Nowadays we all recognize that flat screen televisions look very chic on a wall, or even suspended from a ceiling, and this is one of the main reasons why they are so popular. This is possible because commercially available LCDs and plasmas are much thinner than old tube televisions and, therefore, by hanging them we free up space in our home, while at the same time creating a highly decorative and elegant aesthetic environment. .
However, there is a surprising fact, and that is that, of 100 flat screen televisions sold, only a quarter will actually be destined to hang. The reason is simple: the owner does not know how to do it and gives up hiring an expensive professional service, so the vast majority simply dispose of their new acquisition on the same piece of furniture where their old tube TV used to sit, thus wasting one of the great advantages offered by these modern devices.
In this article we are going to explain the step by step of installing a flat screen TV on a wall, and we will see that in the end it is not very different from hanging a shelf or a large painting. Thus, we will explain how attach the TV, LCD and LED brackets with a laser level correctly, so that the appliance is firm, secure and level.
Of course, to keep up with technological advances, in the installation of our LCD or plasma we are going to use a line laser level, which will facilitate the leveling and plumbing task, ensuring excellent quality work. If these measurement tools are used, this saves time and adds efficiency, not only being able to replace, but also in some cases, as support and support for other types of tools.
Preliminary considerations
The essential element that we need to mount any TV (even tube) on a wall is the bracket. It is not the purpose of this article to provide advice on choosing a flat screen TV wall mount. We are simply going to highlight the following.
There are different types of support:
- Fixed position
- Tilting
- Arm and fixed position
- Tilt and swivel arm
Each of these types can be considered universal, as it covers a wide range of TV sizes. Even some more expensive models are designed in a way to completely hide the wiring. Therefore, the TV stand, LED or LCD that we are going to acquire will depend, in addition to our budget, on the following factors:
- Bracket weight: varies between 5 and 40 kg, depending on the type.
- Dimensions and weight of the television to hangThey can reach up to 80 inches and weigh more than 50 kg.
- TV type: either LCD, LED or plasma, the medium It must be fully compatible with the make and model of the TV.
- Wall type– This is important because, for example, the anchors required for a masonry wall are not the same as those for a drywall (or plasterboard) wall.
In short, once, properly advised, we acquire the correctly appropriate wall mount for the television, we already have a large part of the work done and now comes the task of assembling it.
Procedure for installing a TV on a wall
For practical purposes, we are going to focus this example on a medium fixed position wall mount, which is the best-selling type for being the most economical. However, the procedure that we will point out in the guide that follows is also valid for other types of supports.
A typical Wall bracket Fixed position looks similar to the one we see in the figure below.
TV, LED or LCD support placement
The two vertical bars are detached from the frame and screwed to the TV. Hence the importance of acquiring TV, LED or LCD support compatible with our TV, as the mounting holes on the rear panel of the TV must match at least two holes on each vertical bar of the bracket.
For its part, the frame of the support, that is, the rectangular part of the figure above, is the one that is fixed to the wall. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that we place this box correctly level, so that later, when we mount the television, it is not tilted.
Let’s see then how to install the bracket box on the wall, using a line laser level capable of projecting a horizontal line, a vertical line, or a cross formed by both lines.
Step 1
Whenever we have to drill holes in a wall, it is necessary to make sure that such drilling will not be done on a water pipe or electrical installation hidden behind the wall, which can lead to numerous inconveniences and can even be dangerous. Therefore, once we choose the preferred location and height to install the TV, we will use a wall scanner to verify that that location is safe.
If our wall is made of plasterboard, the process is different, since the holes must be made on the studs, whether made of wood or steel, that form the frame of the dry construction. To find out where the studs are hidden behind the wall, we can use a stud detector, which is a device similar to the one wall scanner, but designed exclusively for this function.
Step 2
After making sure that we can drill without any problems in the chosen place on the wall, we mount the line laser level on a tripod (or the clamping element included in the apparatus kit) and turn it on.
We hope it will level automatically and proceed as indicated in the user manual to project the horizontal line onto the wall. We can also project the vertical or even both (as shown in the figures that we will detail below) but the horizontal will be enough.
Step 3
We support the support for TV on the wall, so that the holes at the top coincide with the horizontal line, as indicated in the following figure.
Steps for TV stand placement
With a pencil we mark on the horizontal laser line the places of the two upper holes to be made, for example, as indicated by the yellow circles in this figure.
TV Stand Attachment – Leveling
Step 4
Once we have marked the two upper holes, we make the holes with a drill and a suitable bit, and with the help of a hammer we insert the plugs or anchors indicated by the manufacturer.
We screw the support to the wall and now we only have to drill the two lower holes to insert the corresponding plugs or anchors, so that the frame of the support is already fully fixed to the wall and perfectly level.
Step 5
Now that we have the TV, LED or LCD support installed, and before mounting the TV, a detail that we must consider is how we will proceed with the wiring. It is very unsightly that the wiring is visible after having carefully proceeded to locate our television on the wall.
Therefore, to continue with the neatness that we have been observing, we have three options to proceed with the wiring:
- Install a piece of furniture, rack or modular just below the TV, on which we place an ornament that hides the cables: this is an ideal possibility if we already have this piece of furniture.
- Embed all cables in the wall: this option is very elegant, but expensive and not always possible, since it all depends on the type of wall we have.
- Lay a channel cable (or plastic duct) on the wall of the appropriate width to contain the wiring: This option is cheaper than buying a piece of furniture or doing a complicated job of embedding the cables.
That is, the channel cable runs vertically from the bottom of the TV to the socket, and from here horizontally to the nearest electrical outlet. As the vertical path will be very visible, it is imperative to place the channel cable correctly plumb. How do we do it?
Again turning to line laser level and, in this particular case, to the vertical or plumb line. Therefore, we fix the gummed part of the channel cable to the wall so that it exactly coincides with the vertical line of the laser level, as indicated in the following figure with the thick gray line, and then we continue with the horizontal path of the channel cable arranging it above the socket.
Support leveling for TV-LED-LCD
In this way we ensure the correct plumbing of the channel cable and achieve a full bracket and cable installation channel just as a professional would, helping us only with a practical line laser level that we can acquire in the trade at a more than reasonable price.
As we can see, the procedure is simpler than it may seem a priori, so it is a matter of putting it into practice and enjoying the results, with the satisfaction of having done the work ourselves.
