Our simple, easy-to-follow guide to mounting your TV on any wall of your home shows you how to free up valuable space in any room, on the cheap.
Just like a hunter showing off his latest kill, the thought of mounting your TV to the wall may have crossed your mind. Of course, this may be less to proudly display your gorgeous telly and more to get the best possible viewing position, or possibly to save some valuable space taken up by TV stands and the rest.
However, mounting a television can be expensive, rather complicated and seriously daunting. There’s more to think about than simply which bracket would be best; don’t forget the tangle of wires that you’ll have to deal with, and making sure the setup is nice and secure.
Don’t stress though, because our complete guide to mounting your TV will lead you through every step, from picking the right mounting bracket and installing it yourself, through to cleaning up the cables and other eyesores.
How to wall mount a TV: Get the right bracket
Even though modern televisions are slimmer and lighter than ever, you still want to make sure it’s securely mounted to the wall. A TV being dropped, face first, onto any kind of flooring is very rarely going to end with a breath of relief. So carefully consider the wall bracket investment and insurance of sorts, something you don’t want to scrimp on.
There are plenty of bracket options but they each vary to suit the TV. Of course, make sure you buy one that supports the size and weight of your television. Lots of mounts say they will fit “most TVs” of the size listed – rather vague. This is where it’s a good idea to take a look at the back of your TV, to see where the mounting points are so you can at-a-glance check the mount will work.
Even better, contact the mount supplier and give your exact model name to confirm the mount will support it. That’s the most important factor, before you get into extras.
Some wall brackets are super slim in profile, so the TV sits as flat to the wall as possible. Others have levers that allow the TV to be moved away from the wall, angled and tilted, which is handy if you have a larger room. These also vary depending on how many angling options you want, and how far the range of extension is offered.
How to wall mount a TV: Install the bracket
This is the key point. If you can install the bracket yourself, correctly, you can save a fair bit of money. Also knowing how it’s all set up is great if you ever come to move the TV (or home, even), so you can easily reverse the mounting process.
First of all, make sure the bracket you have bought actually fits the TV (which it should if you fully followed step one). Once you know that’s all good, work out the best spot on the wall for your television. Visibility is key, but try and keep the centre of the screen close to eye level when sitting, so you’re not leaning back during those Don’t Tell The Bride marathons.
We suggest drawing in pencil where the TV’s edges will lie, and from there use a measuring tape to determine where the mount’s holes need to be drilled. Leave a decent gap between the TV edges and any other walls or obstacles, in case you’re off by a few centimetres and end up having to start again. And definitely use a spirit level to make sure the drill holes line up flat, so your television isn’t wonky when it’s mounted.
Then you’ll need to drill the wall and put in raw plugs. If you’re not mounting on a solid wall, make sure you anchor the screws into the wall’s beams as a plasterboard wall won’t be strong enough alone – we wouldn’t even trust it with special plasterboard mounting screws.
Then you simply need to place the bracket on the wall and get the screws into the raw plugs nice and tight. Attach the TV side of the bracket to your telly and again be sure the screws or bolts are in tight. Then finally connect the two halves of the mount. The exact procedure will vary depending on the type of mount you have, but should be as simple as slotting them together.
How to wall mount a TV: Hide the cables
One of the great finishing touches of any good TV mounting is to hide those ugly cables. This can actually be the hardest part, but it offers the most rewarding end result.
If you’ve mounted into a solid wall, you can either buy a shielding box that the cables pack into which can be painted to match the wall, or bury them. Burying the cables in the wall will leave a better finish but, of course, it’s more effort.
If you’ve mounted on a plasterboard wall then you could run cables up and down inside the wall presuming you have access via the loft. Nice and easy – lucky you. But for those mounting on solid walls it’s more complicated.
To bury cables in a solid wall, you’ll need to mark the line where the cables will run, in pencil. Drill holes along the line wide and deep enough to fit all the cables. Once the wall is drilled as much as possible, chip out any remaining chunks using a hammer and bolster.
Run the cables in the space then affix them in place using a shielding plate which can be bought for cheap at most hardware shops. To finish, apply either some plaster or for ease some pre-mixed filler. Once this has gone hard and sanded smooth it can be painted leaving a seamless finish on the wall with cables hidden away within.
Leave a Reply