How To Wall Mount Your Flat Screen TV

So, you have purchased a brand new, flat screen Plasma or LCD TV. Congratulations. You've probably got that lucky wall selected to mount it on in your family room that is soon to become your retreat. There's just a single question remaining - How to wall mount your flat screen TV?

The very first thing you need to think about is whether you are planning to mount it yourself or hire an expert. If you're unclear of any of the following information, you're probably better off hiring a pro to do the job. But, if you want to get your hands a little dirty and probably make at least a couple of mistakes or miscalculations so you can have a sense of accomplishment, then read on, brave one.

Once you have chosen the wall and set aside a few hours to get this job done, it is important to determine whether that wall is an interior or exterior wall. Though it's not the case all the time, walls on the interior are usually less trouble than walls that are on the exterior.

Of course, we're assuming that you have already determined that your Plasma TV can be mounted on the wall, right? Just in case you have not yet done this, you don't need to stress out. While the bulk of the flat screens now on the market are in fact mountable, there are several early models that weren't. Look at the box. Do you see “VESA Compatible” or something similar? If it is, then you're in luck, and you can now continue. Because you have done your research and picked the proper wall mount bracket for your display, you can get straight to the entertaining part - the tools. If you've got some of the basic tools in your house, like a screw driver, drill, and a tape measure, you're doing okay. It'll also help you if you've got a stud finder to be sure you don't try to mount your television in just drywall.

When you have an idea about where you'd like the new TV, check for a wall stud and make some adjustments to your placement. You shouldn't forget to ensure you're close to an outlet or you will just have a useless television screen on the wall. Once you've found studs, you can go ahead and fasten the wall brackets to the back of the television. You need to do this before you attach the TV bracket on the wall so that you know if any alterations must be made to the ultimate placement of the mount.

Now, mark where the anchor bolts need to be installed and pre-drill the holes, since they can be hard to start. You should also cut space for cabling once you put in the anchors and then you can run the cables. Be sure the wall mount is lined up and then sink the anchors. Once the brackets and mount are attached, ask someone for assistance to lift the television on wall. You really are not going to want to try to do this alone as the TVs are pretty heavy and cumbersome if they are lifted by one person.

Now the best part - sit down with a cold drink and watch the game on your new wall mounted Plasma TV.