Simply put. You need a do it yourself tv wall mount guide for beginners because you just got a fancy new plasma or LCD tv and now are wanting to get it mounted to your wall so you can claim that your house also belongs on Cribs. Mounting your flat screen to the wall is a fairly involved project and we do not recommend it for the novice handy man. Remember that you are working with a very expensive tv and if you do not do the tv wall mount correctly then you could potentially destroy your tv and be out a lot of money. A lot more money than if you would have had a professional install it for you.
LCDtvWallMountExpert suggests setting aside 3 hours to complete the LCD tv wall mounting project. We also recommend that you refrain from drinking beer while working. Please wait till after you have successfully completed the LCD tv wall project to enjoy a cold one and watch the game. Another important note is that tt can take a lot longer if you are hiding your cables in the wall. Before you dive into this project I suggest you reading the other articles on this site about before starting your LCD tv wall mounting project. Below I briefly mention some things that you should consider however if you would like more detail information the please refer to the other articles on LCDtvWallMountExpert.com.
You first need to make sure your flat screen tv is VESA capable. Most LCD and plasma televisions come with VESA but it’s always best to make sure. For those of you have a puzzled look on your face, VESA stands for “Video Electronics Standards Association”
You will also need to purchase a universal wall mount. There are a few different styles to choose from as well as brands. Peerless Industries leads the way the pack and owns the majority of the market share. Please refer to the article on this site that goes into detail about this.
Another big decision you must make is deciding where you are going to mount that fancy new flat screen of yours. It is important to take into considering the type of wall you will be mounting your fancy new flat panel to. Make sure you read () on our site before going any further
Just like mcGyver, you will need a few basic tools to complete this installation. Chances are that since you are a do-it-yourselfer that you already have all the tools necessary for this flat panel tv wall mount project.
Tools needed for tv wall mount project:
Masking tape
Stud finder
Utility knife
Power Drill
Socket set
Tape measure
Level
Hammer
Helpful buddy
Enough of the prerequisites, let’s get this flat screen wall-mounting project started! Once you unbox your tv wall mount you will notice that it is comprised of two pieces. Naturally one piece attaches to the tv and the other piece gets mounted to the wall. Let’s start with the easiest step, which is attaching the mount to the tv. We like to start with this step first because it gives a better idea on where to mount the tv on the wall.
Start by removing the four plastic caps that are typically covering the holes. The best way to do this is usually prying them off with an s screwdriver. When working on attaching the mounting rails to the tv it is important to not lay the tv down on the screen it’s self as you can ruin your tv this way. It’s always best if you can do this step with the flat screen in the upright position on a table of some sort. If you do have do have to lay the tv down, make sure you take extra care by putting a blanket or something soft down. If you are using a tv wall mount swivel bracket then take special care to make sure that the bolts used to affix the rails to the tv do not get in the way when the tv swivels.
Measuring for the wall
It is important to mount your tv in the right place at the right hight. Often time’s people mount their flat screen to high. Ideally the LCD or plasma tv is mounted to the wall so that when seated the tv is at eye level. Since all tv wall mount brackets are different it is important to see where the rails line up on the tv.
We need to draw out where we want the tv wall mount to be affixed to the wall. First we need to take a measurement from the bottom of the flat screen itself to the bottom of the mounting bracket that attaches to the bracket that will eventually be attached to the wall. Then with a pencil and masking tape mark out on the wall where you want the bottom of the tv to be. Remember that you your ultimate goal is to have the LCD tv mounted at eye level. Once you have the bottom marked on the wall then take your measuring tape and measure up and mark the distance that you measured earlier from the tv mounting bracket. Also make sure that your marked mounting spot on the wall is going to hide your power outlet or hole you cut for running av cables.
Once you have got this done then mark on the wall where you will need to drill holes for the mounting bolts. It’s easiest if you can have a friend help you here so you can trace out the mounting bracket.
Attach the LCD or plasma tv wall mount to the wall
This is the most challenging part of this how to. If you do not feel comfortable with this step then I would suggest you have a professional do it. If you screw this part up then you could be out the thousands of dollars you just spent on your beautiful new tv.
For this step you will need to mount the tv wall mount to the wall. The easiest way to do this is with a stud finder. If you don’t have a stud finder that I recommend you go to home depot and or Lows and pick one up. If you don’t want to spend the money than you can always find the studs manually. Once the studs have been located then mark them.
It is very important that you make sure that the mounting holes align with the center of the studs. If you are mounting a smaller LCD or plasma screen to the wall then you can get away with securing it to one stud however you still need to anchor the other side to the wall. If you are not mounting one side of the tv wall mount to a stud then be very careful drilling into the wall. We’ve seen people drill into water pipe and cause 10,000 dollars of damage to their house. This is not recommended but will work if you don’t have any other options.
It is very important that you check and double check your tv wall mount with a level to insure that everything lines up perfectly. We recommend pre drilling the tv wall bracket holes with a power drill and a sheetrock screw. Here is another time when your helpful friend can hold the tv wall mount level while you screw in the bolts. I cannot stress enough how important it is to check the tv wall mounting bracket with a level once you have it bolted to the wall.
It some cases you will not have wooden studs. It is possible to mount your big screen to brick or concrete however it is important that you make sure the tv wall mount that you purchase comes with the hardware made for such installations. If the flat panel tv wall mount kit does not than you may need to make a special order for the correct mounting hardware. If by the off chance that your home was constructed with metal studs than you are probably out of luck as it is not recommended that you mount your tv to them because they are not designed to hold extra weight.
Mount Tv On Wall
You have almost completed the LCD wall mounting project! It is a good idea to check where the cables plug in on your particular flat screen tv. It is much easier to arrange the cables before mounting the tv to the wall and then trying to maneuver cables after the tv is mounted to the wall.
The next step is to get that helpful friend who has been just sitting around watching you this whole time. It’s time to put them to good use. We really do not recommend trying to lift the tv onto the wall yourself even if your tv is smaller. Connect the cables. All tv wall mounting brackets should have locking tabs to insure your précis baby does not move from the wall.
Congratulations, your tv wall mount project is completed! Now is the time you take out your digital camera and snap a couple pictures of your sexy new flat screen tv mounted to your wall so you can take them to work and show it off to all your buddies.
I hope that you found this how to mount tv article helpful. With a little handyman experience and a little patience you should be able to save yourself hundreds of dollars from having a professional doing the tv wall mounting project for you. The project is a little more involved if you decide to hide the av cables in the wall because of electrical standards that you should adhere by. There are options for making the installation look clean even if you decide not to hide the cable in the walls. Take a look at () that discusses the options of hiding the cables on the outside of the walls.
Feel fee to contact us with any questions you might have when doing your very own plasma or LCD tv wall mount project.
Be sure to check out all our other articles before starting. Shopping Tips for flat screen tv wall mounts
