The owners of houses and apartments are trying to place the TV conveniently and compactly. A popular option is to mount the device to the wall using a bracket. But before using this method, it is recommended to figure out how to hang the TV so that while viewing, your eyesight is not exposed to excessive effects, and the device itself does not take up too much space.
Pros and cons of wall mounting
The choice in favor of wall mounting the TV is due to a number of advantages:
- Space in the room is saved
- Brackets require less investment than stands
- The back with connectors is protected from interference by children or animals
- Wall-mounted TVs will fit any design
But when using the fastening method, it is important to consider the disadvantages of the solution:
- The installation is complex
- Quickly moving the TV to another place will not work
- There are problems with the storage of additional equipment and accessories
Choosing a wall location for your TV panel
Considering the question of how best to hang a TV on the wall, one should not forget about choosing a place. It is important to consider factors:
- The size of the television panel (diagonal)
- Type of TV
- The location of people while watching
- Wall material and quality
- Requirements and recommendations of an ophthalmologist
Distance to monitor
When speaking about the distance from a person’s eye to a wall-mounted monitor, it is customary to start from a value equal to the sum of four TV diagonals. It should be borne in mind that the angle of rotation should not exceed 30 °, and the expanded viewing angle in width should not exceed 40 °.
720p HD devices can be installed up to three panel diagonals. Liquid crystal screens practically do not affect vision, so it is permissible to install them at a distance of 1.6 diagonal.
Height above floor
For safety reasons, you can properly hang the TV at a height of 1 meter. If the plasma is below this level, there is a high probability that the screen will be damaged by various handheld objects or children’s toys.
The exact height will depend on the location and vision of the particular user. Sit in a comfortable position against the wall and determine a comfortable viewing spot. In this case, you should avoid those places that can only be seen when turning the head. Even a slight deformity of the neck leads to fatigue and serious discomfort.
To eliminate viewer fatigue, it is recommended to draw an imaginary line slightly above eye level and place the TV so that this line divides the screen into two equal parts. Too high accuracy is useless here, since all people are different in height. In addition, the position of the viewer can change depending on the viewing position.
In the living room, the TV is located opposite the seating area with upholstered furniture. The height is suitable for comfortable viewing when seated. The TV in the living room is placed at a height of about 120 cm.
When speaking about the distance from a person’s eye to a wall-mounted monitor, it is customary to start from a value equal to the sum of four TV diagonals. It should be borne in mind that the angle of rotation should not exceed 30 °, and the expanded viewing angle in width should not exceed 40 °.
720p HD devices can be installed up to three panel diagonals. Liquid crystal screens practically do not affect vision, so it is permissible to install them at a distance of 1.6 diagonal.
Height above floor
For safety reasons, you can properly hang the TV at a height of 1 meter. If the plasma is below this level, there is a high probability that the screen will be damaged by various handheld objects or children’s toys.
The exact height will depend on the location and vision of the particular user. Sit in a comfortable position against the wall and determine a comfortable viewing spot. In this case, you should avoid those places that can only be seen when turning the head. Even a slight deformity of the neck leads to fatigue and serious discomfort.
To eliminate viewer fatigue, it is recommended to draw an imaginary line slightly above eye level and place the TV so that this line divides the screen into two equal parts. Too high accuracy is useless here, since all people are different in height. In addition, the position of the viewer can change depending on the viewing position.
In the living room, the TV is located opposite the seating area with upholstered furniture. The height is suitable for comfortable viewing when seated. The TV in the living room is placed at a height of about 120 cm.
Installing a TV in the kitchen can be tricky. It is most convenient to place it opposite the dining area so that a person can watch programs during lunch. But it is also advisable to see the screen while cooking. These requirements are rarely combined, which is why various inconveniences arise. With an abundance of kitchen cabinets, it is difficult to find free space for a TV, so moving brackets again come to the rescue.
Choice of brackets
When placing the TV on a wall, be sure to use the bracket. When choosing, it is important to consider the following factors:
- Diagonal of the TV
- Device weight
- Room size
- Distance to the outlet
- Wall material
- Illumination of a specific area of the wall
If you overlook any of these factors, the likelihood of various inconveniences when using the TV increases.
Maximum permissible load
One of the most important characteristics of any wall bracket is its load capacity. It includes the weight that the structure can withstand and is indicated in the product passport. The parameter must necessarily correspond to the characteristics of the TV used.
The value of the permissible load indicated in the passport may sometimes require some adjustments. So, it is recommended to reduce it by about 10% in the presence of moving areas. And if the product is made in China, it is better to select the load with a margin of 15–20%.
The bracket must be made of durable materials that can perfectly withstand both static and dynamic loads. There should be no chips or scratches on a new product, since even minor damage often becomes areas of origin of more serious defects.
Bracket types
On sale, you can see several varieties of wall brackets with different designs and an individual set of possibilities. The choice is made taking into account the specific operating conditions and user preferences.
Fixed
Fixed brackets seem to be the simplest and cheapest. They ensure the reliable installation of the TV in the desired position, however, it will not be possible to change this position in any of the axes.
Tilted
Slightly more complex are inclined models that can change position within 15–25 °. Such models are used if you need to fix the TV above the line of sight (for example, in the bedroom). In this case, you cannot change the horizontal position.
Oblique swivel
The most flexible and convenient mounts that allow you to adjust the position of the panel vertically and horizontally. Suitable for small rooms. Brackets of this type require significant investment and are often more difficult to install.
After selecting the bracket, you need to take care of the availability of all the necessary tools for its installation.
List of tools to install the TV bracket to the desired wall:
- Screwdriver. Better to pick up a ratchet screwdriver.
- Drill or hammer drill to create the required holes in the wall.
- A hammer. Required for installing dowels into holes.
- Fasteners. This includes dowels, screws, bolts, and washers.
- Building level. Provides an even placement of the structure.
- A pencil and tape. They will help mark the locations of the holes on the wall.
When preparing the drill, it is important to take into account that its diameter must correspond to the size of the dowel used. The most commonly used standard models 10 × 61, designed for a load of up to 15 kg. To attach the bracket to a heavier TV, more secure fittings may be required.
Features of installing the bracket on concrete and brick
The process of installing a bracket on a wall consists of several basic steps, the first of which is choosing a specific location on the wall. Before you can mount any TV on the wall, you need to attach the bracket to the surface and select the most suitable area. Next, using a pencil, the places for the holes are marked.
Most mounts have four or more holes. Sometimes there are models with the possibility of adding a fifth fastener in the middle, but only four in the corners are required. The vertical bases can be secured with two or three screws. This method is suitable for relatively lightweight structures.
Using a punch, you need to drill the required holes in the wall. In this case, it is important to ensure that the drill enters the wall strictly perpendicularly.
Do not move the drill too actively inside the hole, as this will lead to unwanted expansion. In this case, the dowel will not be able to sit tightly in the hole and will stagger, which will certainly affect the strength of the structure.
Next, you need to install the dowels with a hammer into the holes. They should not protrude above the wall surface or sink too deep.
Install the bracket on the installed dowels, and insert the screws into the holes. A building level may also be required at this stage to verify that the installation is correct. The screws are tightened with a suitable screwdriver. In this case, it is worth observing the rule of fastening crosswise, which implies the sequential tightening of the screws located on the same diagonal.
A TV is installed on the finished bracket. Most often, this task requires two people, one to support the structure and the other to place the bolts or screws. After installation, it is necessary to check the strength of the structure and its mobility if a bracket with a movable mechanism was used.
How to fix the bracket to drywall?
Drywall, in comparison with brick or concrete, has a much lower bearing capacity. Therefore, the question of how to mount a TV bracket to drywall requires separate consideration.
Butterfly plugs are required to ensure a secure installation of the TV. Such dowels have special spikes that provide reliable adhesion to drywall and prevent rotation during operation. It is recommended to buy metal dowels that can withstand a load of up to 35 kg. Standard plastic components are often not reliable enough.
TV sets weighing up to 15 kg on drywall can be fixed using crocodile or hartmuth dowels.
Long hardware also helps to secure any heavy structure. In this case, the element passes through the drywall and is fixed to the wall behind it. But this method is only suitable for load-bearing walls and solid partitions. False walls do not have a solid foundation.
In some cases, at the stage of wall installation, embedded or metal profiles are provided directly behind the plasterboard in the place of the planned installation of the panel.
Other ways to hang your TV on the wall
Some flat-panel TVs can be wall-hung without additional accessories. At the same time, grooves are already provided on the back, with the help of which the structure can be mounted on screws screwed into the wall. Here you just need to measure the distance between the axles, find a place and hammer in the fasteners. Certain difficulties can arise only with the selection of screws corresponding to the load.
In this case, the screen fits very tightly to the wall, which limits the possibilities for using sockets or hiding wires. In addition, restricting air flows negatively affects the cooling system of the TV. For this reason, users often resort to the opportunity to independently create a mount that meets all the requirements. Sometimes this is a necessary measure, since it is not possible to hang the TV on the wall with a conventional bracket.
Installation on steel corners
With the help of steel corners, you can organize the installation location of the TV on the wall. This requires 4 pieces of corners with a thickness of about 4 mm. The length of the segments should be about 7 cm greater than the distance between the mounting holes of the TV.
One pair of brackets attaches to the back of the TV and the other attaches to the wall. Then they are fastened to each other with bolts or studs.
Installation on furniture corners
Furniture corners are extremely useful when installing the TV on the wall. They have the necessary margin of strength and rigidity, moreover, they often already have holes.
The four corners must be screwed to the back of the TV through the mounting holes. The top pair must be installed with the shelf up. If you do not use the bottom corners, the TV will hang with some tilt.
On the wall, it is also necessary to install the corners in the appropriate places, and then bolts are inserted into them and fixed with nuts. The rods of the bolts in this case should look up since it is on them that the corners of the TV will sit.
Swivel mechanism made of steel plates and shaped tubes
If you wish, you can create your own swing arm using plates, pipes and bolts.
It is necessary to take two plates of steel and weld short pipe sections to them. Next, holes are drilled in the pipes, and then you can connect all the segments with bolts. One of the plates is attached to the wall, while the other is attached to the back of the TV.
Where to put the wires?
A rather serious problem when installing a TV on a wall is the problem of hiding wires. Free hanging cables always look ugly and can spoil the whole impression of the interior.
Final Words
It is recommended to bundle all wires and cover them with panels or ducts. In some cases, it is possible to place wires in the wall, but this approach most often requires preliminary preparation. In apartments, they try to provide a place for installing a TV and outline a place for all related equipment directly behind the plasterboard cladding.
You can also create an opening structure, on the facade of which a TV is hung. All cables in this case are located inside the niche on the corresponding shelf.
