After spending hours researching and staring at all the panels in the store, you’ve finally picked out ‘the one’. But right now it’s sitting on the floor looking pretty sad. A thing of beauty like this deserves to be on the wall.
A TV wall mount offers many benefits over a standard TV stand. It frees up valuable space, prevents nasty little fingerprints, and adds a touch of class to your home.
So let’s get started…
What You’ll Need
- Mounting bracket
- Drill
- Nails
- Stud finder
- Level
- Measuring tape
- Electrical tape
- Brush wall plates or cable duct
- Pencil
- A cold beer for a job well done
Step 1: Check That Your TV is Wall Mountable
It might seem obvious, but it’s always good to check that your TV can actually be wall mounted (most brands these days like Samsung or Sony are all designed to be wall mountable).
If you see ‘VESA Compatible’ on the specifications or 4 threaded holes on the back of your TV, then you’re ready to go!
Step 2: Choose The Right Bracket
When deciding on TV brackets, several factors need to be considered. The size and model of your TV may dictate a certain bracket type. There’s also the layout of your viewing space and seating arrangements.
There are 3 common types of brackets: standard flat TV mount, tilting TV mount and the articulating TV mount.
The standard flat TV mount is designed to fix your screen flat against the wall. This bracket provides the lowest profile and is ideal if you don’t require any adjustments.
The tilting TV mount allows you to tilt the screen up or down.
If you’re looking for full freedom of movement, then you’ll need the articulating TV mount (also called full motion TV mount). It comes with a retractable arm that allows you to pull the TV away from the wall to tilt up or down or swivel left or right till your eyes are content!
Step 3: Determine the Position of Your TV
“At what height should I install my TV?” This is the most common question we get asked at Wired Store. This will depend on several factors like the size of the TV and the room but here are some guidelines for the best viewing experience.
The most common mistake we see is mounting the TV too high. So what’s the sweet spot? Since most action takes place in the middle of the screen, this is the area that should be at eye level when you’re seated. Not only will this ensure the best picture, you’ll also avoid an appointment with the chiropractor.
But sometimes the sweet spot isn’t always possible. You may be limited by the shape of the room or your furniture. Sometimes, a higher placement may actually be appropriate. For instance, you might want to lie in bed and watch TV at the same time. In all these cases, we recommend using a tilting wall mount or articulating wall mount so that the TV can be appropriately angled.
Now that height is out of the way, should your TV be centre of the wall or off to the side? This will depend on the position of your couch. We generally recommend that you’re viewing the TV head on without needing to tilt your head.
Step 4: Prepare the Wall
When you’ve found the sweet spot, it’s time to mark out exactly where the TV will go on the wall. Some people prefer pencil but we recommend electrical tape.
Mark all the edges of the TV on the wall. To ensure everything is even, use a level when positioning the tape.
Step 5: Find those Studs
It’s now time to find a strong and reliable place to hang your TV bracket.
Enter the stud finder. Take your time with these suckers and always double check your readings. Run the stud finder from side to side several times and mark each stud with tape. We recommend locating three studs and confirming that they’re the same distance apart.
A seam in the drywall can often be mistaken for a stud. Once you’ve determined where to drill your holes, poke a small nail into the wall to confirm that it is a stud. You’ll also want to drill in the centre of the stud as this provides the best support. Poking nails to the left and right of your drilling hole will help you establish the centre.
“But I can’t find any studs?!”. Don’t despair, you can always use drywall toggles. Always double check that the toggles can support the combined weight of the bracket and TV.
Step 6: Fixing the Mount to the Wall
You’re almost there, not long before your TV goes up! But first, let’s get the TV mount up.
You’ll need to drill pilot holes to prevent the studs from splitting when the screws are driven in. Then position the mount on the wall and drive in the screws.
Step 7: Hide your TV wires
Hanging a TV on the wall looks great. But not when there’s an eyesore of messy wires. You’re probably thinking… “I need a wire hider, like right now”.
While they’re technically not called ‘wire hiders’, there are several solutions that can do exactly that – hide TV wires.
If you’re mounting a TV on a solid wall (brick or concrete), the easiest and quickest solution is cable ducting. This involves an exterior cable cover that can elegantly conceal several cables.
If you’re mounting a TV on a hollow wall, you can go a step further and literally run your cables behind the wall. You’ll need two brush wall plates, one on top behind the TV and one below, usually behind your entertainment unit. For the top plate, you can avoid running into a noggin by cutting a hole in the drywall behind the bottom of your TV. The cables will run from the top and come out below to connect to your other devices.
This is something you really only want to do once, so be liberal with the cables that you’re running. You never know what devices you’ll be adding in the future so ensure you’re running a cable set with enough HDMI cables, an optical cable for a sound system as well as network and USB cables.
Final Step: Mount Your TV to the Wall
The moment has arrived. It’s time to mount your TV and weep with joy. Steady hands now!
Attach the brackets to your TV using the four threaded holes at the back and hook it onto the wall mount according to the directions included with your wall mount.
For additional peace of mind, remember to install safety screws to safeguard your TV from falling if it’s ever pulled or bumped.
There’s No Way I Can Do This…
We get it, handling expensive TV’s and drilling holes in the wall can be intimidating.
That’s what we’re here for. Our experts perform TV wall mount heroics day in day out.
Call us today on 1300 556 212 to put your TV up where it belongs!
