How to Mount a TV Without Drilling Holes in the Wall

What is the best way to place your TV in the room? You can do it in several ways, but using a TV wall mount is probably the most popular.

However, making holes in the wall can sometimes present a problem.

Some landlords oppose drilling holes and expressly prohibit them in the lease agreement. When renting a house or apartment, you may have no option but to find an alternative way to mount your TV.

Your brick wall may also not be suitable for drilling holes – or you might wish to move the TV at a later date or just not want to make all that mess.

Under those circumstances, finding out how to mount a TV without drilling holes is your best solution.

So, what are your options?

How to Mount a TV Without Drilling Holes

Before going any further, you should be clear on a simple fact.

While there are several ways you could mount a TV without drilling holes in your wall, most are best avoided.

While they may work in theory, in practice, you are in danger of your TV falling off the wall unless you are very careful.

The best ways to mount your TV without damaging your wall in any way are to use the following:

• a floor stand with mount attachment
• a table or cabinet to stand the TV on
• a ceiling mount, if you don’t mind drilling into the ceiling instead of the wall

Failing that, the only way to attach a TV to a drywall or brick wall without making holes is by gluing it in place or using brick clamps.

While you can use adhesives to secure your TV on the wall, these options should only be used as a last resort. 

There will always be a certain level of risk of your TV falling off the wall, so you should only do this if you are prepared to accept the consequences.

Using a dedicated TV wall mount should always be your first choice, and you can even learn how to hide the wires for a wall-mounted TV to make a sleek and professional look.

But, if drilling is not an option, here are eight ways to mount a TV without drilling holes in the wall.

1. Adhesives for Wall Mounting

Some adhesives are specially formulated to adhere to metal, wood or masonry. While these are primarily used for lighter objects like paintings and small mirrors, the stronger adhesives can now support the weight of an average-sized flat-screen TV and wall mount.

Also known as grab adhesives, they are designed to provide high levels of bonding strength with products like “No More Nails” from Henkel, one of the more popular brands worldwide.

Each UniBond No More Nails Click & Fix cartridge produces 20 uniformly sized shots of glue that each fixes up to 44 pounds (20 Kg).

This means that a complete cartridge contains 882 pounds (400 Kg) of adhesive strength. Enough for most TVs.

You even have 10 minutes to reposition the glue before it sets. This means you should ensure that you have measured accurately before gluing the brackets in place.

Ensure the wall is clean for the best results by wiping it down with a brush and damp rag.

Avoid leaving dust or bits of loose plaster in the area where you are attaching the bracket, as it will weaken the bond.

But should you use this method for securing your TV to the wall? Probably not, so only try this at your own risk if you’ve exhausted all other options.

2. Double-sided Mounting Tape

Another option for small TVs is to use heavy-duty double-sided mounting tape.

Gorilla manufactures an extremely strong tape suitable for both rough and smooth surfaces.

Whether you have a brick wall, stone, or wood, their thick padded tape will stick fast, just as long as you ensure that any dust or loose debris is removed before applying the tape.

The tape is resistant to variations in moisture and temperature and can support around 1 pound per 2 inches of tape, which means you can hold up to 30 pounds of deadweight just using the tape.

With the average flat-screen TV weighing less than this, it is certainly possible to support its weight with Gorilla tape.

The Scotch brand of extreme mounting tape is another option that works well and can support up to 30 pounds at 1 pound per 2-inch section.

However, Home Cinema Guide doesn’t recommend you mount your TV this way – even if it is only a small screen – so only try it if you are prepared for the possibility of the TV falling off the wall.

3. Using Adhesive Screws

Adhesive screws are designed for a smooth and rough-surfaced brick or concrete wall.

The mounting is adhered to the wall using epoxy injected into a recess in the back of the mounting plate.

Each small bracket has a threaded bolt that will accept a washer and nut.

This allows you to position them and place a TV bracket over the mounting plate screws.

To attach an adhesive wall mount, clean the surface thoroughly and press the adhesive taped bracket against the wall.

Once it is in place, inject the accompanying glue into the holes. This ensures the cavity behind the mount is filled, and a small amount starts to come out of the top hole.

It usually takes about 12 hours for the glue to fully cure.

Once the glue has cured, you can hang your TV bracket on the wall screws.

Each adhesive mount can support up to 5kg, so at least 4 adhesive wall mounts are required to support an average TV safely.

Like all the adhesive options mentioned here, this isn’t an option you should try unless you have run out of other choices. And even then, you should think twice!

4. Using Brick Clamps

Brick clamps (or brick clips) are designed to fit between the gaps in the bricks.

The clamps have a saw tooth edge at the top and a spring or clip that presses against the lower brick.

The clips can hold about 30 pounds (13kg), so using two or three might support the weight of a small TV.

You must ensure that your bricks have nice straight edges; otherwise, the brick clamps may not hold securely.

There also needs to be enough space between the front edge of the bricks and the mortar.

You’ll find that the minimum distance required is one-eighth of an inch (3.2mm).

Once the clips are in place, you can use them to take the weight of your TV, although you might still need to buy a wall mount bracket that will screw into the VESA mounting holes on the back of your television.

You can then hang this bracket from the brick clips.

Could you use a brick clamp to hang a TV? For a small screen, maybe.

Should you? No, probably not.

5. Use a No-Stud Wall Mount

If you don’t want to drill a hole for a drywall anchor but don’t mind using a nail, you can use a no-stud wall mount secured with small nails.

The no-stud wall mount will still damage the wall, but the holes are much smaller and easier to fill than large drilled holes.

What is a No Stud Wall Mount and How Do You Install It?

Depending on the type of wall you have, no-stud wall mounts are designed for drywalls where there are no wall studs into which you can screw a mounting bracket.

They are an excellent alternative to using a drywall anchor.

These mounts are usually an extended aluminum profile with many nail holes along the top edge. The rail is nailed through the holes using lots of tiny nails that spread the load across the entire length of the rail.

Once the rail is nailed in place, the other half of the wall mount is attached to your TV and then hung on the bracket.

The weight the no-stud wall mount will hold depends on the thickness of your drywall. You can expect it to hold around 1.2 to 1.6 pounds per square foot of drywall.

So, hanging the average small TV is relatively safe on a no-stud wall mount.

Here is a helpful explainer video about no-stud mounts from Mount-It, the popular TV wall mount brand.

For more detail on this, see how to wall mount a TV without studs.

6. Floor TV Stands

If you want to save space and still have your TV close to the wall, using a TV stand will allow you to do this without damaging the wall’s surface.

Depending on the type of stand you purchase, the TV will look like it is attached to the wall, and you’ll have a few shelves to place any additional audio-visual equipment, such as a soundbar.

The TV cords can be hidden inside the stand for a more aesthetically appealing look.

There are various colors, sizes, and materials used in TV stand construction. You can also buy stands with swivel mounts to position the TV exactly where you want it for the best view.

You can see the type of TV stand in this video by Kanto Solutions:

7. TV Cabinet or Table

The easiest option is to place the TV on its stand on a table or TV cabinet.

This may be a little old-fashioned, but it prevents you from having to make holes in the walls or ceiling.

You can buy a dedicated AV cabinet with compartments for your equipment, ventilation holes and cable management features – or simply use a table or desk you already own.

The main thing to consider is getting the TV at the correct height for viewing when sitting down.

Ideally, this should be around eye level because watching a TV that is too high or low for long periods can be uncomfortable.

Like the floor stands mentioned previously, you can buy table-top TV wall mounts to allow for more positioning options.

These stand on the table or cabinet, allowing you to hang the TV like it was secured on the wall.

8. Ceiling TV Mounts

Another alternative is to use a ceiling TV mount. This will require you to drill holes, but not in the wall where it will be more obvious.

These full-motion mounts are attached to the ceiling and secured to the beams or joists in your roof – or directly into the concrete.

You will need to drill holes in your ceiling and accurately locate the joists or beams. The bracket is then attached to the ceiling using extra-long screws, and the TV mounting bracket is connected to an extension arm.

The extension arm can be adjusted for your desired height and viewing angle.

Here is a helpful guide to installing a ceiling TV mount.

Ceiling mounts come with an adjustable TV bracket that allows them to be used for various TV sizes.

Once you have measured the mounting holes on the back of your TV, you can adjust the ceiling mount bracket to fit.

Once the bracket is bolted to the rear of the TV, you attach the TV to the ceiling mount.

This is a 2-person job, as it can be awkward getting everything to line up at eye level when you have the TV in the air.

FAQ: How to Mount a TV on the Wall Without Holes