How To Wall Mount a TV?

The new generations of televisions work more than just a passive display unit as they come with a lot of exciting smart features. Not only that, but these new generation TVs are also designed for a quick setup with either an included stand or a wall mount. Due to the flat design of these TVs, wall mounting is preferred in almost every household as it frees up a lot of extra space on the furniture.

Wall mounting a TV is somewhat a complicated procedure and we will strongly recommend you to get it done by a professional to assure maximum safety of your newly bought expensive TV. Although, if you want to know more about wall mounting procedures and factors that affect wall mounting, read our piece until the end.

Check your Walls

One of the most important factors that cannot be disregarded while mounting the TV on a wall is the wall itself. The wall needs to be strong enough to hold the weight of the wall mount and the TV itself to provide strong support for the TV. Failing that, the wall mount might get detached from the wall which would be an unpleasant experience.

Brick walls

Brick walls are comparatively stronger than the stud walls and provide much better support for even the heaviest of TVs. Still, you need to make sure that the holes for the wall mount are drilled in the brick and not the mortar that holds the bricks together. Also, prefer heavy-duty wall anchors in case you are mounting the TV on a brick wall.

Stud walls

In all fresh construction, you will see stud walls that are much weaker in comparison. In this case, you should carefully check the weight of your TV and make sure the material used in your stud wall can hold it. In any case, it is preferable to use special anchors designed for plasterboard that are heavier than the TV itself.

What you’ll need to Mount your TV

As we mentioned earlier, wall mounting a TV is a professional’s job and thus, it requires several tools. But if you already have the right set of tools and a little bit of experience with the tools, you can put the wall mount by yourself. Here is the list of things that you will need by your side before you can wall mount your TV.

• Wall mounting bracket
• Measuring tape
• Drill machine
• Marking pencil
• Screwdriver
• Spirit level
• Stud detector (in case of stud walls)
• Rawl plugs

In case you have this equipment ready, we can move on to the procedure of wall mounting your TV.

How to Wall Mount your TV

This is the part where the instructions will be a bit different for every individual. This is because of the variations of the wall mounts and the rear mounting section of the TVs from various brands. Your best bet is to follow the instructions available within the package.

In case you have misplaced the instruction set, you can get another copy from the official website of the brand. Here is the general procedure of mounting a TV on your wall.

Step#1. Finding the perfect spot for the TV

This is the most important part of the wall mounting procedure. The location that you select for your TV depends upon multiple factors such as viewing angle, balance, and lighting condition. If you haven’t already selected a spot for your TV, follow the guide present later in the article.

Step#2. Get your hands on the wall mount

Most brands offer a wall mount along with the TV. You can either use a wall mount available with the package, or you can get one of the heavy-duty 3rd party wall mounts that also allows personalized setup for the TV. This includes panning and rotation after the TV is set up on the mount.

Step#3. Use stud detector

If you have a stud wall in your home, you should have a stud detector to fix the wall mount properly on the wall. By using the stud detector, you can mark the exact spots on the wall that has studs behind them instead of drilling through the plasterboard.

Step#4. Place the wall mount on the wall for marking

Unpack your wall mount and place it on the wall at the proper height. You will find certain grooves on the wall mount that are provided for marking the drilling spots. Before marking, you should use the spirit level to check the leveling of the mount. Only mark the spots once the level is correct.

Step#5. Drill holes on the marked spots

The next step is fairly easy as you only have to drill holes on the marked spots on the wall. Use the drill bit that is slightly smaller than the bolts you are going to use for the mount. Drilling holes on stud walls is much easier than a brick wall. In later cases, make sure the drill bit is suitable for the ceramic walls and exactly perpendicular while drilling.

Step#6. Fix the mount in the wall with bolts

Toggle bolts are one of the newest types of fasteners that have hinged ends which open up inside the walls. This ensures a firm grip on the wall. Once the toggle bolts are inside the hold, push the small plastic ring provided on the front to extend the plastic pieces inside the wall. These bolts are highly beneficial for installing a wall mount on plasterboards and walls.

Step#7. Set up the mounting brackets on the TV

Once the wall mount is rigidly fixed on the wall, put the vertical mounting brackets on the TV. These brackets are placed on the wall mounts so make sure they are firmly attached to the TV. Generally, these brackets are attached to the TV via screws.

Step#8. Secure the brackets onto the wall mount

Finally, pick up the TV and place it securely on the wall mount. This step must be performed with extreme caution as the TV can fall off if it’s not perfectly secured on the wall mount. It is strongly recommended that more than one person should do this job to avoid any accident and check the level.

How high should you mount your TV?

To have a good viewing experience, you have to keep the middle of the TV at your eye-level. Generally, it would measure 42 inches from the floor. But it will vary depending on your height. Also, your position while watching the TV.

To help you identify the correct height for mounting your TV, we have developed a simple formula. First measure the height of your TV and divide it by 2. Now, subtract this value from 42. The resulting number should be the distance between the bottom of the TV and the floor.

Please remember that a TV’s screen size is represented using its diagonal distance i.e. distance from one corner to the opposite corner. So, do not use your TV’s screen size to find the center point.

For instance, if you have a 65-inch TV, it will be 33 inches tall approximately. Now, divide this number by 2. The resulting value is 16.5 inches. Then subtract 16.5 from 42, which is 25.5 inches. So, you have to mount your TV at a height of 25.5 inches from the floor.

Remember, the height is measured between the bottom of the TV and floor. So, in this case, the distance between the bottom of your 65-inch TV and floor should be 25.5 inches.

Types of Mounts

There are different methods to mount your TV on a wall. Each one will give you a different viewing angle. Based on the mounting process and preferred viewing angle, you can choose the one that suits you best.

Fixed Wall Mount

The fixed wall mount is the oldest and the simplest option. The installation is also simple and does not cost much. In this, you install the TV closer to the wall than the other methods.

But, this option only works if you sit in the same position while watching TV. It is not flexible. You can mount the TV at a height where your eye level meets the center of the TV when you are sitting.

Tilt Wall Mount

The tilt wall mount offers a little bit of flexibility. Using this wall mount, you can tilt the TV downwards between an angle of 50 to 100 vertically. It comes in handy if you sit lower than your normal seating.

A person who is shorter than you can also have a good viewing experience by tilting the TV downwards to keep the TV’s center at his eye level. This wall mount is ideal if you place the TV in your bedroom where you will either sit or lie down and watch the TV.

Full Motion Wall Mount

Full motion wall mount offers the most flexibility and widest viewing angles. Also known as Swivel, Articulating, or Extending Arm, the bracket is fitted to the wall on one side. The other side has a swiveling arm that extends outwards.

You can adjust the arm both horizontally and vertically to get the perfect viewing angle. If you want, you can also fold the arm and place the TV flat against the wall. Using the arm, you can tilt the TV up to 14 degrees and swivel up to 180 degrees.

Besides, you can also access the back of your TV easily as there is more space between the wall and your TV. So, you can easily connect wires or cables when needed.

Viewing Distance

The location of the TV is generally dependent on only one factor which is the viewing distance. The viewing distance needs to be perfect according to the size of the TV you are purchasing. Here is a reference table to select the correct size according to the viewing distance in your room.

Other Essential Parameters For TV Placement

TV Angle

The wall mount should be placed in such a way that you would get the TV exactly in front of the sitting arrangement. In ideal conditions, you should not be looking more than 15 degrees upwards or downwards and more than 40 degrees left or right to watch the TV.

Lighting

The lighting conditions also affect the TV placement in your home. While selecting the location, you should select a wall that does not have direct sunlight coming over it. Generally, prefer the wall which is adjacent or far from the windows.

Balance

Balancing the TV properly is very critical. In case the TV is not perfectly leveled, you will see an uneven picture. This should not be a problem in the case of swivel mounts as you can adjust these parameters even after mounting the TV.

Conclusion

We hope that you have understood the proper wall mounting procedure for almost every standard wall-mounted TV available in the market right now.

We have also provided brief information about various types of wall mounts that you can buy and also a guide to select the correct location for wall mounts. This should help you to achieve the best viewing experience on your newly bought smart TV.