A brief guide on How to Install a TV Mount, we will be looking at different types of wall construction and which fixings are most suitable for a safe secure TV Wall Mounting. In this article we will also look at the different options available for managing the interconnecting leads from the TV to the auxiliary Audio Visual Equipment. A good sound Knowledge of DIY skills and tools will be necessary to complete any TV Mount Install; if you do not possess these skills then you should not attempt the installation and call in a professional North Texas TV Installation company.
Firstly we should briefly look at TV Mounts and what each mount provides in terms of functionality.
Flat Wall Bracket...
The flat wall bracket does just that it holds the TV flat to the wall and does not offer any tilting facility. This mount is useful if your mounting your TV at the ideal viewing height and would like your TV mounted close to the wall. (Please ensure that you respect the manufacturer's guidelines with regards to how close your TV can be mounted to the wall, this changes greatly from each technology and manufacturer)
Tilting TV Wall Bracket...
The Tilting TV Wall Bracket mounts your TV to the wall and provides a tilting function which allows you to tilt the TV downwards to provide a more comfortable viewing angle. This mount is very useful when your TV is being mounted quite high up the wall or over a fireplace as this will allow you to angle the TV providing a more comfortable viewing position. Traditionally Tilting Bracket do tend to sit more proud of the wall than flat brackets which can be unsightly if you're likely to view the TV from the side at all.
Articulated TV Wall Bracket...
The Articulated TV Wall Bracket mounts your TV to the wall on an articulated arm or series of arms depending n the mount, this function allows you to pull the TV away from the wall, swivel it left or right or tilt the screen. This Mount is perfect if you want to have more than one viewing position in the same room or watch TV from adjoining rooms. If you're looking to be able to have full movement of your TV the articulated bracket is perfect for this. Again by its very nature the articulated mount does sit proud of the wall to accommodate the mechanisms behind providing the articulation this is one of the compromises that must be made in order to provide full movement.
TV Mounting
Firstly you should decide on the location of the installation area, survey the wall construction and access any risks from central heating pipes or electrical points. Its a good idea to take the dimensions of your TV and map out where you would like the screen positioned, make a small mark of the top, bottom and sides of where you would like the TV positioned on the wall. Once you have decided on which type of mount you're using and that the installation area is free from hazards then you're ready to unpack your TV mount and begin the installation.
All TV Mounts regardless of their functionality fix to the back of the TV in pretty much the same way. On the back of the TV will be a series of four fixings holes known as the vesa pattern, these fixings holes will be threaded ready to accept the appropriate treaded bolt. Included with your TV mount will be two arms with fixing holes and slots running down the entire length, these arms will be fixed to the threaded holes on the back of your TV using the fixings provided with your TV mount. Please pay attention to the mounts manufacturer's instructions as the fixings arms for the back of the TV can only be used one way around as the hook on the wall plate.
Now with the arms fixed to the back of the TV you can begin to plan where the TV wall mounting plate needs to be positioned. If you refer back to the mounts guidelines you will be able to see where the arms hook onto the wall mounting plate. Next if your take a spirit level and rest it on the top of your TV you will be able to take a measurement from the top of the TV to the hook of the TV mount Arm, make a note of this measurement for later.
If you go back to the original marks you made on the installation area to mark the point of the top, bottom and side of the TV, using a spirit level draw a vertical line in the dead centre of the TV installation position. Next if you refer back to the measurement you made earlier from the top of the TV to the mounting arms at the point where the arm hooks onto the wall plate and make a mark on the vertical centre line at this point. Next using a spirit level draw a horizontal line at the mark you just made, this is now where the top of the wall plate needs to meet.
Next if you hold the wall plate up to the horizontal line you drew and just check its level with the spirit level. On the wall plate will be a series of slots or fixing holes, if you're unsure refer back to the mounts guidelines, mark the wall at every point there is a fixing slott on the TV bracket wall mount. It sometimes helps to have an extra set of hands here depending on the size of TV Mount being installed.
Now you have all your fixing points marked out you can access where is best to place the fixings depending on your wall construction and installation areas. Before committing to any drilling first access again any potential hazards like central heating pipes, Electrical cables buried in the wall or chimney flues. In most cases although there are many points at which you can fix most mounts only supply up to 6 screws and wall plugs, now mark which of the fixing points you are going to use an try your best to spread them evenly over the mount taking into consideration any hazards that you may already of identified.
Select the appropriate fixings for the Wall Construction.
In North Texas there are 3 distinctly different wall types
- Solid Wall (which may be made of brick with plaster on top or made with breeze block or other block material usually coated in a plaster bonding base coat the skimmed with a fine plaster finish)
- Stud Wall (plasterboard which is fixed to wooden struts making up the structure of the wall, studs are usually between 40cm and 60cm apart, a stud detector can be purchased if you are struggling to locate them)
- Dot & Dab (plasterboard is stuck to a block wall using strong adhesive in a series of dabs this usually leaves of a small cavity between the plasterboard and the block behind, most modern houses are built using dot and dab)
With solid walls the TV Mount manufacturer will supply suitable fixings comprising of threaded bolts and wall plugs, if you are unsure we always use 70mm size 8 Anchor bolts and grey 10mm wall plugs.
With stud walls you should locate the studs and use the threaded bolts supplied with the mount directly into the studs you located, as a precautionary measure we normally use X4 toggle bolts also which clamp to the plaster board behind.
with Dot & Dab there are several options, you can either remove a whole section of the plasterboard and fix the mount to the block work behind or you can use extra long anchor bolts, 150mm size 8 with extra long 10mm wall plugs you must be sure to knock the wall plugs through the plasterboard into the block behind.
If you are unsure what fixing to use then you should contact a professional TV Installation company like the one mentioned below in the resource box
Now you have marked out where you fixing holes are and have selected the appropriate fixings and fixing method for your wall construction you can begin to drill the holes required. Please ensure that you use the correct personal protective equipment and follow the TV Mount Manufacturer instructions. Once the holes are made and your ready to fix the plate to the wall it will be a good idea to get some help next. If one person offers the plate up to the wall and the second person sets about applying the fixing it is allot less awkward than trying to struggle on your own. At first do not over tighten the fixing you should be able to move the wall plate slightly, take your spirit level and ensue that the wall plate is perfectly level before nipping up the fixing the final little bit to hold the wall plate in place. Please pay attention to how tightly you do the fixings up in particular when your are fixing to a dot and dab wall because you could crush the plasterboard or damage the fixing.
With your TV Mount Wall plate now in place your ready to hang your TV. Most new flat screen TV's come with a table bezel which will need to be removed before you can hang the TV on the wall. If you're unsure how to remove this refer back to the TV guide you got when you brought the television. Again the next part is easier with an extra set of hands, If each person hold the TV at either end and lift it up onto the wall plate you fixed to the wall, in most cases the arms on the back of the TV simply hook onto the top rail of the wall plate, ensure that you have hooked the arms onto the wall plate correctly before letting the wall plate take the weight of the TV. Now with your TV fixed to the wall plate you can slide it left or right so that it is where you wanted it to be, in most cases the TV mount will have some way of locking the TV in place, some have a bar that slides through the wall plate and arms others have screws at the bottom of the arms which lock onto the bottom rail of the wall plate, if you're unsure refer back to the TV mount manufacturers instructions.
Now you have your TV safely and securely mounted you may wish to consider what you can do with the interconnecting leads that run back to your auxiliary equipment like satellite tuners and game stations. There are Four basic options open for consideration.
- Leave the leads trailing and join them up using cable ties or spiral. ( this is the easiest option but the most unsightly also)
- Install a section of surface mounted cable cover also known as trunking, there is a company call D Line that make a range of trunking suitable for this.
- In the case of stud walls or cavity walls cables can be fished behind the plasterboard using rods
- In the case of solid wall a chase line can be made the cables then laid in the wall with a protective cover before they are re plastered over providing the concealed cabling finish.
In the case of concealing cables we would always recommend using a professional North Texas TV Installation company who can provide a fast, safe, reliable and fully insured installation service with perfect chase and re plaster lines.
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