Today's Show:
Mounting a Flat Panel TV to the Wall
So you've got your eye on a shiny new Plasma or LCD TV and think, well if I buy the flat panel TV, I might as well mount it to the wall, right? For some it may seem like a walk in the park. For others it might sound like a daunting task. But really, no matter what your background or skill level, mounting a flat panel TV is pretty easy.
There are two basic kinds of wall mounts, flush and articulating. A flush mount will place your television as close to the wall as possible, but doesn't allow you to move it around. Some allow you to tilt the TV slightly, to adjust the viewing angle if necessary. Say, for example, your television has to be mounted up a little higher than you'd like, just tilt it down so you don't feel like you're always looking up at the picture. The second type of mount, an articulating mount, actually uses a mechanical arm to connect your TV to the wall. The arm can be pulled out from the wall, allowing you to change the position of the TV dramatically. These mounts are a lot of fun, and can be very useful, but may not be the best idea in all cases. They work great for a kitchen or loft or gym, but in the home theater, you might want to get the TV dialed in just right and never move it. You want to make sure you always have the optimum viewing angle. Articulating mounts tend to protrude from the wall slightly more than flush mounts as well.
Some sample flush mounts:
Some sample articulating mounts:
Of course there are other kinds of mounts, like ceiling mounts, table top mounts, under-cabinet mounts, you name it. But for this discussion we'll just focus on wall mounting.
There are several things to consider when finding the correct mount for your TV. Of course there's the articulating vs. flush decision, but let's move past that for now. First and foremost you need to make sure the mount will accommodate the weight of your television. Typically you can just match screen size with a mount for that size, but if you're at the upper limit - say you have a 42" TV and the mount supports 23" to 42" screens - you want to make sure your TV isn't heavier than the mount can support. Next you need to look at what you're mounting it on. Most homes are build with drywall wall connected to wooden studs, or in rare cases steel studs. In those cases you absolutely must mount the TV to a stud. Some mounts connect to one stud, others to two. If you don't have a stud that lines up exactly where you want the TV to go, consider a two stud mount. They tend to allow you to adjust the TV placement between the studs. Some of you may have brick, rock, or concrete walls, in which case you can mount wherever you want. Try to mount in the brick, not the mortar, as it tends to hold better.
The key with mounting the television is to go slow. Take your time and do it right. Above all else make sure the mount is perfectly level. There's nothing worse that a crooked TV, and it will certainly drive the aesthetics committee crazy. Use a level, and check it often. Don't let this worry you, though. If you take your time, it's a simple thing to do. The most common option is stud mounting. Pick up a stud finder at the hardware store, it will be invaluable. For wood stud mounting, make sure you drill pilot holes. The screws that hold the mount to the wall tend to be very large, and can be quite difficult to drive all the way into the stud. You don't want to strip the screw or worse, snap it off, trying to overdo it. For steel studs you'll probably need to visit the hardware store for some self-tapping screws; odds are they won't come with the mount. If you're going into a solid surface, like brick, rock or concrete, pick up some anchors at the hardware store. They look like little plastic sleeves that will make sure your mounting screw gets a good grip on the wall. On the plus side, you can put the mount wherever you want. There's no need to find a stud.
There are a couple more things to consider when mounting the TV. First, consider how you'll actually get the TV placed on on the mount. In most cases the mount will have a plate or some other apparatus that connects to the TV, that apparatus is then joined with the portion of the mount that gets hung on the wall after the wall part is secured. Usually the TV is lowered onto the mount, so if you're mounting the screen just below something, like a shelf, cabinet or the ceiling, you'll need to make sure there's enough clearance to get the TV onto the mount. Then consider the environment. Make sure the TV will survive where you hang it. For the most part hanging a TV above the fireplace is OK, but if the spot gets very hot, or absorbs a lot of airborne debris, like soot and ash, your nice new TV may die an early death. Also, if you're mounting in the kitchen, stay away from splashing water, or boiling pasta sauce. In the bonus room, avoid mounting the TV in risky locations, like where it may come in contact with the back end of a pool cue, for example.
One more thing to consider is how you'll run cables to the TV. Sure, it looks nice hanging there on the wall, but you can't turn it on. You might be able to drill a hole in the wall and fish the cables down toward the floor, and then run them from there. In some cases there will be impediments to this approach inside the wall itself. You can either poke and drill multiple holes to make it work, or use some on-the-wall cable hiding techniques from the local hardware store. Most of the on-the-wall cable channels are paintable, and practically disappear once painted. The discussion in
Episode 144 about speaker wires can also be used for power cables and video wires - except for the flat wire part. Check it out for more info.
So there's your "how to mount a flat panel TV" in a few simple steps. Once you're done, you'll love the way it looks.
