Installing Screens in Concrete vs Drywall Walls

The single biggest factor in how a screen can be mounted at a given spot is what the wall is made of. Most high-rise condos and commercial buildings use a mix, and the same corridor can have very different walls a few metres apart.

Steel-stud drywall partitions

Common for corridors, lobbies and amenity rooms.

• Recessing: usually possible, depending on stud spacing and cavity depth. The opening is cut between studs (or a stud is headed off and reinforced), and a recessed enclosure is installed.
• Power and data: relatively easy to fish through the cavity.
• Things to watch: what's inside the cavity (plumbing, ducts, existing conduit), whether the partition is a fire separation, and whether it's an acoustic wall between suites and the corridor.

Poured concrete

Common for structural walls, elevator and stair cores, and many demising walls.

• Recessing: often impractical. Cutting into structural concrete requires an engineer's review and scanning for rebar and embedded conduit. In most cases, a screen on concrete is surface-mounted or mounted in a shallow built-out frame.
• Power and data: routed in surface raceway or through a furred-out section, unless existing conduit can be used.
• Things to watch: never core or cut structural concrete without proper review.

Concrete block (CMU)

Found in service areas, garages and some older buildings.

• Recessing: sometimes possible within a block cavity, but limited; usually treated like concrete.
• Power and data: surface raceway or existing conduit.

Furring and bulkheads

A practical middle ground is to build a shallow furred-out section or feature panel in front of a concrete wall. The screen is recessed into the new framing, giving a flush look without touching the structure. It adds a little depth to the wall and some cost, but often looks the best of all.

Fire-rated walls

Corridor walls, elevator lobbies and stair enclosures are often fire separations. Recessing a box into a rated wall must not reduce its fire resistance, which may mean rated enclosures, backing, or fire-stopping assemblies, or choosing a different location. See fire separations and fire-stopping.

How to know what you have

• Architectural drawings, if the corporation has them
• A site survey, including tapping, inspection openings or scanning where needed
• The building's original contractor documents or past renovation records

This is why reliable quotes come after a survey, not before.