Flush Walls Mounts for Plaster & Drywall - SeeLess

Flush wall mounts for plaster and drywall can be used to get rid of messy hanging cables. Interfaces, power, data, and other cables can be mounted discreetly behind the surface of the wall, providing neat and effective cable management.

There are many handy devices that can be used to hang items on drywall compared to plaster. It is important that you learn how to hang or mount items on your drywall or plaster wall to make decorating your walls simpler and to avoid costly damage when mounting your wireless hubs and interfaces in a smart home.

Plaster versus Drywall

There are a few things to keep in mind before hanging anything on these walls:

• Plaster is harder than drywall
• This makes plaster more brittle than drywall
• Drywall tends to be ½” thick, while the thickness of historic plaster typically ranges from ¾” to slightly over 1”
• Plaster is usually supported by lath (rock lath, metal mesh, or wood) behind it. Drywall has no support.

Because of these differences, the two require different fastening and mounting methods when decorating.

Picture rails for hanging light items

Some homes have a picture rail molding at the top of the wall to protect the walls when hanging things like art, mirrors, pictures, and other things without putting holes in your wall. This picture rail is usually nailed to the studs for stability, with variable height depending on the builder preference, usually about half-a foot from the ceiling. 

You hang your items on long cords to the desired height and then attach small hooks that latch onto the picture rail. You can easily adjust the height and position of light items, anywhere in the room.

Wall mounts for hanging heavy items

Be careful when mounting heavy items on your plaster wall, as any impact - especially from a hammer - can knock plaster loose from the lath, causing it to sag and fall off the wall. Use 2” screws with masonry anchors and drive them in until you hit the lath for better grip on plaster walls.

The process is a bit different on drywall. First, you need to drill a hole that is large enough to squeeze your toggle bolt through when folded down. The toggle screw should also be attached to the item you’re mounting first, and then fed through the hole and tightened to the drywall for a firm hold.