At first, glance, mounting your TV may seem like a great idea; it lifts the eye level of your screen and can save you some space on your console table. However, if you do not have a good plan of action in place before you start, what may have been a great decision can very quickly go wrong and can even end up damaging your wall and TV. So, how do you mount a TV without damaging it or the wall?
To mount your TV without damaging it or the wall, get the right type and size mount and all the necessary tools. Then, screw your wall mount into your wall, attach the mounting plate to your TV, and hook the plate onto the wall mount. Plug in all the relevant cables and hide them with a cord cover. A little planning and following the mounting procedure is all you really need to worry about.
In this article, we will be discussing a couple of topics attached to the process of mounting your TV to a wall, including:
- The things you should consider before mounting your TV.
- How to mount your TV without damaging it or the wall.
- The pros and cons of wall mounting.
- Whether or not mounting your TV damages it.
- Whether you can mount your TV without drilling into a wall.
If you are looking for mounting curved TVs specifically, you can follow the link to the previously written article on the subject.
Table of Contents
What to Know Before Mounting Your TV
Before you make a concrete decision about mourning your TV and go out and buy a bunch of expensive tools and equipment, there are a few things you should take into consideration. This may seem tedious at first, but it will save you a lot of time, money, and energy in the long run, and you will be thankful if it saves you from making an unnecessary mistake.
Is Your Wall Strong Enough?
The first and most important thing to consider when wanting to mount your television is the wall you wish to mount.
Many houses and apartments these days are built with drywall, which is supported by studs in between. Unfortunately, drywall on its own is not strong enough to support even the lightest of TVs and mounts, so you will need to mount your TV where there is a stud behind your drywall.
Alternatively, if your walls are made of brick or concrete, you can mount your TV virtually anywhere, as long as you make sure that there are not any electrical wires or water pipes behind the walls.
This will have quite a substantial impact on where you can and cannot mount your TV and will also determine your TV viewing angle. And sometimes, this will be the thing that makes you realize that mounting your TV will not work out for you after all.
Will You Be Able to Access Your Power Outlets?
Another important thing to consider when thinking about mounting your TV is whether or not you’ll be able to access your power outlets once your TV is mounted. Not only to switch the plug on or off, but also whether the power cable from your TV will be long enough to reach the power outlet. After all, how useful is television really if you can’t even switch it on?
For this reason, it’s important to first hold your TV up in the desired spot you want to mount it and then make sure your cable reaches the power outlet and that you can easily access it to switch in on or off or plug it in and out.
Making Sure You Have the Right Tools
There are quite a few tools involved in mounting a TV on a wall, so you’ll need to make sure that you have them before starting to mount your TV. If you don’t want to buy all of the tools, you may rent them from your local hardware store.
You’ll need a drill, a drill bit the size of the screws you’re using to mount your TV, a level, a screwdriver, measuring tape, and a pencil. If you’re going to be mounting onto drywall, you’ll also need a stud-finder to find a stud to screw your TV mount into.
Where Will the Rest of Your Devices Go?
Most people don’t only have a TV in their living rooms; they also have cable boxes, DVRs, gaming consoles, or home theater systems. When mounting your TV, you’ll also need to consider where all of these external devices are going to go.
You’ll also need to make sure that the cables reach the TV and the power outlet, and it may also be a good idea to think about some cord concealing options (like a cord cover) if you don’t want to see a bunch of cables running down your wall behind your newly mounted TV.
Getting the Right Mount
Another very important thing you need to do when you want to mount your TV is to make sure you get the right amount for your TV. While there are many different types of mounts; fixed mounts, tilting mounts, mantel mounts, ceiling mounts, and full-motion mounts, for example, television mounts also come in different sizes.
These sizes usually coincide with your television’s VESA measurements, which can be easily found on the box of your TV or by looking up your TV model online. It’s essential to mount with the same VESA size as your TV; otherwise, the screw holes on your mount won’t line up with those on your TV, and you won’t be able to mount it.
Once you have taken all of these things into consideration, you can decide whether it will be a good idea to mount your TV. Now let’s take a quick look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of mounting your television.
How to Mount a TV Without Damage
Now that we’ve gone over some of the things you need to consider when mounting your TV, let’s go over how to properly mount your TV so that you don’t damage it or the wall you’re mounting.
First of all, if you are not comfortable using tools or don’t have anyone to help you mount your television, we would recommend hiring a professional to do it for you. This way, you’ll be sure that the TV will be mounted properly, and you’ll be able to save yourself some frustration (and maybe even some tears).
However, if you have some experience in mounting TVs, or if you’re quite a handy person, we’ll move on to mounting your TV. Firstly, let’s take a look at the tools you’ll need.
Tools You Will Need
- Drill
- Drill bit, appropriate for the wall you’re drilling into and the same size as the screws you’re using.
- Stud-finder, if you have drywall (like this CH Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder).
- Leveling tool (like this CRAFTSMAN Torpedo Level).
- Screwdriver (like this GOPPA 16 in 1 Screwdriver).
- Screw anchors that are the right length for your screws.
- Measuring Tape (like this KUTIR 25 foot Measuring Tape).
- Pencil
- Mount and included screws
- Your TV
Step by Step Procedure
Mounting your TV can sometimes seem like a daunting task, but we’re going to make it very doable with this in-depth, step-by-step guide. Make sure you have gathered all of the necessary tools, as listed above, as well as the right type and size, mount for your television, and let’s get mounting!
- Use a stud-finder and a measuring tape to find where you would like your TV and make a pencil marking.
- Hold your mount up to the wall and mark out where the screws need to go. Use a level to ensure that you are mounting it straight.
- Drill holes into the wall where you made the screw marks and put screw anchors into the holes.
- Screw your wall mount into place.
- Lay your TV face down on a covered flat surface and attach the mounting plate to the TV’s back.
- Hook the mounting plate onto the bracket of the wall mount. Snap the bottom of the mounting plate onto the bracket and make sure that it’s secure.
- If there are screws that need to be screwed in once the mounting plate is attached to the wall mount, pull the TV away from the wall carefully and screw those in now.
- Connect the power cable and any cables from your external devices to your TV. Then plug the power cable into the power outlet and switch it on.
- Use a cord cover to conceal any cables that may be hanging down behind your TV screen.
- Voila! You’ve just mounted your television all by yourself.
It’s good to make sure that you have an extra pair of hands (or two) there when you’re mounting your TV to help you lift the TV when trying to position it on the wall and then again hook it onto the wall mount.
If you’re not completely sure how to do this or you’d like a visual guide to mounting your TV onto a wall, you can watch this video:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Mounting Your TV
Mounting your TV may seem like the best decision you’ve ever had, but like everything in life, mounting your TV has its advantages and disadvantages. Read through this list to figure out if mounting your TV will be worth it in the long run for you.
Advantages
- It saves a lot of space on your console table, leaving it open to be used for other things.
- It saves space in your room by removing the need for a surface for your TV to stand on.
- It allows you to fit your TV into the design of your space.
- It gives you more options of where you’d like to place your TV.
- It virtually removes the size limit of your TV, as long as your wall can support a larger TV’s size and weight.
- It looks fantastic and adds to the room asthetic.
Disadvantages
- If you don’t know what you are doing, it can require hiring a professional to do it for you, which costs money.
- Poor installation can make your TV vulnerable to coming loose and falling off the wall, leading to damage.
- It might make it more difficult to access the ports on your TV’s back to connect it to power and/or external devices.
- Cables and/or cable covers will be more visible and can be an eyesore depending on the types you get.
- External devices will still need a stand or table near the TV, which might eliminate the space-saving factor of mounting your TV.
Does Mounting a TV Damage the TV?
Though mounting your TV onto your wall can be beneficial, some people might still be worried that mounting your TV will damage it.
Mounting your TV won’t damage your TV unless you mount it improperly. Pretty much every TV on the market nowadays has got mounting holes on the back that allow you to mount them. Manufacturers have taken into consideration that there could potentially be screws screwed into those holes. They have made sure to position the components inside the TV screen so that they won’t be damaged by the screws going into those holes.
However, you do need to be careful when mounting your TV and need to make sure that it is properly secured on the mounting plate and the wall. Otherwise, it may come loose over time and fall off the mount or the wall completely. A fall like that will most certainly damage your TV screen and will likely cause it to break, meaning you’ll need to buy a new TV or pay to have the screen replaced.
Another thing you should be wary of is mounting your TV above a fireplace. Fireplaces are often the centerpiece of a living room, and thus, you’d think it would be logical to mount your TV above it; however, that would not be a very good idea.
The heat from the fireplace will heat up your TV, as well as the wall that your TV is mounted to, and can potentially severely damage your TV and will most certainly shorten its lifespan. Along with heat rising, soot or ash from the fire will also get into the TV and make the screen filthy, which can also impact the workings of the TV and mean that you’ll need to clean your TV screen more often.
Can You Mount a TV Without Drilling Into the Wall?
Those worried about damaging the wall may ask themselves whether there’s a way to mount a TV to a wall without needing to drill into the wall. This answer is a tricky one because the best way to answer that question is; not really.
In the traditional sense, you cannot mount your TV onto a wall without drilling into the wall; however, there are other ways of achieving that “wall-mounted TV” look.
One such solution would be to invest in a hybrid TV stand. A hybrid stand is similar to any other TV stand, except that it has a “high back mount” already attached to it. This means that you’ll have shelves to store any of your external devices (like gaming consoles, DVD players, etc.) while also being able to “mount” your TV higher than the surface of the stand. Something like this PERLESMITH Swivel Floor TV Stand/Base will work well.
If you already have a console table and just want a stand that will lift your TV up a bit higher than the base it may have come with, a VIVO Universal Tabletop TV Stand may be what you’re looking for.
One other way of achieving the “wall-mounted” look without needing to have a stand or console table underneath the TV would be to use an ERARD Stand It 600 No Drill Wall Mount. It is essentially an elongated TV stand made of solid steel that allows you to mount your TV to the stand and stand it up against the wall, meaning you will not have to drill into your walls to get your TV to a “wall-mounted” height.
It is incredibly easy to mount your TV to this stand and also makes it easy to move your TV, should you ever want to rearrange the layout of your room, paint your walls, or if you ever need to gain better access to the back of your TV.
Otherwise, there are tricks to restoring damage to your wall that we’ll cover in a future article.
Conclusion
As you can see, mounting your TV to your wall is not as difficult as it is made to seem, and you can quite easily do it yourself (perhaps with a friend) without damaging your wall or your TV. As long as you follow all of the right instructions and take the necessary precautions, you can mount your TV in no time at all!
Make sure you’re using the right mount for your TV size, that your wall can support the weight of the mount and attached TV and that you use the right kind of screws to mount your TV to your wall. There’s nothing more upsetting than finding a smashed TV on your living room floor because the screws you used weren’t strong enough to hold it up.
Once you do it a couple of times. It’s a piece of cake. Happy mounting!
