How to hang a TV on the wall: mounting a TV with and without a bracket
Most modern TVs support wall mounting. To do this, there is a special slot at the back for placing the bracket.
But it is also necessary to choose the right place for its location, so that TV viewing is always comfortable, there are no “lights”, and also that the sound is directed exactly to the central part of the room. And proper fastening will also hide the wires.
So how to attach a TV to the wall and what nuances should be considered in advance?
Content
How to choose a mounting location
The first thing to start with is to determine the optimal distance to the TV from the viewer's seat (sofa, armchair).
The guideline is the size of the screen diagonal:
- for 30 inches, from 1.1 to 2.3 meters;
- for 34 inches, from 1.3 to 2.6 meters;
- for 42 inches, from 1.6 to 3.2 meters;
- for 50 inches, from 1.9 to 3.8 meters;
- for 55 inches, from 2.1 to 3.9 meters;
- for 60 inches, from 2.3 to 4.8 meters;
- for 65 inches and more - from 2.5 meters.
Be sure to check how comfortable it is to watch TV at such a distance.
The vision of each person is developed individually. But if possible, you should maintain the maximum possible distance - this minimizes the negative effects on the eyes when watching TV for a long time. That is, for 30 inches - from 2 meters, for 42 inches - from 3 meters and so on.
Optimal Height
Doctors say that the optimal height for a TV is when, in a sitting position, the lower border of the screen is placed perpendicular to the line of sight. This is the most comfortable position in which the eyes do not get tired even during long viewing.
But at such a height, it is not always possible to mount a TV on the wall. In this case, the normal value is considered to be from 1.2 to 2 meters (from the bottom of the screen). Indentation from the ceiling - not taken into account.
Tilt angle
The angle of inclination can be adjusted with a bracket.
The optimum value is when the screen plane is perpendicular to the line of sight. After all, even a slight deviation in the plane can cause the colors to be inverted on the display (on IPS matrices this is less noticeable, but blacks still become less saturated).
Accordingly, the higher the TV is mounted, the stronger you need to set the angle of its inclination. On average, it turns out only 10 - 25 degrees.
What tools are needed to mount the TV to the wall
To mount the TV, you will need the following tools:
- Impact drill or screwdriver with drilling mode ("blow").
- Several screwdrivers (for tightening the dowel).
- Building level. You can use regular or laser.
- Pencil.
- A vacuum cleaner. It will allow you to drill through the wall without unnecessary debris, as well as perform subsequent cleaning.
What are TV brackets and how do they differ
Most manufacturers produce the following bracket options for mounting the screen on the wall:
- Fixed low profile. It is a horizontal mounting plate. It does not allow you to set the tilt angle, so it is suitable for those cases when the TV is mounted at a low height (1 - 1.5 meters).
- Fixed ultra-thin.It is also manufactured as a horizontal mounting plate. It differs only in thickness. For some TV models, the mount consists of 2 such independent brackets (top and bottom). Their advantage is space saving (the distance between the back walls of the TV and the wall will be literally 3-4 millimeters).
- Inclined. Represents a mounting plate on a rotary "arm" with a lock. Allows you to change the angle of inclination, slightly move the plane to the left and right.
Inclined, in turn, are still divided into tilt-rotary. They differ in a longer "arm" and the ability to "scroll" the plane of the TV. As a rule, these are used only when installing a TV in large halls, in a cafe (where it is required to change the position of the screen depending on the location of the public).
The principle of mounting brackets for TV is the same. They are mounted on several dowels, after which the strips are checked for failure (so that they can withstand a load of more than 50 - 60 kilograms of effort).
How to hang a TV on the wall
Conventionally, all work can be divided into the following stages:
- Preparing the wall for installation. Removing wallpaper (if any) is optional, but desirable.
- Marking where the bar will be placed, setting the level.
- Bracket mounting.
- TV hanging.
- Final adjustment.
Marking the wall for installation
Everything is extremely simple here: you need to choose a place for installation, then attach the mounting plate or bracket to the wall, align it using the building level. If the floor and ceiling in the room are not parallel, then the bracket is aligned exactly with the ceiling.
Marking is done with a simple pencil. It is necessary to mark the attachment points, that is, where the installation of the dowel is provided.
Bracket mounting
At this stage, most people experience various difficulties.
According to the markings made, you need to drill the wall for mounting the dowels. Which ones to choose? Depends on the material of the wall. A minimum of 50 millimeters (7 to 9 mm overall diameter) is recommended.
The concrete drill is used. Naturally, if the wall is covered with a layer of drywall, then its thickness is added to the size of the dowel (that is, it will turn out from 75 to 100 millimeters).
What mode to put on the drill? On drywall and wood - without impact, concrete, cinder block, brick, aerated concrete, foam blocks - with impact.
From below, it is recommended to hold the pipe of the switched on vacuum cleaner - this will prevent the scattering of building dust (very harmful to electrical engineering, including TV).
What type of dowels to use? It is also recommended to choose according to the material of the wall. Naturally, given the potential load on the entire bracket.
By the way, some TV mounts (which are sold separately) already come with all the necessary mounting materials. But complete dowels are not always of high quality and sufficient in length: this nuance should be taken into account in advance.
Basic recommendations:
- For drywall. Metal dowels should be used. That is, which, when twisted, are divided into “petals”. In this case, the load is distributed over a large area, which eliminates the likelihood of a rupture of the plane of the plasterboard wall.
- For loose or hollow materials. It is recommended to use chemical dowels, which fill the voids of the building material. It should be noted that such dowels do not completely harden immediately, but within 12 to 24 hours (should be specified in the instructions).
- For very thin walls. Instead of dowels, it is recommended to use bolts, studs.That is, drill a hole through, then fix the bar on both sides (tighten the washer with the nut). This is the most reliable option, the load will also be distributed over a relatively large area.
TV hanging
If there is a plug on the TV at the back where the bracket is attached, it is removed first (it is recommended to study the instructions for the TV).
As a rule, the mount for all TVs (LG, Samsung, etc.) is similar - you need to “put on” the TV panel on the mounting plate from the side. And after that, you can adjust the position, the angle of inclination.
In some TVs, a plug is still put on top of the bracket. In this case, all connecting cables are laid immediately. In the bracket itself, holes for threading are provided for this.
Final Adjustment
The final adjustment should be understood as connecting all cables, turning on the power, adjusting the angle of inclination and the final position of the TV panel.
What can be used instead of the bracket
The TV bracket has a fairly simple design. But at the same time, their average cost is from 1.5 to 6 thousand rubles. But it can really be made independently from improvised materials.
From aluminum corner
The optimal thickness is from 3 millimeters or more.
You can also use steel corners, but they are much more difficult to work with (drilling, cutting, grinding).
You only need 4 corners.Two of them will be fixed behind the TV (in the place where the bracket is provided), two more - on the wall itself.
The slats are fixed with steel brackets. The hardest part of all this is getting the measurements right. You need to focus on the mount on the TV itself.
Furniture corners
Can be used for small TVs (32 - 40 inches). There are also such corners already with perforation (they are made mainly of steel).
Corners similar in design, by the way, are used in the installation of wood-bearing structures. That is, they can be bought at the nearest building supplies store (the average price is 15 rubles apiece, in total 4-8 of these are required).
Pivot swivel bracket
One of the most reliable options, but you will also need a grinder, a drill (with a drill for metal), a welding machine.
The main scheme is as follows:
- A pin is welded to a mounting plate made of steel or sheet metal (from 3 millimeters and thicker).
- A “knot” is attached to the TV mount (you can also make a mounting plate), which can be inserted into the pin of the first mounting plate.
The main advantage of such a mount is that it will be possible to adjust the position and angle of inclination. As a latch for the guide node, you can use the usual "hexagon" (as in outdoor antenna mounts).
Cable installation
If it is necessary to hide all cables and wires, it is recommended to form a false plinth directly on the wall (choose it to match the color of the paint or wallpaper in order to visually hide the mounting components). All the necessary wires are threaded through it - and then threaded through a hole in the bracket.
If there is no compartment for fixing wires in the mount (most often this happens in old brackets that were produced for TV back in 2010 - 2015), then the wires are brought in from below, and there they are fixed with double-sided tape.
The most important thing is to make sure that when turning, adjusting the angle of inclination, none of the wires is bent.
In the event that the main ports for connection are located not at the bottom side, but at the back (that is, the cables will be retracted into the wall), then it is recommended to use corner adapters. They are available for HDMI, and for VGA, and for DVI, and RCA. In extreme cases, you can use an external attachment with all the necessary ports (most of them have wall mounts for ordinary self-tapping screws).
In total, fixing the TV on the wall is quite simple. The main advantage of this method of placing TV is that there is no need to allocate space for installing a cabinet (which, on average, occupies 1.5 - 2 square meters of free space).
The most difficult thing is to choose the right dowels for the wall material.
Useful video
All about how to hang a TV on the wall, you will learn from the video:
