Wall Mount Your TV Like a Pro
TV wall mounting is not a task for the feint hearted, however a job best left to the professionals can be completed using simple tips and tricks found in this guide. We will break down the task into 4 areas to make for a successful TV wall mounting job.
- Bracket Selection
- Knowing your walls
- Measurement and Marking
- Installation
Selecting The Correct Bracket
The market is saturated with a variety of different brackets with different specifications to suit various types of TV’s. The first two most important factors to verify are the size range and weight capacity of the bracket. A bracket must be large enough to bolt to the TV’s mounting holes, and the construction requires to be able to hold the specific weight of your Television. Refer to the specification sheet on your TV and compare the size (inches) of your TV and the weight to ensure your bracket meets and exceeds the specifications.
There are two different types of brackets, fixed and swivel. A fixed bracket fixes the TV to one position, while a swivel bracket allows the TV to be swivelled and extended in various positions.
Fixed bracket
Swivel bracket
Be sure to check out the various specifications of the TV bracket you intend to purchase to ensure it meets your requirements. One important detail is tilt, simply put the amount of degrees a bracket can tilt your TV upwards or downwards.
Know Your Walls
A safe and sturdy TV wall mounting job requires total knowledge of the wall structure that the TV will be mounted on. Be aware that single brick walls often have electrical cable cemented inside them and care must be taken not to drill holes anywhere near these. A wall backing onto a bathroom may present further hazards with gas and plumbing piping that may be in the way.
It is important to measure and be aware of the thickness of the wall you are working with. Single brick walls present the risk of drilling through the entire wall if care is not taken, where as the risk is not present with cavity walls. Plasterboard walls require the use of a stud finder to identify where the wooden beams are, as the plaster itself is not strong enough to hold the weight of a wall mounted TV.
Getting The Measurements Right
The key to perfect placement and correct height is all in the maths. Identify how high you would like your TV to be by having friends hold it up for you while you sit back and decide which height suits you best. Faintly place a mark on the wall to represent where the topmost part of the TV will roughly be situated.
Second we need to measure the width of the wall so we can mark the centre of it, this is easily achieved by a tape measure and simple maths. Once again place a feint mark to mark the centre of the wall, this will help with easy placement of the bracket.
Measure the height of your TV from top to bottom, and write this down somewhere as we will be using it in the next step.
Attach both of the hooks from your TV bracket to the back of your TV. Note the “claw” section of the hook that is designed to hook onto the bracket, we’ll call this the “hanging point”. Once the hooks are installed, measure from the hanging point, to the top of the TV. Use this measurement to place a second mark on your wall, so your hanging point and top of TV measurement are now visible on your wall.
When mounting your TV bracket on your wall, the topmost of the bracket should be even with the “hanging point” mark you have just placed on your wall.
By now we should have 3 marks on our wall to assist us with placement of our bracket:
- Top of the TV
- Distance from Top of TV to bracket hanging point
- Centre of wall
Installation and Mounting
Hold the bracket level on the wall, so that the top of the bracket lines up with the hanging point mark on the wall. Using a pencil or marker, mark out 4 or 6 proposed hole locations depending on the amount of bolts you need to screw to the wall. Use a smaller masonry drill, followed by a larger masonry drill to expand the holes to their required size, do not drill the holes larger than required.
A spirit level comes in handy while tightening the bolts to ensure the bracket is level. Even very slight angle deviations to the left or right can cause a crooked looking TV.
Once the bracket has been attached to the wall, with the help of an assistant, lift your TV up onto the bracket, ensure both hooks have locked in. Tighten the safety screws underneath the bracket or insert the safety bar.