Commercial main contractors and estimators Homeowners plastering, media walls, new rooms

Media walls · Birmingham and the West Midlands

Media walls built like part of the house

A recessed TV, an inset electric fire, shelved alcoves with a strip of warm light. Framed, boarded and skimmed by dry liners who do this for a living, so the corners are sharp, the recess is dead square and the plaster is ready for paint.

What's in a PAT media wall

A media wall is a false wall, usually 150 to 300mm deep, built in front of your existing wall. Everything sits inside it: the TV, the fire, the cables, the lighting. Done well it looks like the room was designed around it. Done badly it looks like a box on the wall. The difference is in the framing and the plastering, which is the bit we do all day on commercial sites.

How we build it

  • Timber or metal frame fixed back to the existing wall and floor, set out with a laser so every recess is square and level.
  • Recesses sized to your exact TV and fire, with a few millimetres of clearance and a route for cables and ventilation.
  • 12.5mm plasterboard with beaded corners, then a full skim finish. No plastic edging, no visible joints.
  • LED channels cut into the board so the light strip sits flush, not stuck on the surface.
  • Floating shelves in alcoves, boarded and skimmed to match the wall.
  • Wall left dry, dust free and ready for a mist coat.
Elevation drawing of a plasterboard media wall with a recessed television, an inset electric fire below it, shelved alcoves either side and LED lighting channelsWALL WIDTH TO SUIT ROOMTV RECESS, 55 TO 85 INFLOOR TO CEILINGTV + FIRELED CHANNEL, WARM WHITEINSET ELECTRIC FIREFLOATING SHELFCABLES CHASED TO SOCKET12.5MM BOARD ON FRAME, SKIMMEDDWG REFPP/MW/05NTSMEDIA WALL ELEVATION
Media wall elevation, TV and fire recessPP/MW/05

Options

Choose what goes in it

Every wall is built to the room. These are the parts people ask for most.

01

Recessed TV

Set flush into the wall on a low profile bracket, sized to your screen from 43 to 85 inches. Cables run inside the wall to a socket behind the TV.

02

Inset electric fire

Wide format electric fires from 40 to 72 inches, built into the wall with the clearance and ventilation the manufacturer asks for.

03

LED lighting

Warm white strip lighting around the TV recess, under shelves or along the top, in a recessed channel with the driver hidden inside the wall.

04

Shelved alcoves

Open alcoves either side with floating shelves, plastered to match, for books, speakers or a soundbar.

05

Panelling and slats

Painted MDF panelling or timber slat panels on the wall face if you want texture rather than flat plaster.

06

Hidden storage

Push to open cupboards in the base for the console, the router and the remote controls nobody wants to look at.

Pricing

What changes the price

Every media wall is a fixed price quote. Four things move it: the size of the wall, whether there's a fire, how much lighting and shelving you want, and the finish on the face.

Send a photo for a price

SizeFloor to ceiling and wall to wall costs more than a feature panel around the TV. Chimney breasts are often the cheapest, because the shape is already there.
FireAn inset electric fire needs a bigger frame, a ventilated recess and usually a new fused spur. Adds a day.
Lighting and shelvesLED channels and floating shelves add framing and finishing time. One strip is quick, five is a day.
FinishSkim ready for paint is standard. Panelling, slats or a stone effect face are extra.
ElectricsNew sockets and spurs are done by a qualified electrician and quoted separately so you can see the cost.

Media wall questions

How long does a media wall take to build?

Most media walls take two to four days on site: a day to frame and board, a day to skim, and drying time before it can be painted. Walls with a fire, lighting and shelving sit at the longer end.

Do you fit the TV and the fire?

We build the recesses to suit the exact TV and fire you choose, run the cable routes and leave the wall plaster finished. Fitting the TV bracket and the fire is included. Any new electrical sockets or spurs are done by a qualified electrician, which we can arrange.

Can a media wall go on any wall?

Almost any. Chimney breasts, plain walls and alcoves all work. We check what the wall is made of and where the cables and pipes run before we quote. A media wall adds around 150 to 300mm of depth to the wall.

What does a media wall cost?

It depends on size, whether there is a fire, how much shelving and lighting you want, and the finish. Send a photo of the wall and the sizes and Paul will give you a fixed price. There is no charge for the quote.

Should I buy the TV and fire first?

Decide on them before we build, because the recesses are cut to their exact sizes. You don't need them on site until the wall is framed. If you're not sure what to buy, tell us the sizes you're thinking of and we'll say what works.

Thinking about a media wall?

Send a photo of the wall and we'll price it.