In this article
Plaster walls — common in pre-1950 houses in Coral Gables, Miami Shores, parts of Los Angeles and older Dallas neighborhoods — are solid, quiet and good-looking. They are also the wall where a stud finder lies to you and a careless drill cracks a foot of finish.
What's behind the plaster
Most older walls are three layers: finish plaster, a thicker base coat, and wooden lath strips nailed across the studs. The studs are real wood — often full-dimension lumber, stronger than today's — but spacing varies (14, 16, 18 inches, sometimes random), and the lath hides them from electronic finders.
The mount matters: go wide
Because studs in old houses are rarely where you want them, pick a mount with a wide wall plate — 24 inches or more — so you can catch two studs anyway. Fixed and tilting mounts are ideal. Full-motion arms are possible into solid studs, but inspect the plaster first: cracked, loose plaster is a warning sign.
| Mount | On plaster | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed, wide plate | ✓ Best | Reaches irregular studs |
| Tilting, wide plate | ✓ | Same, plus angle |
| Full-motion | With care | Only into two solid studs |
| No-stud / drywall anchors | ✗ | Plaster crumbles around them |
Finding the studs
Magnets for lath nails, a deep-scan finder, a small test hole at the top of the planned spot. Step by step: finding studs behind plaster and lath.
Drilling without cracking
- Put painter's tape over each hole location.
- Use a sharp carbide bit, hammer mode off, and let it cut.
- Drill a pilot through plaster, then switch to a wood bit once you hit the stud.
- Lag bolts: 5/16 inch, at least 2.5 inches into the wood — measure the plaster thickness (often 3/4 to 1 inch) and add it.
When the studs are in the wrong place
A painted 1×8 or 3/4-inch plywood backer screwed into two studs lets the TV sit anywhere along it. It looks like a piece of trim and spreads the load.
Knob-and-tube wiring still turns up in some older walls. If a test hole feels like it hits something soft or you see old cloth wiring, stop and have an electrician look before running any cables.
Rather have a pro do it?
Exact price in about a minute — TV size, wall type and cables included. Same-day in most areas, 3-year warranty on every install.
Plaster costs the same as drywall with us — $119 up to 60 inches, $129 up to 85 — and we bring the bits and backers that old walls need.
Gear mentioned in this article
Mounting Dream Fixed TV Wall Mount Low Profile TV Bracket for 42-90 Inch TVFixed bracket: the panel sits flat, closest to the wall.Check price →
PERLESMITH Tilting TV Wall Mount for 23–60 inch TVs up to 115 lbsTilting bracket: angles the screen down when it hangs high.Check price →
Franklin Sensors ProSensor M210 13-Sensor Stud Finder, Live Wire DetectionStud finder: locates the framing behind the drywall.Check price →
Prime-Line 9056277 Hex Lag ScrewsLag bolts for wood studs.Check price →
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