Mounting and Installation in Cambridge

TVs, shelves, mirrors, blinds and curtain poles, fixed level and into the right anchors for the wall behind them. Most mounting jobs go wrong for one reason: the fixing was never rated for the weight. Getting that part right is the whole job.

What I mount and install

• TV wall mounts — fixed, tilting and full-motion brackets, with cables tidied
• Floating shelves, bracket shelves and alcove shelving
• Mirrors, pictures, canvases and heavy frames
• Blinds, curtain poles, tracks and pelmets
• Coat racks, hooks, key cupboards, noticeboards and radiator covers
• Bathroom fittings — towel rails, toilet roll holders, cabinets and shower rails
• Wall-mounted storage, garage racking and shed shelving
• Anchoring wardrobes, bookcases and chests of drawers to the wall
• Smoke and heat alarms, door chains, numbers and letterplates

Getting it into the wall properly

Cambridge housing stock is a real mix, and what is behind the plaster changes the job completely:

• Solid masonry — brick or block in older terraces and semis. Strongest to fix into, but old lime plaster and soft Victorian brick need care so the face does not blow out.
• Plasterboard on studs — common in newer builds and loft conversions. Anything heavy wants to catch the timber studs; where it cannot, it needs a proper hollow-wall anchor rated for the load, not a plastic plug.
• Dot-and-dab — plasterboard stuck to masonry with a gap behind. This is the one that catches people out: the fixing feels solid, then pulls the board off the wall a month later. It needs a fixing long enough to reach and grip the masonry.

I check what is behind the wall before drilling, and use a detector to avoid cables and pipes. If the wall will not safely take what you want on it, I will tell you before I start rather than after.

TV wall mounting

Bracket fitted level and at the right height for where you actually sit, the TV mounted, and the cables either run behind the wall or tidied into trunking so you are not looking at a bundle of leads. Old bracket taken down and made good if there is one. There is more on this, including how to pick a height, on the TV wall mounting page.

Flat-pack furniture

Wardrobes, beds, desks and units built properly, squared up and packaging cleared away — and anchored to the wall where the instructions call for it. See flat-pack assembly in Cambridge for how that usually works.

Anchoring tall furniture

Tall wardrobes, bookcases and drawer units are a genuine tip-over risk in a house with small children, and the strap in the box only works if it is fixed into something solid. It takes a few minutes as part of another job and is worth asking for while I am there.

What it costs

Most single mounting jobs fall inside the first hour, which includes local travel; time after that is billed in half-hour blocks, with half-day and full-day options if you have a room full of things to go up. Brackets and fixings are charged at cost, or fit your own. Full details on the services page and in the handyman cost guide.

Common questions

Can you mount a TV on a plasterboard wall?

Usually yes. It depends on finding the studs, or using anchors rated for the weight of the screen and bracket together. I will check the wall first and tell you if it is not safe.

Do you supply the bracket?

I can pick one up and charge it at cost with the receipt, or fit the one you have already bought. If you are buying, check it is rated for your screen size and weight, and that it matches the VESA pattern on the back.

Can the cables be hidden inside the wall?

On a stud or dot-and-dab wall, often yes. On solid masonry it means chasing the wall out and making good, which is a bigger job — trunking painted to match the wall is usually the sensible option. Mains cables are a different matter: moving a socket is notifiable electrical work and needs a Part P registered electrician.

Can you put up several things in one visit?

Yes, and it is much better value. Pictures, mirrors, shelves, blinds and curtain poles across a whole house is a classic half-day or full-day booking.