How to Fix Holes After Removing TV Bracket

A TV bracket leaves a bigger mark than any picture hook. Instead of one neat nail hole, you are usually left with four or more larger holes, sometimes with plastic wall plugs still stuck in the plaster, and often a faint rectangle where the mounting plate sat against the paint.

The good news is that all of this is fixable at home with a few cheap supplies. This guide covers how to take the bracket down safely, deal with the anchors, fill the holes properly so they do not sink or crack, and finish the wall so the repair is hard to spot.

It is part of our wider guide to end of tenancy wall repairs, which is particularly useful if you are moving out of a rented home.

Before you start

Check whether you need to take the bracket down at all. If you are replacing your TV, or putting it back up in the same spot, you may be able to reuse the existing holes and fixings. There is no need to fill holes you are about to use again.

If you rent, check your tenancy agreement. A TV bracket creates larger holes than a picture hook, and landlords are more likely to treat them as damage, especially if permission was never given. Our post on whether a landlord can charge for nail holes explains how this usually works, and our [end of tenancy photo checklist] shows how to document the walls before and after your repairs.

Take photos first. Photograph the wall with the bracket still up, then again once it is down and before you start filling. It is a quick record of what you started with.

What you will need

• A screwdriver or drill with the right bit for your bracket screws
• A second person, to help support the TV
• Pliers, for pulling out stubborn wall plugs
• Filler suitable for larger holes, such as a repair compound or deep-fill product
• A flexible putty knife
• Fine sandpaper or a sanding sponge
• Primer, and touch-up paint matched to your wall
• A dust sheet, damp cloth and small brush or roller
• Self-adhesive mesh patches, for any hole that goes through the plasterboard

Step 1: Take the TV and bracket down safely

TVs are heavy, awkward and easy to damage, so do not try this alone.

1. Switch off and unplug the TV, then disconnect cables and any attached devices.
2. With a second person supporting the TV, release it from the bracket following the manufacturer’s instructions. Most brackets have a release lever or locking screws.
3. Lay the TV screen-down on something soft, such as a duvet.
4. Unscrew the bracket’s wall plate from the wall.

If you are not sure how your bracket releases, check the manual or the maker’s website before you start pulling.

Step 2: Deal with the anchors and plugs

The next step depends on what was holding the bracket to the wall.

• Screws straight into a timber stud. Remove the screws and you are left with holes of a screw’s width. These are the simplest to fill.
• Plastic wall plugs in plaster or brick. Try to pull each plug out with pliers. If it will not come out cleanly, trim it flush with the wall or push it slightly below the surface with a screwdriver so you can fill over it.
• Cavity fixings in plasterboard (such as spring toggles or plasterboard anchors). These are the awkward ones. If the fixing unscrews, take it out and fill the hole left behind. If it will not budge, a common approach is to undo the screw and push or cut the remaining fixing back so it sits below the surface, then fill over it. Be gentle, because yanking cavity fixings out can tear a larger chunk of plasterboard.

Whatever the fixing, clear away any loose plaster, crumbs or dust from each hole before you move on.

Step 3: Fill the holes

Bracket holes are larger and deeper than nail holes, so a single quick dab of filler usually will not do. It shrinks, sinks and leaves a visible dimple.

1. Use the right product. Choose a filler or repair compound that says it is suitable for deeper or larger holes, and check the label for the maximum depth it can fill in one go.
2. Fill in layers. Fill the hole about halfway, let it dry fully, then add a second layer slightly proud of the wall surface. Very deep holes may need a third.
3. Scrape level with a clean putty knife so the filler sits just above the wall.
4. Let it dry properly. The packaging will say how long. Rushing this is the most common cause of visible repairs.

For the basics of filling and finishing, see our guide on how to fill nail holes in a wall, which covers the same technique at a smaller scale.

If the hole goes right through the plasterboard

Sometimes removing a cavity fixing leaves a gap or a ragged opening with nothing behind it for the filler to grip. For small gaps, a self-adhesive mesh patch pressed over the hole, followed by thin layers of compound, gives the filler something to bond to. If you have a bigger hole, or a cluster of holes close together has weakened the plasterboard, see [how to patch a large hole in plasterboard].

If there was in-wall cable routing

If your cables ran behind the wall to a recessed plate or a cutout, you will have a larger opening to close. Treat this as a plasterboard patch rather than a hole fill, and make sure no live wiring is exposed. If you are not sure what is behind the wall, ask a qualified electrician rather than guessing.

Step 4: Sand and prime

Once the filler is completely dry:

1. Sand lightly with fine sandpaper until the patch feels flush when you run a fingertip across it. Do not press hard, or you will create a dip around the repair.
2. Wipe away the dust with a damp cloth and let the area dry.
3. Apply a small amount of primer over each patch. Filler soaks up paint differently from the surrounding wall, and primer stops a dull, patchy finish known as flashing.

Step 5: Paint and hide the outline

Bracket plates often leave a faint rectangle on the paint, either from fading around the edges or because the paint has cured differently under the plate.

• Apply thin coats of matched paint over the filled holes, feathering the edges outward so there is no hard line.
• If the plate left a visible outline, patching just the holes may not hide it. Repainting the whole wall, corner to corner, usually gives the cleanest result because it avoids a patch that does not quite match.
• If you only touch up, test the colour in a hidden spot and let it dry fully before judging, as wet paint looks different.

Our guide to [matching touch-up paint] has more tips if you are not sure of the original colour.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the same filler for every hole. Deeper holes need a deeper-fill product.
• Filling in one thick layer. It will sink and crack.
• Pulling out cavity fixings by force. This tears the plasterboard and turns a small repair into a patch job.
• Skipping primer. The repair often shows through the paint without it.
• Ignoring the outline. A perfect hole repair can still look obvious if a rectangle of different paint remains.

Putting a TV back up next time

If you are moving somewhere new and want your TV mounted securely the first time, the right bracket, the right fixings for your wall type and a stud or solid anchor point make all the difference. It is also the best way to avoid creating a messier set of holes later.

We can help with same day TV mounting and professional wall mounting across Camden, Islington, Hackney, Barnet, Brent, Westminster and Haringey. If you rent, get your landlord’s permission before putting any bracket on the wall.