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It’s highly recommended to use studs for a TV mount. The last thing you want is to be watching your favorite show when the TV falls off the wall. Studs are much stronger than drywall and quite a bit stronger than drywall anchors but, if you can’t find the studs or there simply aren’t any where you need them, you can use drywall anchors. It’s extremely important to make sure the anchors are rated for the load of the TV. We recommend using anchors that are rated far beyond the weight of whatever you’re hanging. Our suggestion is metal drywall toggle anchors. 

If your home was built before the 1940s and was not remodeled in the past 50 or so years, you probably have plaster walls. Aside from assuming, there are some practical ways to tell if you have plaster walls, including the following: If you knock on the wall and it feels solid, not hollow, if you can’t insert a thumbtack easily, if there are cracks that look like spiderwebs, or if your home has curved, arched, or swirled walls, doorways, or window openings.

If you have an unfinished basement or attic, you could examine the backs of any finished walls to check, too.

The time it takes for thinset to dry is determined by your room’s ambient temperature and humidity levels. Assuming the average humidity level is around 40% with an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, thinset can dry within 48 hours. Lower temperatures and higher humidity can extend the curing process beyond 72 hours, while high heat and zero humidity can shorten the curing process. However, thinset can crack if it dries too fast.

The easiest way to cut holes in drywall for electrical boxes is to use a spiral saw with a drywall router bit. Hang the drywall without cutting out a hole for the box, but make sure you measure and mark where the box is located on the wall. Once you screw in the drywall sheet, drill a small hole into the box void, insert the spiral saw bit, and move it around the edge of the box using the inside wall as a guide. You can also use an oscillating multi-tool with an electrical box cutout for fast, professional results.