Why these go wrong
A media wall looks like carpentry and is actually four trades stacked on top of each other in the right order. The cabling has to be run before the boards go on. The recesses have to be set out before the studs are fixed, because a shelf that is thirty millimetres off centre is visible forever. The lighting channel has to be planned before the plaster, not chased in afterwards. And the whole thing has to be dead square, because the eye measures it against the ceiling line every time you walk in.
Get the order wrong and you end up cutting into finished work. That is why we build the whole thing ourselves rather than co-ordinating three people who each blame the one before.
What goes into it
- Set-out agreed with you on the wall before anything is fixed — TV height, recess sizes, fire position
- Timber or metal studwork, fixed square and plumb
- Power, HDMI, aerial and lighting cables run and left accessible
- Fire-rated or moisture-resistant board where the specification calls for it
- Recesses formed with clean, square reveals
- Concealed LED channels set into the plaster line
- Stone, brick-slip or timber slat cladding, or a painted finish
- Electric fire fitted and tested
Electrics
New circuits and consumer unit work are notifiable under Part P and go to a qualified electrician we have worked with for years. Extending an existing spur and running low-voltage lighting we do ourselves. We will tell you which applies to your job at the visit rather than after the wall is closed up.
How long it takes
A typical domestic media wall runs four to six working days from bare wall to finished, plus drying time before decoration. Stone cladding adds a day. If the room is being decorated as well, it makes sense to do both together — see painting and decorating.
What it costs
Starting figures, fixed in writing after a free visit. Materials at trade rates, listed at cost. Full price list.
Questions we get asked about this
How much does a media wall cost?
From £2,900 for a built, plastered, lit and finished wall. The final figure depends on the size, the cladding, how many recesses there are and whether an electrician is needed for notifiable work.
Can you fit the TV and the fire?
Yes. Brackets are fixed to noggins set into the studwork before boarding, so the TV is carried by timber rather than plasterboard. Electric fires are fitted and tested; gas is not something we touch.
Do you supply the fire and the cladding, or do I?
Either. Most customers choose the fire and the cladding themselves and we fit them. If you would rather we sourced them, they go on the quote at cost.
How long does it take?
Four to six working days for a typical domestic wall, plus drying time before decoration. Stone cladding adds about a day.
Will it take a 75-inch TV?
Yes, provided the set-out allows for it and the noggins are placed for that bracket. Bring the model to the visit — the weight and the fixing centres change how the studwork is built.
