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.
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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 i