Few homeowners are too wary to take on the simple task of hanging something on the wall. Simply bang in a nail, put up the item, and you're all set. It's not quite as easy when mounting a television. If you don't complete this process correctly, the expensive item might come crashing down into ruin. Worse, a poorly mounted TV could cause serious injury if it falls on a pet or small child.
Choose the best location for your TV:
Before TV wall mounting, decide where in the room it should be located. The home improvement site HomeAdvisor says you'll get the best viewing experience if you can set it up at eye level in a place where you won't be watching the screen at an angle.
The location should also be convenient. The TV shouldn't be in an area where it will be exposed to excessive glare from sunlight. While the area above a fireplace mantle is often considered for TV placement, it's usually not a good choice. This site will be considerably higher than eye level, causing you to strain your neck while watching a program. The TV can also be damaged by heat and soot if you frequently use your fireplace. The right kind of TV wall mounting can minimize such concerns and give you more flexibility when considering a location. Similarly, adjustable mounts can let you set up a better viewing angle than mounts that keep a TV flat against the wall. Full-motion mounts also allow you to swivel the device so you don't have to watch it at an angle.
Ideally, you can get a couple of friends or family members to help you determine the best TV placement. While one person sits in the place where you plan to watch TV, the other two can hold up the device against the wall and shift its location until the sitting person says they've found the best spot. Mark the edges of the TV so you'll know where to mount it. You can also try using a stand-in for the TV.
Find the support for TV:
The TV wall mount you use should be rated to carry the weight of your TV. The manufacturer may sell a mount designed to go with the device, or you can use a universal mount sufficient to hold the weight of your specific model. You'll need to make sure that the TV wall mounting is securely attached to a stud, not just hung on the drywall. TVs that are less than 80 pounds can typically be hung from one stud. Heavier ones need to be mounted to at least two studs.
Use a stud finder to find where you can mount the TV. We recommend you use a pencil to mark the centre of a stud, then tapping a nail partway into the wall to make sure you've found the right place.
TV Wall Mounting:
Wall mounts usually consist of a mounting frame that needs to be attached to the wall and a bracket that attaches to the TV. Brick walls require some additional effort. Once the TV wall mounting is done, you'll simply need to connect the TV cables and secure the bracket arms to the mount. While it's possible to complete this process on your own, it's better to have a professional assist you in TV wall mounting.
