Professional-grade VHB-style mounting tape can bond directly to brick and mortar for many light and medium-duty applications — security cameras, cable clips, small signs, sensor holders and decorative items — without a single drill hole. The key is that brick is a high-energy, porous surface that needs to be clean, dry and primed before the tape goes on; skip that step and even the best tape will peel off within days.
Is mounting tape actually strong enough for brick?
The short answer is yes, for the right kind of job. Industrial double-sided mounting tape — the type with a dense foam or acrylic core rather than the thin film you'd find on a craft tape — works well on brick because brick is a firm, rigid substrate. The tape can conform slightly to the texture of the surface, and the adhesive forms a mechanical bond with the tiny peaks and pores in the face of the brick.
What this doesn't mean is that it can replace a rawlbolt carrying a shelf loaded with heavy books, or a bracket supporting a TV over 5 kg. Tape-based fixing is best for:
- Video doorbells and small cameras (typically under 500 g)
- Cable management clips and conduit saddles
- Small signs, house numbers and plaques
- Outdoor sensor pods and motion detectors
- Decorative items and holiday lighting hooks
For anything structural — gates, handrails, heavy shelving, loads where failure puts someone at risk — a mechanical fixing into the masonry is always safer. Tape is a complement to engineering, not a substitute for it when lives or significant loads are involved.
Why brick is harder than it looks
Brick feels solid, but the surface is more variable than you might expect. A few things work against tape adhesion:
Efflorescence — the white powdery bloom you sometimes see on older brickwork — is salt migrating to the surface. It looks clean, but it's a loose layer that will prevent adhesion just as thoroughly as dust or grease. It needs to come off before you tape.
Mortar joints are porous and crumbly in old walls. Don't apply tape across a joint if you can help it — bond to the face of the brick itself.
Weathering and algae — if the brickwork is outdoors (and it usually is when people are trying to avoid drilling), there's likely a thin film of atmospheric grime, moss or algae. You can't see it, but it's there.
Moisture — newly pointed or recently rained-on brick holds moisture that prevents adhesive from bonding fully. The surface needs to be visibly dry, ideally after a day or two of dry weather.
How to mount to brick without drilling — step by step
1. Choose the right spot
Look for a flat, uncracked section of brick face — not a mortar joint, not a corner, not an area with efflorescence. The flatter the surface, the more tape area contacts it, and the stronger the bond.
2. Brush off loose debris
Use a stiff brush (a toothbrush works for small areas) to scrub away any dust, flaking paint, algae or loose material. If there's efflorescence, brush it off firmly. Don't use a wire brush on softer bricks — it can abrade the face and leave a weakened powder layer.
3. Clean with IPA
This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that makes or breaks the bond. Wipe the brick firmly with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipe — 70% IPA or above. IPA removes invisible grease, atmospheric grime and any residual moisture from the surface. Let it flash off (usually 30–60 seconds) before touching the surface again.
Our professional mounting tape kits include an IPA cleaning wipe for exactly this reason. Surface prep isn't optional — it's what separates a bond that holds for years from one that lets go in the first frost.
4. Apply adhesive primer (for demanding outdoor applications)
On outdoor brick — especially if the item will face UV, rain or temperature swings — apply a thin coat of adhesion promoter after the IPA wipe. This chemically prepares the surface and dramatically increases long-term durability. Our kits include a promoter wipe for this step. Allow it to dry fully (usually 1–2 minutes) before applying tape.
5. Apply the tape to your item, not the wall
Cut your mounting tape to match the contact footprint of your fixture. For a Ring doorbell or camera bracket, cover as much of the base as the tape allows. Peel one liner, press the tape firmly onto the back of the fixture, and hold for 30 seconds.
6. Press firmly onto the brick
Peel the second liner, position your fixture carefully — you usually can't reposition VHB-grade tape once it touches the surface — and press hard. Apply firm, even pressure across the whole surface for at least 30 seconds. If your fixture has a small footprint, use your thumb to press through the centre of the item so pressure reaches the tape face.
7. Allow dwell time
VHB-style tape reaches full strength over 24–72 hours as the adhesive cold-flows into the substrate. Don't load the fixture heavily on day one. Hang your camera or sign on day one, but don't stress-test it immediately.
What about textured or rough brick?
Very rough or deeply textured brick surfaces reduce contact area significantly. If the brick face is heavily raked or has a heavily sanded finish, a thicker foam-core tape will conform better than a thin film tape. The foam compresses slightly under pressure and bridges small surface variations, getting adhesive into more of the surface.
If the brick is extremely uneven — heavily weathered, spalled or reclaimed with a very rough profile — tape alone may not be sufficient. In that case a mechanical plug and screw is the more reliable choice, even if it means a small hole.
How to remove the tape cleanly later
One genuine advantage of mounting tape over masonry anchors is that removal doesn't leave a 10 mm hole in the wall. To remove a taped fixture from brick:
- Work a thin piece of fishing line or dental floss behind the tape and saw gently through the adhesive layer.
- The fixture should come free without damaging the brickwork face.
- Any residue on the brick can be softened with a small amount of IPA and scraped away with a plastic scraper.
- On the fixture itself, roll the residue off with your finger or use an IPA wipe — no solvents needed for most tapes.
Avoid pulling fixtures straight off the wall without cutting through the adhesive first — you risk spalling the brick face on older or softer masonry.
Common questions
How do I mount a Ring doorbell to brick without drilling?
Clean the brick face with an IPA wipe, allow it to dry, then apply professional-grade VHB mounting tape to the back of the doorbell bracket. Press firmly onto the brick for 30 seconds and leave to cure for 24 hours before loading. Ring doorbells are light enough (typically 200–400 g) for tape to hold reliably on a clean, primed brick surface.
Does mounting tape work on brick outside in cold and wet weather?
Weather-resistant VHB-grade mounting tape is formulated to handle temperature extremes and moisture exposure once it has cured — but it must be applied in dry conditions above roughly 10 °C (50 °F) for the adhesive to bond properly. Applying tape to cold, damp or frost-covered brick significantly reduces initial adhesion. Apply in dry, mild conditions and the bond will withstand normal UK outdoor weather once set.
Can I mount a TV to brick without drilling using tape?
For most domestic TVs over a few kilograms, tape alone is not an appropriate fixing — the peel forces on a wall-mounted TV are substantial, and failure could cause injury or damage. For anything above a light picture frame or small decorative item on a vertical wall, use a proper masonry fixing. Tape is excellent for lighter items like cameras, sensors, signs and cable management.
Originally published at Spyder Tape
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