you’ve decided the general location, you need to figure out the exact height at which you want to install the mount.
In general, the center of your TV needs to be at eye level for it to be at an appropriate height. However, you need to take your wall mount into account as well.
For this, attach the TV bracket onto your TV according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Take your tape measure and measure the distance from the wall bracket to the bottom of your TV.
You will need to add this to your TV’s desired height to find the appropriate location for the mounting bracket.
For example, if your TV’s desired height is 42 inches and the distance between the bottom of the TV and the mounting bracket is 8 inches. Then, the appropriate height for the mounting bracket will be 50 inches.
Once you have figured out the appropriate height, you can remove the wall bracket from the TV.
Step 3: Hold up the wall mount against your wall so that its bottom is at the desired height that you calculated in step 2.
Use a level to make sure that wall mount is placed evenly on the wall. Then, use your pencil or marker to mark each location on the wall where a mounting hole needs to be drilled.
Important tip: Depending on the manufacturer and model of your wall mount, it may have several different mounting holes for different sizes of TVs.
Make sure that you only mark the holes that are required to properly attach your TV’s size.
Step 4: Attach the appropriately-sized masonry drill bit for the plastic wall anchors or concrete screws that you purchased.
Mark the drill bit according to a length that is just slightly longer than the plastic anchors or concrete screws that you have. Mark your drill by wrapping a small piece of painter’s tape on that specific point.
If you have a drill that has a hammer function, set it to that. Otherwise, set it to high speed.
Step 5: Place the tip of your drill onto one of the marks that you placed in step 3. Squeeze the trigger slightly to start digging into the Stucco wall.
As it starts to dig in, you can start to increase the drill speed by pulling the trigger with more force. It’s a good idea to occasionally pull the bit out slightly in order to remove the dust from the hole.
Repeat this process for all of the marked locations.
Step 6 (this step is if you are using plastic wall anchors. If you are using concrete screws, skip to step 7): Use your hammer to hammer the plastic wall anchors into place into your drilled holes.
Please note that plastic wall anchors don’t need a ton of force to be flush with the wall. If you are having trouble hammering them in properly, then there’s a chance you may need to clean out some of the dust from the hole.
You can do this by holding up the nozzle of your small vacuum up to the hole.
Step 7: Slide the washers you got onto the concrete screws if needed.
Hold the wall mount in place and insert the screws through it and into the holes that you drilled by hand. Tighten them up by hand as much as you can.
This might be difficult to do alone. Hence, we highly recommend that you get a friend or a family member to help you with this stage of the installation process.
Step 8: After you have turned the screws as much as you can by hand, attach the driver bit to your drill and use it to tighten each screw.
Check the wall mount to ensure that it’s level and then proceed to tighten the rest of the screws with your drill.
Step 9: If you have a two-piece bracket, then you can simply install the TV brackets that are already attached to your TV onto the bracket on the wall.
Many of them have locking mechanisms or bolts. Hence, be sure that you read the instructions provided by the manufacturer to ensure the mount is correctly installed.
If you have a one-piece bracket, then you should ask for help from a friend or family member so that they hold the TV in place while you tighten the screws between the TV bracket and the TV.
Step 10: Make sure to spend some time performing cable management.
The entire point of a TV mount is to give your living room a clean and tidy look. You won’t really achieve that if cables and wires are flinging all about.
Once you mount the TV, attach all of the cables you will regularly use with it.
This might include:
- The power cable
- An HDMI cable
- Any cables connecting to other components such as entertainment centers, game consoles, Blu-ray players, etc.
Once you have all of the cables in place, you can start to think about how to manage them.
The easiest and simple way to do so is to hide them behind furniture such as table-tops.
However, if you want to put some more effort into it, then it can be a good idea to use adhesive hooks or something similar to neatly mount the cables onto the side of the wall.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Much Weight Can a Stud Hold?
It doesn’t depend on the stud but it rather depends on the type of screw you use to hold up the object.
A thin nail can typically hold up to 20 pounds of weight. On the other hand, a coarse threaded screw might be able to hold up to 100 pounds or even more.
Is it Better to Wall Mount Your TV or to Put it on a TV Stand?
It really depends on what your needs are. Neither one is better than the other as both of them have their pros and cons.
TV mounts are more difficult to install but save you a ton of space. On the other hand, TV stands are much easier to install but take up a lot more space.
How High Should I Mount My TV?
Your TV should be mounted so that the center of it is level with your eyes. This can vary a lot depending on your height and the height of your sofa.
The typical height for most people is 42 inches.
Do TV Mounts Have to Go Into Studs?
Not necessarily. Most mounts are designed to fit into studs but you can definitely find one that can just fit into concrete and brick walls without studs.
You can even fit mounts into Drywall without studs by using toggle bolts, hollow wall anchors, or something similar.
How Do I Mount a TV on the Wall Without Damaging the Wall?
There’s no real answer to this except to just work carefully.
When you drill into the wall, start slowly, and once the drill starts to dig in, increase your speed.
If you start off at high speed, you risk making cracks in the wall.
Wrapping Things Up…
So there you go. Mounting a TV onto Stucco is no more difficult than mounting it into a brick or concrete wall.
As long as you have planned it properly and have the correct tools at your disposal, you can definitely install your TV mount securely onto a Stucco wall.
If you have any more questions, please let us know in the comments section below.
Adam F.
A/V and Home Theater Expert that focuses on providing clear as well as concise reviews for anything and everything Audio Visual. From TV's, TV Mounts, Soundbars, and Wiring, my focus is to provide expertise in everything Audio Visual focused.
