Ok, we know the real reason you haven't invested in a flat-panel TV isn't because of the high price tag. It's because you're scared you won't have the mad skillz to mount the bad boy on your wall. Well fear not home depot-phobe, there's a YouTube video for everything. After the jump a clip showing you just how to get your Bob Villa on, flatty-style!
They make it sound so easy, but they don't get into the fact that most of us have super cheap drywall that can't handle the brunt of an LCD or plasma. We strongly suggest you talk to the trusty guys at your local hardware store and find out what types of anchors and screws you should be using to ensure your heavy investment doesn't come crashing down.
Photo: Rikkert van den Eelaart
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Comments (12)
Actually, it's not that hard. You need a stud finder, and the right equipment comes with the mount. You can find the right one.
You never hang a tv in the drywall; you hang it from the studs (vertical wooden 2x4 lumber) that the drywall is attached to.
You can find the studs by tapping; where the wall sounds least hollow, that's a stud. They are most often 16" appart, so if you find one, try tapping for the next 16" away. If you think you find one closer, then one of the ones you've found is likely a false alarm.
Or you can use the stud finders, replacing your finger-taps by more advanced ways to test for hardness.
Once you think you've found the studs you'll use, drill a small hole about an inch deep. Stick a nail into it, to make sure there's wood on the other side.
Some really old houses don't have drywall, but instead have plaster on lathe. (and may have drywall ontop of /that/). Lathes are horisontally running wooden strips -- unfortunately not really strong enough to hang a TV on, tho. Plaster and lathe walls have studs too, but you'll have a harder time finding them, as the plaster and lathe a) will pass the drill and hammer test, if you don't go deep enough, and b) are harder, so the difference between hollow and not hollow is harder to tell, both for you and the stud-finder.
^^^ Good advice.
I just hung mine over the weekend and it went very smoothly. Remember: ALWAYS PRE-DRILL YOUR HOLES!
Johan posted great advice. I use a small wire nail to double check the stud finder. I tap in, hit wood, then tap in to either side to find the edges. You end up with a bunch of tiny holes, but they're covered up by the bracket and tv anyway. It's worth it to know for sure.
Soon, flatscreen TVs will be thin and light enough to hang on the wall like a painting. But until then, I recommend most people attach the TV to optional mounts that suspend off of some media credenzas (BDI, Omnimount, etc) or to a wall unit like the Loop and Kyoto from Crate and Barrel.
The problem arises when the place you want to hang your flat screen is not where your beams are. Then it opens a huge can of worms and money to insert braces into the wall to hang your tv from. No one wants to have their flat screens land on the floor. I suggest this is not a DIY project in most cases.
My husband just hung ours this past weekend; he found the studs and screwed a horizontal board to them, and then we were able to place the bracket on the board where we wanted it.
As much as I'd want to do this. I don't think the walls in my apartment could secure a 47" TV.
ahem. you don't need to hit the stud, and you don't need to spend a ton of money. i read about the
ok. borked the html, so lemme try again:
ahem. you don't need to hit the stud, and you don't need to spend a ton of money. i read about the Moen SecureMount in this old house or family handyman or some place like that. gets GREAT reviews, can mount up to 150 pounds almost anywhere without having to hit a stud. and costs less than twenty bucks.
i have NO affiliation with moen and if i hadn't already spent about a hundred dollars & had my tv mounted about a month before i read about the moen, i'd have my own wall mount hung (hanged?) that way.
someone on this site needs to test it & do a post about it. because, really ... it works & it costs less the $20.
LoisLane, the Moen thing is for nonmovable (no swiveling, tilting, etc.) TV brackets only. Which is still great, but be aware.
We live in a 1920s house. All the walls are plaster. So, it is very difficult for us to find the studs!! We've tried all kinds of stud finders but nothing seems to work. Can anyone help?