The Best Way to Mount a TV: The Professional Guide

Mounting a TV on the wall adds a bit of luxury to any space! Installing your TV on the wall will enhance your viewing experience and free up space in your home. A successful TV installation requires careful consideration, planning and execution. After mounting thousands of TVs we have learned the in’s and out’s of the trade. In this article we will share a few of our tips, tricks and key information we have learned for a smooth installation.

Right Tools For The Job

Before beginning the TV mounting process like any construction project, it's crucial to gather the necessary tools to ensure a smooth installation. We have gathered a few of our essential tools we bring to every TV installation below:

Stud finder

A stud finder is one of our main essential tools we bring for every single TV installation project. We consider this tool so essential we always bring more than one stud finder and more than one type of stud finder! Without the stud finder it is very difficult to determine where you can safely and securely mount your TV and also if there are any hazards or obstructions in the wall. 

Finding and mounting your TV into studs ensures a strong and stable installation, minimizing the risk of the TV falling or causing damage. We always carry an electronic stud finder on hand and also a magnetic stud finder. The magnetic stud finder has high powered magnets that stick to the screws in the stud. 

Drill and Drill Bits

Right after the stud finder, a drill will be incredibly important to complete the tv wall mount installation. The drill will allow you to easily and safely fasten the TV mount to your studs and wall. Doing this by hand can be possible but is very difficult and we do not recommend it. If you do not have a drill, some hardware stores offer rental programs or you could ask a friend! 

Level 

Unless you want to have your TV crooked you will need to use a level! Even the most skilled contractors need a level, no one has eyes with perfect level! A good level will help you when marking the wall to install and also leveling out the TV once it is on the wall. 

Painters Tape

Painters tape might seem like an odd choice of tool for TV wall mount installations but we bring it to every single job we work on! We bring painters tape to put on the wall before we make any marks or measurements. This way when we are done the painters tape can be removed and there is not left over marks or writing on the wall. It is a cheap and easy tool to help keep your walls clean during the installation process.

Use The Right Mount

Any installation is only half as good as the quality of the materials used! 

If you get a cheap mount or one that is not the right size you can run into issues during installation or even worse, your TV could fall off the wall! When selecting a TV mount ensure it not only fits the size of your TV but can also support the weight of your TV. 

Weight capacity

Every TV mount has a set weight capacity it is designed and rated to hold. Ensure that the mount can support the weight of your TV. Check the TV's specifications for its weight and choose a mount with a higher weight capacity for an extra layer of safety.

VESA compatibility

VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) is a standard used on all TV’s. It is just a fancy way of saying all TV’s will have a standard mounting screw pattern on the back of the TV. It is all based in millimeters and in factors of 100mm. Example being: 200mm x 200mm, 300mm x 400mm, 600mm x 600mm etc… Before purchasing a mount ensure that the mount can fit the VESA pattern of your TV!

Keep The TV Safe During Installation

Your TV is expensive and can also be damaged or break very easily, we advise keeping the TV in a safe place while you are going forward with the installation. Since the TV will need to be face down when putting the TV mount arms on, always put it face down on a safe surface.

Place It On A Bed

If there is a bed nearby to the installation location we recommend putting the TV face down on the bed. A bed is a large, safe cushioned surface for the TV.

Use A Blanket

If there is no bed nearby to the installation location then you can use a thick blanket to keep the TV safe. Place the blanket on the floor and make sure there are no hazards under or on the blanket that will damage the TV like screws or rocks. Once the blanket is hazard free you can safely place the TV face down.

Attach Mounting Arms To TV

Before you can fix your TV to the wall you will need to prepare the TV by installing the TV mount arms to the back of the TV.

What Are TV Mount Arms?

The TV mount arms are the part that attaches directly to the back of your TV. These arms or sometimes brackets will connect the TV to the part that installs on the wall.

Securely Attach Arms

When attaching the arms for the TV mount you want to make sure that the arms feel tight and secure. Most mounts will come with multiple screw types and lengths. You want to use a screw length that ensures the arms are tight and secure. If the screw bottoms out but the arms are still loose, you will need to find screws that are shorter to ensure a safe install.

Install TV Mount Into Studs

You always want to mount your TV into studs to provide the maximum amount of hold and minimize the chance of risk. 

Installing Into Wood Stud

1. Use a stud finder to locate the studs behind the wall. Mark their positions.
2. Position the mount on the wall, aligning it with the marked stud locations.
3. Drill pilot holes into the studs using an appropriate drill bit.
4. Attach the mount securely to the wall using the screws provided with the TV mount. Drive the screws almost all the way tight, ensure the mount is level then tighten all screws. 

What If There Are No Studs?

If you have no wood studs in your wall then you may have the following wall type:

• Concrete wall
• Brick wall
• Metal studs
• Tile wall

For wall types that do not have conventional wood studs we recommend looking at our apartment building TV installation guide. If that does not help we recommend reaching out to a local TV installation professional in your area. These wall types can be difficult to work with and if the installation is not done correctly your TV and wall could get damaged.

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Hide Wiring For A Clean Finish

Once the TV is installed and up on the wall you might notice the dangling, distracting wires hanging from the TV. We stress that hiding the wires is a key step for a perfect TV wall mounted installation.

In Wall Wire Concealment

If you have drywall walls you can hide the wiring behind the drywall! With a hole saw or drywall saw you can easily make a hole behind the TV in the drywall and down, directly below a similar hole near the floor in the drywall. You can then pass all your HDMI, optical and other audio/ video cables between these two holes for a seamless look! For an even cleaner finish we recommend using brush plates or grommets to cover the holes.

On Wall Wire Concealment

An easier way to hide wiring without putting holes in your wall is to use on wall wire concealment! On wall wire concealment sticks on top of your wall and onto almost any surface allowing for simple install on all wall types. Once stuck on the wall you can click off the top of the cable concealment tray and run your wires underneath. While this isn’t as clean as in wall concealing, it is much simpler and cheaper! 

On Wall Cable Concealer on Amazon

Want Help From The Professionals?

In this article we tried to cover some of our key tips, tricks and rules to follow for a safe and secure TV installation but it's hard to include our years of experience all in one article! If you need expert help or advice please contact us, we are here to help. We have years of experience mounting TV’s of all sizes on every type of wall imaginable.

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