Before plaster, shelves and electric fires go anywhere near your living room, you need a rock-steady frame. Get the media wall stud work right and the rest slots into place like Lego bricks. Mess it up and even the best finish will crack. Below is the framing method we use every week at Media Wall Master — from timber picks to the last noggin.
1. Gear You’ll Need
- 38 × 89 mm kiln-dried CLS studs (3.6 m lengths)
- 100 mm concrete screws or sleeve anchors (for masonry)
- 75 mm wood screws (star drive)
- Pocket-hole jig or angle brackets
- Spirit level, laser level and square
- Flexible 50 mm conduit for cables
- Construction adhesive
Which CLS Timber Size Should You Use — and How Deep Will the Wall Be?
For most media walls, 38 × 89 mm C16 CLS is the right stud. It gives roughly a 102 mm finished depth once a 12.5 mm board goes on — deep enough to hide cables, brackets and an LED driver without eating the room. Step up to 38 × 140 mm only when a fire cassette or a deep recess genuinely needs the space.
| CLS section | Finished depth with 12.5 mm board | Where it suits a media wall |
|---|---|---|
| 38 × 63 mm | approx. 76 mm | Slim walls carrying a TV, cabling and shallow shelving only |
| 38 × 89 mm | approx. 102 mm | The default on almost every build we do |
| 50 × 100 mm | approx. 113 mm | Where the studs also carry heavy floating shelves or a very large TV |
| 38 × 140 mm | approx. 153 mm | Deep recesses, or where a fire cassette has to sit inside the frame |
Those are the sections UK merchants stock as standard. CLS is planed all round, so the figure on the label is the size you actually measure on site — set your centres from that, not from a nominal “4 by 2”. Grade matters too: C16 is the usual pick for internal framing, with C24 where loads are higher or studs sit at wider centres.
Dan’s tip: Check the depth of your fire cassette before you order timber. It is the one component that dictates stud size, and swapping 89 mm studs for 140 mm after the plates are down means starting the frame again.
2. Mark Out the Footprint
Tape out the TV, sound bar and integrated electric fireplace if you plan to add one. Use a laser level to mark a plumb line at each end. Snap chalk across the floor for your bottom plate position.
Dan’s tip: Keep overall depth under 300 mm in small rooms. You gain storage without stealing walking space.
3. Fix Bottom and Top Plates
Cut two plates the full width of the wall. Bed the floor plate on a thin bead of adhesive then drive 100 mm concrete screws into the slab or masonry every 600 mm. Pop the top plate on the ceiling line using the laser as your guide and secure into joists above.
4. Add Vertical Studs at 400 mm Centres
Measure the height between plates and cut studs 2 mm shy for an easy tap-in fit. Toe-screw through the plate with two 75 mm screws. Stagger joints so no two studs line up over the same floorboard seam.
5. Noggins, Bracing and TV Mount Backers
Drop 400 mm off-cut noggins between studs at mid-height to kill twist. Screw a 600 mm-wide plywood backer where the TV bracket will land. This spreads load and lets you fine-tune bolt positions later.
6. Plan Wiring Routes Inside the Frame
Drill 50 mm holes 200 mm up from the floor and feed flexible conduit across bays. Pull in HDMI, speaker and power cables now — far easier than after boarding. For a deeper dive see our cable-hiding guide.
7. Check for Plumb, Then Board Up
- Run a long level over every stud face; pack any that sit back.
- Fix 12 mm moisture-resistant MDF or standard plasterboard with 38 mm drywall screws.
- Leave 3 mm gaps at board joints for filler and tape.
8. Fire Safety Around Electric Units
Swap boards to fire-rated plasterboard 150 mm around the fire cassette. Seal all edges with high-temp acrylic. Vent slots low and high keep air moving so electronics stay cool.
Quick Stud Work Checklist
- Plates fixed level — no wobble.
- Studs at 400 mm centres, faces flush.
- Plywood backer for TV bracket fitted.
- Noggins locked in; frame feels solid.
- Cables run, conduit capped, photos taken.
Need a Hand Framing Yours?
We can build the skeleton, hide the wires and finish the wall ready for paint in just a day or two. Ring Dan on 07477 405111 or use our contact page to book a free quote.